Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea (6-5 after penalties): 5 Talking Points as the Reds see out Chelsea in an enthralling contest | FA Cup 2021-22
Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties in the final to win the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 14.
The game was quite similar to their EFL Cup final in February, which too was eventually settled by a penalty shootout after a goalless game. The Reds won that game 11-10 to secure their first trophy of the season.
Liverpool started the FA Cup final on a dangerous note with Luis Diaz testing Edouard Mendy quite early on. Chelsea responded well to the threat and created a flurry of chances but none of the sides were able to break the deadlock.
The second half saw both teams ramping up their efforts. Chelsea hit the woodwork through Marcos Alonso who saw his effort clip the bar. Liverpool came close to scoring in the dying embers of the game through Diaz, but his effort too was denied by the post and the game went off to extra-time. Later, Andrew Robertson also hit the post from point blank range after a delightful cross from James Milner.
Both teams squirmed in search of the winner in extra time as well but it never came and it all boiled down to penalties. Mason Mount and Cesar Azpilicueta missed from the spot for Chelsea whereas Sadio Mane had his penalty saved by Mendy. Konstantinos Tsimikas proved to be the hero as he slotted the winning penalty for Liverpool to beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties.
WE ARE THE #EmiratesFACup WINNERS!!!!!!! https://t.co/eZMe5IRbB2
On that note, here's a look at the five biggest talking points from the game:
#5 Liverpool keep the quadruple dream alive
With Liverpool's victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final, the Reds have managed to keep their quadruple dream alive. Having won the EFL Cup and the FA Cup, all eyes will now be on the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League.
The Merseyside club trail leaders Manchester City by three points in the league. With just two games left to be played, it will all go down to the wire. The Reds will play Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton. The Cityzens, meanwhile, will play West Ham United and Aston Villa in the final two games of the league this season.
Liverpool will also face Real Madrid at the Stade de France in the Champions League final on May 28.
#4 Injury concerns for Liverpool
With the Champions League looming close, the news of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk going off injured will have Jurgen Klopp a bit worried. The Egyptian went off close to the half-hour mark with an apparent groin problem. The good news is that he was able to walk off without any help and that must be a bit reassuring for the fans.
Meanwhile, Van Dijk was replaced by Joel Matip for the extra-time as the Dutchman felt a twinge in his knee. Klopp will be hoping that these injuries are not too serious as it's all to play for his side in their remaining fixtures of the season.
#3 Liverpool shattered multiple records with their FA Cup triumph
Klopp has now won all the trophies that could have been won as Liverpool's manager following their FA Cup victory. Jordan Henderson became the first Liverpool captain to lift six different trophies.
Set complete for the boss 😍🏆
#EmiratesFACup https://t.co/fqHe9D2ekn
Meanwhile, Liverpool won their eighth FA Cup title, which also happened to be their first in 16 years. The Reds also became the first English side to do a domestic cup double on multiple occasions: 2001 and 2022.
#2 Luis Diaz shines against Chelsea
Luis Diaz had a marvelous game for the Reds. The Colombia international won the 'Man of the Match' award for his fantastic performance in the final. He was a menace every time he advanced higher up the pitch. Although he could have perhaps grabbed a goal, he did pretty well to get into attacking positions, giving the Chelsea defenders a hard time.
What a player ✨ https://t.co/XlQtLxIxMt
Diaz attempted six shots, won three duels, made one recovery and won one tackle throughout the game. He even had one of his shots denied by the woodwork towards the end phase of normal time. It was an excellent performance by the 25-year-old.
#1 Yet another thrilling contest between both teams
The score-line may have been 0-0 after extra-time but the game was far from what it depicts. Both sides created a truck load of chances to score but Mendy and Becker denied everything that came their way. Both keepers made two saves each in normal time and one save each in the penalty shootout.
The two goalkeepers were outstanding throughout the game. Only three keepers have managed to keep a clean sheet in the FA Cup finals of which two were Mendy and Becker.
Only three goalkeepers have kept a clean sheet in the final of the European Cup / Champions League and the FA Cup:
◎ Ray Clemence
◉ Édouard Mendy
◉ Alisson Becker
Golden Gloves. 🙌 https://t.co/fgLZ1k5x6R
The desire and hunger was there to be seen as both the sides wanted it equally and kept fighting for each ball. By the end of extra time, there was nothing to separate these sides and it all had to be decided via a shootout. The Reds had 17 attempts on the night, while the Blues had 10.