Revealed: What Mohamed Salah told Jorginho before he took Chelsea penalty during Carabao Cup final shootout defeat to Liverpool
Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah had a small exchange of words with Chelsea midfielder Jorginho during the epic penalty shootout in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday.
Blues manager Thomas Tuchel introduced Jorginho in extra time for the sole purpose of the penalty shootout at the Wembley in London. The Italian international is regarded as one of the best penalty takers in the modern game.
While walking back from the box after converting the Reds' fifth penalty, Salah said to the incoming Jorginho:
"Don't jump!"
That was in reference to the trademark jump Jorginho does before taking penalties. The 29-year-old winger wanted to play some mind games, as Jorginho's miss could have handed the trophy to Liverpool.
It's worth mentioning that the 30-year-old midfielder missed his last spot-kick at Wembley during the Euro 2020 final. However, Salah's mind game didn't work, as Jorginho calmly scored his spot-kick past Caoimhin Kelleher to level the shootout at 5-5.
The video for the same can be seen below:
The 2022 Carabao Cup final was a closely contested affair. Both teams had numerous chances and disallowed goals as the game ended goalless after regulation and extra time.
Both teams combined to score the first 21 spot-kicks before Chelsea's substitute goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the 22nd penalty. That handed Jurgen Klopp's men their ninth League Cup win.
In the process, the Blues were denied their third piece of silverware this season. Thomas Tuchel's side have won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup this season.
Liverpool, meanwhile, won their first domestic cup since Jurgen Klopp took over in 2015. The Reds had previously lost the League Cup final to Manchester City on penalties in Klopp's first season in charge.
Chelsea and Liverpool have FA Cup games to look forward to
Both Liverpool and Chelsea will now shift their attention to the FA Cup. Both teams will be in action in the tournament's fifth round in midweek.
Chelsea will travel to Luton Town on Wednesday. Luton are currently on a three-match winning run in the Championship. However, the Blues will be expected to come away with a win on the night.
Klopp's side, meanwhile, are scheduled to host Norwich City at Anfield. The Reds are gunning for an unprecedented quadruple this season.
Liverpool are six points behind Manchester City in the Premier League, albeit a game in hand and a trip to the Etihad to come. They also have a 2-0 aggregate lead in their Round of 16 clash against Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League.