Giorgi Mamardashvili reveals a mistake the Liverpool coaching staff in the win over Chelsea

Giorgi Mamardashvili reveals a mistake the Liverpool coaching staff in the win over Chelsea Liverpool Beat Chelsea on Penalties as Giorgi Mamardashvili Decides Carabao Cup Tie Liverpool are through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals after a 1-1 draw with Chelsea ended in a 6-5 penalty shootout win at Anfield. It took sudden death, it took misses, and it took Giorgi Mamardashvili doing what goalkeepers are paid to do when the margins are thin. The game itself was straightforward enough. Chelsea went ahead in the 40th minute when Ryan Gravenberch brought down Moises Caicedo in the box and Morgan Rogers converted the penalty. Liverpool responded three minutes later. Wesley Fofana handled from a Kostas Tsimikas corner, Cody Gakpo stepped up, and it was 1-1. That was the scoring done. No flourish, no late winner, no great tactical twist. Just a cup tie drifting toward penalties, where composure matters more than aesthetics. Mamardashvili Wins Penalty Shootout The shootout had enough mistakes to keep everyone nervous. Tsimikas had the chance to win it for Liverpool and blazed over. Chelsea’s Valentin Barco then hit the post. Gravenberch saw his kick saved by Mike Penders. Emmanuel Emegha had the chance to settle it for Chelsea on his debut, but Mamardashvili saved. Joe Gomez scored Liverpool’s eighth penalty, then Fofana dragged Chelsea’s eighth into the Kop. Done. Liverpool’s players sprinted straight to Mamardashvili, which told you all you needed to know. He only made one save in the shootout, but it was the one that mattered. Photo: IMAGO Wrong Penalty Notes, Right Goalkeeper After the match, Mamardashvili offered the best line of the night. “I had this paper as well, but everything was wrong!” he told ITV. He confirmed the notes did not help him at all. So what did help? Reading the taker. “Before the shot I was looking at his [standing] leg, where he puts it down. I decided to go to my right side. I wanted to save more but sometimes one is enough.” That is about as honest as it gets, and he was correct. One was enough. Andoni Iraola was quick to back his second-choice keeper, who continues to play behind Alisson. The Liverpool head coach said before the shootout, “We need to save two.” Mamardashvili’s reply was simple, Liverpool needed someone to miss. That also proved true. Iraola added that every side does the research, players change their habits, and the goalkeeper still got close on several penalties he did not stop. Fair point. Data helps until it doesn’t. Then it becomes about nerve. Carabao Cup Quarter-Final Awaits Liverpool now face Bournemouth at Anfield in the quarter-finals, a mildly awkward pairing given Iraola’s past connection with the south coast club. He had already said that was the one team he did not want. He has got them anyway. The tie will be played in the week commencing December 14. Liverpool are still in it, and Mamardashvili made sure of that.