Liverpool spot on to land League Cup glory

Liverpool have held their nerve to defeat Chelsea 11-10 in an astonishing penalty shootout to snare the English League Cup trophy, after an enthralling contest had somehow ended goalless after extra time at Wembley.

Both sides could claim to have been deserving winners in a classic free-flowing encounter full of goalscoring chances, remarkable saves and four disallowed goals.

Even in the penalty shootout the two heavyweights were inseparable with 21 successful kicks raising the tension.

In the end it came down to an unlikely duel between the back-up goalkeepers with Liverpool's young Irish shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher belting his penalty past Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had replaced Edouard Mendy near the end of extra time for the shootout.

Spaniard Arrizabalaga then blazed his effort over the bar into the massed ranks of Liverpool supporters who celebrated the club's first domestic Cup silverware for a decade.

While Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp had won the Premier League and Champions League since arriving at Anfield, it was a rare cup success for the German who had won only two of his previous eight finals with Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool.

"I am fine now, obviously but I would have been fine with 90 minutes and 1-0 to Liverpool and we go home. But it was exciting and I am happy for the people," Klopp said.

"Chelsea are incredibly strong, we matched each other and both teams were knackered at the end."

For Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel it meant his hopes of a fourth trophy in just over a year at Stamford Bridge fell just short.

He won the Champions League last season and the European SuperCup and FIFA Club World Cup this season.

Klopp's decision to stay loyal to stand-in keeper Kelleher, who has featured throughout