Liverpool beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties, Man City edge Brighton in Carabao Cup
Liverpool and holders Manchester City both needed shootouts to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, and the last-eight draw sends Liverpool to face Bournemouth and City to host League One Bradford City.
At a glance
- Liverpool drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday, October 28, and won the shootout 6-5 when Wesley Fofana sent Chelsea's kick over the bar after Joe Gomez scored.
- Holders Manchester City twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Brighton and won 4-3 on penalties; goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli saved the last two Brighton kicks and Rayan Cherki scored the winner.
- Bournemouth beat Aston Villa 3-0, Crystal Palace won 1-0 at Fulham and Sunderland beat Brentford 3-2.
- Quarter-final draw: Liverpool v Bournemouth, Manchester City v Bradford City, Crystal Palace v Sunderland, Fleetwood Town v Everton or Newcastle United — all in the week starting December 14.
Liverpool knocked Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, October 28, 2026, winning a penalty shootout 6-5 after a 1-1 draw at Anfield, while holders Manchester City also needed spot kicks to get past Brighton. Both clubs are through to the quarter-finals, and the draw made straight after the Anfield game pairs Liverpool with Bournemouth and sends League One side Bradford City to the Etihad Stadium.
Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea (6-5 on penalties)
The tie in front of 60,214 at Anfield was settled from the penalty spot from start to finish. Chelsea went ahead in the 38th minute when Ryan Gravenberch fouled Moisés Caicedo and Morgan Rogers converted the penalty. Liverpool were level before half-time: Wesley Fofana handled the ball at a corner and Cody Gakpo scored from 12 yards.
The second half produced chances but no more goals. Florian Wirtz, who came on just before the hour, had a late opportunity to win it, but his shot from Gakpo's knock-down hit Levi Colwill and was cleared. At the other end Liverpool goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili made a sharp low save to keep the score level.
The shootout went to sudden death. Joe Gomez scored for Liverpool, and Fofana then sent Chelsea's kick over the bar into the Kop to end the tie. Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola had made seven changes from the weekend league win over Brighton, keeping only Ronald Araujo, Gakpo, Gravenberch and Virgil van Dijk in the side, and still came through. It is another cup penalty defeat for Chelsea against Liverpool, a fixture that has gone to shootouts in several recent finals and ties.
Manchester City 2-2 Brighton (4-3 on penalties)
At the Etihad, the holders never led in normal time. Malick Yalcouyé put Brighton ahead around the half-hour mark and Mateo Kovačić equalised. Georginio Rutter restored Brighton's lead just after the restart before Vitor Reis deflected in a Rayan Cherki free-kick to make it 2-2.
Kovačić missed City's first penalty in the shootout, but goalkeeper Gerónimo Rulli saved Brighton's last two kicks, from Yasin Ayari and captain Lewis Dunk, and Cherki scored the winning penalty. Manager Enzo Maresca had made nine changes after Saturday's league defeat at Aston Villa.
Wednesday's fourth-round results
| Match | Score | Through |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool v Chelsea | 1-1 (6-5 pens) | Liverpool |
| Manchester City v Brighton | 2-2 (4-3 pens) | Manchester City |
| Bournemouth v Aston Villa | 3-0 | Bournemouth |
| Fulham v Crystal Palace | 0-1 | Crystal Palace |
| Sunderland v Brentford | 3-2 | Sunderland |
Bournemouth were comfortable against Aston Villa: Amine Adli scored in the seventh minute, and Lewis Cook and Álvaro Rodríguez added second-half goals. Eddie Nketiah's first-half goal won it for Crystal Palace at Craven Cottage, and Chemsdine Talbi and Timur Tutyerov were among the scorers as Sunderland edged Brentford in a five-goal game at the Stadium of Light.
Quarter-final draw
| Home | Away |
|---|---|
| Liverpool | Bournemouth |
| Manchester City | Bradford City |
| Crystal Palace | Sunderland |
| Fleetwood Town | Everton or Newcastle United |
All four quarter-finals are scheduled for the week starting December 14. The semi-finals are two-legged ties in the weeks starting January 11 and February 1, and the final is on Sunday, March 21, 2027, at Wembley.
Background: a round of upsets
The fourth round had already produced one of the biggest shocks in the competition's history on Tuesday, when League Two Fleetwood Town beat Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties. Fleetwood and Bradford are now the two lower-league clubs left in the last eight, and Fleetwood will learn their opponents after Everton host Newcastle on Thursday, October 29.
Why it matters
The League Cup is the first major English trophy of the season and the quickest route to Wembley and European qualification. With Arsenal and Chelsea gone, Liverpool and holders Manchester City are now the strongest teams left, but both were taken to penalties by Premier League opponents on Wednesday. For Bradford and Fleetwood, a home tie or a trip to a big ground brings significant gate and television income.
What happens next
Everton against Newcastle on Thursday completes the fourth round. Liverpool host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, November 1, and the quarter-finals follow in mid-December. In Pakistan, Carabao Cup matches are usually shown live on streaming services that hold English football rights, with evening UK kick-offs falling after midnight Pakistan time.
Questions people are asking
Who won Liverpool vs Chelsea in the Carabao Cup?
Liverpool won 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Anfield on October 28, 2026. Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo scored penalties in normal time, and Wesley Fofana missed Chelsea's decisive kick in the shootout.
Who will Liverpool play in the Carabao Cup quarter-final?
Liverpool will host Bournemouth in the quarter-finals in the week starting December 14, 2026. Manchester City host Bradford City, Crystal Palace host Sunderland and Fleetwood Town host the winner of Everton v Newcastle.
When is the 2027 Carabao Cup final?
The final is scheduled for Sunday, March 21, 2027, at Wembley. The semi-finals are due to be played over two legs in the weeks starting January 11 and February 1.
