Were it not for the exceptional performances of Liverpool shot-stopper Caoimhin Kelleher and his Chelsea adversary Edouard Mendy, the League Cup final would have been a very high scoring affair.
Despite the contest finishing 0-0 after 120 minutes of football, Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel’s sides played out an extremely entertaining contest.
But while there was quality all over the pitch, it was the displays of both team’s shot-stoppers which grabbed the headlines for all of the right reasons, except for Kepa Arrizabalaga.
But while Kelleher went on to smash what appeared to be the winning penalty for Liverpool, Mendy was substituted and replaced by Kepa for the penalty shootout, who went on to miss the crucial penalty.
And Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s gushing comments over Mendy’s performance at half-time only adds extra scrutiny to Tuchel’s decision.
Should Thomas Tuchel have left Edouard Mendy on the pitch for the penalty shootout? Let us know in the comments
“Absolutely magnificent,” Hasselbaink said about the Blues’ Senegalese goalkeeper at half-time.
“He’s a big, big boy - he’s six foot five, six - so for him to get up this quick and get his right hand to the ball, absolutely magnificent.
“I think if Chelsea win the game, he is man of the match.”
Mendy made a miraculous double save in the first-half, getting down to his right hand side quickly to beat out Naby Keita’s effort, before getting back up and saving a point blank rebound from his international team mate and Liverpool ace Sadio Mane.
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher also jokingly said he wish Kepa had started in goal ahead of Mendy, shortly after his double save.
“I wish Kepa [Arrizabalaga] was in goal. My god, what a save,” Carragher said during the match.
“It’s a really good initial save but to get up and make the next save... Mane will be disappointed.
“Credit to the goalkeeper, absolutely magnificent.”
Mendy went on to make many more vital saves to maintain his clean sheet.
However, he was not handed a chance to build on his incredible display in the shootout, as Tuchel substituted him for Kepa in the dying stages of extra-time.
The Chelsea boss has previously swapped Kepa for Mendy in penalty shootouts with great success.
He rotated the goalkeepers in the Blues’ Super Cup triumph against Villarreal at the start of the season, where Kepa saved from Raul Albiol to win the cup for the Blues.
Unfortunately, the move did not have the same effect as Kepa not only failed to save any of Liverpool’s penalties, he also ballooned his own spot-kick over the bar to hand the cup to Klopp’s side.
However, Tuchel was quick to relieve Kepa of the blame, stating the responsibility was on his decision to swap the goalkeepers.
"I take the decisions when I take the decisions and I can't re-judge them when I know the outcome," explained the Chelsea boss in his post-match press conference.
"We don't know what would've happened if we left Edou on the pitch. No blame on Kepa, the blame is on me as I'm the guy who takes the decisions.
"Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn't. This is life as a football coach.
"The players know and we did it before. It's a nice subject now for you to make headlines but mistakes happen.
"I do mistakes, Edou did a big mistake and almost got punished. It makes it easier if we have a big feeling, but blame me as I take the decisions."
