Add the FA Cup to the collection: Jurgen Klopp has won every major title with Liverpool.
A 6-5 penalty shootout victory in Saturday’s final gave Liverpool its first FA Cup since 2006 and continues the arduous but not impossible path of four trophies. Like the League Cup final in February, the FA Cup final ended 0-0 in 120 minutes of play before Liverpool came out on top again. This time, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount’s penalty was deflected by goalkeeper Alisson, and then Konstantinos Tsimikas sealed the win with his first goal since he joined the club. In two weeks, Liverpool hopes to hoist another trophy by beating Real Madrid in the Champions League final. Before that, Klopp has to hope that Manchester City stumbles in the last two rounds of the Premier League and that Liverpool take advantage of it to win back that trophy. “That’s part of the ‘monster mentality’, going into extra time and keeping the level high, playing well,” Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker said. “It gives us more confidence to go to the Premier League and also the Champions League final. It’s a fantastic moment and we should enjoy it”. Chelsea, shaken by weeks of ownership changes, is the first team to lose three FA Cup finals in a row. In 2020 they were beaten by Arsenal and last year by Leicester. The oldest football cup final in the world had never gone to penalties. It hadn’t even finished goalless since 1923, when it began to be played in the national stadium. But Liverpool’s last FA Cup win, in 2006, was in one of two penalty shootouts that were played in Cardiff while Wembley was being rebuilt. The final ended with half the stadium engulfed in a haze of red smoke after starting with a somber moment as Liverpool fans booed the national anthem and Prince William’s introduction. The match was tense, with 58 shots on target by both teams failing to find the net in their two games at Wembley in 2022. Liverpool had the first chance at the feet of Colombian Luis Diaz, but goalkeeper Edouard Mendy deflected the shot. Then came Christian Pulisic’s shot that went wide, in a frustrating afternoon for the Chelsea striker. During the first half there were several injury delays to Liverpool players. Alisson was hit in the shin by holding off Marcos Alonso’s shot. He recovered, but shortly after Mohammed Salah fell. Pain in the groin prevented the striker from continuing to play, but he was able to walk off the pitch unassisted when Liverpool lost their Premier League goalscorer, and Chelsea failed to take advantage of it. In the second half, Chelsea went on the attack with a shot from Alonso that went wide, another from Pulisic rejected by Alisson and a free kick from Alonso that crashed against the crossbar. Towards the end, Liverpool tried to attack, but Diaz’s shot bounced off the post and Andy Robertson missed from close range. After 16 years of waiting, Liverpool have won their eighth FA Cup.