Liverpool U21s suffer cup exit despite remarkable victory with echoes of 2014 League Cup tie | OneFootball

Despite emerging victorious, Liverpool under-21s bowed out of the Vertu Trophy on Tuesday night after a remarkable conclusion to their match against Chesterfield.

While most of Arne Slot’s first-team squad are currently away on international duty, Rob Page’s side were in action in the EFL tournament, in which they finished bottom in Northern Group H, having collected their only two points of the competition last night.

In the Vertu Trophy group stages, which sees 16 academy teams from Premier League clubs competing against League One and League Two opposition, matches which finish level after the regulation 90 minutes go straight to penalties, with the shootout winner awarded an additional point.

Liverpool under-21s prevail in marathon penalty shootout

Liverpool under-21s found themselves 2-0 down to Chesterfield midway through the second half on Tuesday before battling back to secure a 2-2 draw thanks to a Kaide Gordon brace, with the equaliser being scored in stoppage time (full match report can be read on liverpoolfc.com).

The ensuing penalty shootout was something of a marathon, with no fewer than 24 kicks required to determine a winner, with the young Reds eventually prevailing 11-10.

However, as it transpired, they would’ve needed a victory in normal time by at least three goals (and even 3-0 wouldn’t have sufficed) if they were to progress to the knockout rounds.

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpool under-21s can take heart despite Vertu Trophy exit

The long-running shootout at the SMH Group Stadium last night was reminiscent of the League Cup tie between Liverpool and Middlesbrough in September 2014, when an incredible 30 kicks were taken before the Reds finally won 14-13 (BBC Sport).

It also had echoes of the 2022 Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, which involved 22 kicks and an 11-10 triumph for the Merseysiders.

Although Page’s side will be disappointed to have exited the Vertu Trophy, they can at least take heart from besting a senior outfit who are currently just one point outside the League Two play-off places, particularly having come back from two goals down so late in the game.

To put into context how difficult it is for academy teams to progress in the competition, West Ham are the only under-21 side to reach the 32-team knockout stage, so there’s no shame in the young Reds coming up short in a group which also contained Crewe and Burton Albion.

Page recently spoke of the probability of loan interest in Gordon from Championship clubs, and that might well ramp up in the wake of his two-goal salvo on Tuesday night.

Although Premier League 2 doesn’t resume until the New Year, many of the Liverpool youngsters who featured last night will be involved in two more UEFA Youth League fixtures before the end of 2025, thus keeping them ticking over as they continue in their career development.

You can watch Slot’s full post-Man City press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube: