Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
The visitors broke the deadlock shortly before half-time through a Morgan Rogers penalty after Ryan Gravenberch had fouled Moises Caicedo.
But the Reds were soon back on level terms from a spot kick themselves when Cody Gakpo was impeded by Wesley Fofana and duly converted.
With nothing separating the teams after 90 minutes, the fourth round tie came down to a shootout in front of The Kop which went into sudden death.
Joe Gomez netted the decisive penalty before Giorgi Mamardashvili saw Fofana blaze his effort into the stands to send home fans into euphoria.
Andoni Iraola’s side will now host Bournemouth in the competition’s last eight.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Reds still have Chelsea’s number
Liverpool’s clashes with Chelsea continue to deliver compelling storylines.
Whether in the Premier League or cup competitions, they are often match-ups laden with dramatic moments and equally nerve-shredding penalties.
Xabi Alonso already knew what to expect, having helped put his current employers to the sword in a 2007 Champions League semi-final shootout.
This encounter was comparable with that balmy spring night almost 20 years ago when Rafael Benitez and Jose Mourinho duked it out on the touchline.
It also felt at times as though Anfield had time-travelled a little further forward to the domestic cup final showdowns between the sides at Wembley in 2022.
Joe Gomez even reprised Kostas Tsimikas’ role as the peripheral full-back winner after the Greek international had skied his own effort into The Kop.
The veteran’s long-awaited first goal in red shirt, after 11 years, ensured that the hosts extended their 100% record in shootouts against the visitors.
Andoni Iraola’s side continue to have the Blues’ number and there was only ever likely to be one winner once normal time had finished all-square.
Iraola opts for familiar approach
Managing Liverpool’s squad load has been a difficult balancing act for Iraola.
He headed into this Carabao Cup tie, his side’s sixth game in 17 days, with the need to rest large parts of his strongest XI while awaiting injury returns.
The Basque made five changes to the starting line-up, including benching the combined £364 million of Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz
It was, however, a reshuffling of his on-field options which proved particularly intriguing with a number of players deployed in their favoured positions.
Tempting though it may have been to persist with Ronald Araujo at full-back, he was allowed to take up a more naturalised role in the heart of defence.
The Uruguayan’s return to familiar comforts was not the only tactical alteration which Iraola made, with changes paying off in the attacking department, too.
Rio Ngumoha appeared more at home coming off the left and was arguably more confident in his bursts of speed and skill than on the opposing flank.
Adopting more familiar approaches is a luxury yet to be afforded to Iraola on a regular basis but the cup afforded him a rare opportunity to at least try it out.
No love lost with Henderson now
Jordan Henderson’s post-Liverpool arc took a surprise downturn this summer.
On last season’s final day, Brentford’s then midfielder soaked up a belated lap of appreciation to compensate for the one which was denied by a muted exit.
Joining Al-Ettifaq, working under ex-teammate Steven Gerrard, did little to tarnish Henderson’s Anfield standing – unlike his move to Stamford Bridge.
Supporters initially appeared conflicted on the reception to afford their former captain, with his name in the announced line-ups greeted with mixed emotion.
That all changed once Henderson ran out in a blue shirt and sought out every opportunity to try and influence proceedings with referee Darren England.
He even engaged in a spot of trolling by carrying the ball to the penalty spot for the visitors’ opener before handing it to eventual taker Morgan Rogers.
No one can expunge the England international’s legacy, not least as the Liverpool skipper who lifted their first Premier League title in 30 years.
But Henderson’s latest return to Merseyside with the west Londoners only served to confirm that there is no love lost between the concerned parties.