Caoimhin Kelleher has shared that he changed his mind on where to place his penalty for Liverpool yesterday, at the very last minute.
The Irishman told LFCTV GO after the game that Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga’s movements during his run up altered his thinking.
“If I’m totally honest, I was going to go the other side and as I ran up I just saw him out the corner of my eye, that he was diving that side,” said the Liverpool goalkeeper.
“So I wrapped my foot around it. I didn’t mean to go that high.”
Kelleher here is admitting that he went completely against conventional wisdom when it comes to penalties. Rule number one of penalty taking is supposed to be pick a side and stick to it.
But the 23-year-old had the wherewithal to see Kepa’s movements and adjust his technique accordingly. Liverpool benefitted in style from his keen eye.
Goalkeeper’s union
It can sometimes be odd to see goalkeepers take their turn in a shootout. But in theory, the intimate knowledge they have of facing spot-kicks themselves should help them get inside the head of the ‘keeper they’re facing.
That certainly seems to have worked for Kelleher. Not only when taking his own penalty, but when coming up against his Chelsea counterpart’s kick too.
Caoimhin says that he channelled his own experience when Kepa faced him from 12 yards.
“The last penalty, I thought of my own, how I was when taking the penalty, that I’ll probably just hit it as hard as I can,” said the Irishman.
“It’s easier for us to hit across our bodies, so that’s where I guessed.”
In the end, Kelleher didn’t need to get anything on the Spaniard’s kick. It flew high over his head into the Wembley South Stand to win the cup for Liverpool.
A burgeoning speciality
In his short Liverpool career, Kelleher has already proven himself to be a lucky charm in penalty shooutouts.
Sunday’s cup final win was his 16th game for The Reds. Three of those games have ended in a shootout, all of which have been won by Liverpool.
Although he will have been disappointed not to save any of Chelsea’s 11 kicks, his contribution was still vital here.
Kelleher will likely start again for Liverpool as they face Norwich City in the FA Cup on Wednesday night. That game should hopefully be sewn up in normal time.
But should The Reds need penalties again, they can be rest assured that, in Kelleher, they have the best man for the job.
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