Liverpool have been knocked off their perch by Preston North End after the Championship club set a new penalty shootout record.
The Lilywhites entertained Premier League side Fulham in the third round of the League Cup on Tuesday night and took a surprise lead before the half through Ryan Ledson.
The hosts couldn’t hold on to their advantage though as Ryan Sessegnon set up Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson for the equaliser on the hour mark.
Neither team could land the killer blow before the full-time whistle, and with extra-time a thing of the past in this competition, the tie went straight to penalties.
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It might have been quicker to just play an additional 30 minutes though, with both sets of players converting their spot kicks in one of the most impressive displays of penalty taking you will ever see.
Neither goalkeeper was given much chance to save the majority of the attempts made, but Freddie Woodman did stop Jorge Cuenca’s shot – Fulham’s ninth.
However, Steven Benda immediately responded by making a terrific save to deny Kaine Kesler-Hayden and keep the Cottagers in the contest.
Another eight rounds of penalties took place before we saw the next miss, with Timothy Castagne sending his spot kick well over the bar to hand Ledson the opportunity to complete a shock win for Preston.
The 27-year-old midfielder’s successful take was the 34th penalty of the night as Preston won 16-15, making it the longest shootout in the history of the League Cup and, indeed, English professional football.
Liverpool record broken as Preston win longest ever shootout
Liverpool and Middlesbrough held the previous record in the competition, which stood for ten years. Both side took 30 penalties between them in the third round in 2014 before the Reds eventually came out on top.
That same year League One outfit Scunthorpe beat non-league Worcester 14-13 on penalties in the second round of the FA Cup, setting the record for the longest shootout in a competitive involving at least one professional club at 32 spot kicks. Only three shootouts in the English game have gone on longer and all involved amateur teams.
Fulham can at least claim a part of history, but they would probably rather be in the hat for the fourth round draw instead.
