The pros and cons of a stuttering penalty run-up are under debate after two crucial misses in the Carabao Cup last 16.
Chelsea midfielder Valentin Barco missed the Blues' fourth penalty in their shootout defeat by Liverpool when he hit the post after a stuttered run-up. Xabi Alonso's side would have reached the EFL Cup quarter-finals had he scored, but they crashed out as defender Wesley Fofana sent one in sudden death high into the Kop at Anfield. Barco's miss came after Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes had his spot-kick saved after a similar stutter as the Gunners crashed out against League Two Fleetwood Town.
Both were shown how to do it by Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, a player who has never scored a senior goal in 319 professional appearances, who rifled the winning penalty into the top corner after a simple run-up. Players opt for the stutter in a bid to trick the goalkeeper into revealing which way they will dive. The problem is it can backfire spectacularly if the goalkeeper holds their nerve or, as in Barco's case, the taker fails to hit the target.
The stutter became a theme of the World Cup, with 11 of 26 penalties missed. Harry Kane tried it and missed before scoring on a retake after Dominik Livakovic came off his line early. Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy called it "naive" and self-indulgent, while former Liverpool and Chelsea full-back Glen Johnson said he liked the technique, pointing out that Barco missed by mere inches.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing