Chelsea midfielder Valentin Barco’s stuttering penalty run-up once again proved controversial after his miss in the Carabao Cup last‑round tie against Liverpool. The Spanish‑born midfielder struck the post on the fourth spot‑kick of a tense shootout, sending the Blues into a sudden‑death scenario that ended with defender Wesley Fofana’s decisive header for the Reds. Had Barco converted, Chelsea would have advanced to the quarter‑finals, but the miss sealed their exit from the competition.
The “stutter” technique, where a player deliberately stops or feints during the run‑up to try to trick the goalkeeper, has been a point of debate among pundits and players alike. Arsenal’s Bruno Guimaraes suffered a similar fate earlier in the month when his stuttered penalty was saved in a 2‑2 draw that saw the Gunners eliminated by League Two side Fleetwood Town. Both players had been coached on the method by Liverpool defender Joe Gomez, who himself has never scored a senior goal in 319 appearances but managed to convert the winning penalty in the shootout with a simple, straightforward run‑up.
Former Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta commented on Barco’s choice, saying that each player should use the style that makes them feel confident. “Valentin has always used this approach, and it’s his way of shooting,” Azpilicueta told ITV, adding that he hoped it was not the first time Barco had missed from a stuttered run‑up. The technique has also been highlighted at the 2026 World Cup, where 26 penalties were taken and 11 were missed, with several high‑profile players—including Harry Kane and Brazil’s Bruno Guimaraes—facing criticism for their stuttering attempts.
While some analysts dismiss the method as a form of self‑indulgence, others see merit in the extra time it gives a player to assess the goalkeeper’s position. Former Liverpool and Chelsea full‑back Glen Johnson praised the technique, noting that Barco’s miss was a result of a slight mis‑placement rather than a failure to read the keeper. “If he had put the ball just a few inches to the right, it would have been a brilliant penalty,” Johnson said, highlighting that the stutter can still be effective when executed correctly.
Despite the debate, the outcome of the match remains clear: Liverpool progressed to the Carabao Cup quarter‑finals after a dramatic shootout, while Chelsea’s campaign ended in disappointment. The Blues will now focus on their upcoming fixtures, while Liverpool will prepare for the next round of the competition. The controversy surrounding the stuttered penalty run‑up is likely to continue as teams weigh the risks and rewards of this unconventional approach in future high‑stakes matches.