The contentious 'stutter' penalty technique is once again under intense scrutiny following high-profile Carabao Cup exits for both Chelsea and Arsenal. Chelsea midfielder Valentin Barco struck the post with his fourth spot-kick after a hesitant run-up against Liverpool, a miss that proved fatal to the Blues' hopes. Had he converted, Xabi Alonso's side would have secured a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals; instead, Chelsea were knocked out when defender Wesley Fofana blazed a sudden-death effort into Anfield's Kop. The incident followed a comparable miscue on Tuesday night, which saw Arsenal midfielder Bruno Guimaraes have his stuttered effort kept out as the Gunners suffered a shock elimination against League Two side Fleetwood Town.
While Barco and Guimaraes faltered, Liverpool defender Joe Gomez demonstrated the merits of a direct approach. The 29-year-old had failed to score a single senior goal across 319 appearances for Charlton Athletic, Liverpool, and England, but he successfully rifled the penultimate penalty of the shootout into the top corner. Gomez later shared his perspective on ITV, stating: "Everyone is on edge and we want to win. For me it is the moment I was thinking about and anticipating. It was nice it went in."
Under Fifa rules, players are permitted to halt or feint during their approach provided they do not pause directly before kicking the ball, aiming to force the goalkeeper into showing their direction. However, the technique carries severe drawbacks if the shot is off target or the keeper stays still. During this summer's World Cup, where the routine became a recurring theme, 11 of the 26 stutter penalties were missed. Guimaraes failed from the spot in that tournament, as did England's Harry Kane, whose effort was initially saved by Croatia's Dominik Livakovic in a 4-2 win before Kane scored the retake with a direct strike. While Brazilian great Pele was renowned for the routine and Cristiano Ronaldo has experienced mixed results with it, Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes, former Chelsea and Arsenal midfielder Jorginho, and Wolves striker Raul Jimenez also regularly utilise the style.
The contrasting outcomes in the last 16 have left former players split on the future viability of the run-up. Former Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta supported Barco on ITV, explaining that players select styles that grant them confidence, while Glen Johnson argued that the tactic gives kick-takers valuable time and noted Barco missed by mere inches after already beating the goalkeeper. In stark contrast, former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy voiced strong opposition on TalkSport, calling the method naive and self-indulgent, and maintaining that modern goalkeepers are no longer deceived by players attempting to be the centre of attention.