Danny Murphy called the stutter run-up “ridiculous” after Valentín Barco missed Chelsea's fourth penalty in the shootout against Liverpool. Barco used the same kind of approach that had already drawn attention when Bruno Guimaraes saw a spot-kick saved for Arsenal on Tuesday night. The argument is back because two high-profile misses have put the technique in the spotlight again.

The criticism and the defence

Murphy was blunt about where he stands. “I wouldn't allow it if I was a manager”, he said, before adding: “It is ridiculous, self-indulgence, a player trying to be the centre of attention.” He also argued that keepers are not being fooled early enough any more, calling the method “naive”.

Cesar Azpilicueta took the opposite view on BBC, saying: “Every player picks his style where he feels confident, and for Valentin Barco, I believe that is his way of shooting it. I don't believe that was his first time, I hope not!” Glen Johnson backed that up too: “I like the technique.” He added that it gives players “a bit of time”.

Barco’s miss and Liverpool’s winner

Johnson also focused on the finish itself. “He has moved, he has got it right and gone the right way but lifted it in the air for no reason,” he said, arguing that Barco had already beaten the goalkeeper before lifting the effort. His read was that the Chelsea defender left too much difficulty in the finish, even after the stutter had done its job.

Joe Gomez then took the decisive kick for Liverpool, despite having never scored a senior goal in 319 professional appearances. He said: “Everyone is on edge and we want to win.” Gomez also added: “For me it is the moment I was thinking about and anticipating. It was nice it went in.”

The BBC also noted that 26 stutter penalties were taken at the 2026 World Cup, with 11 misses. That will keep the debate alive after Barco’s miss and Gomez’s winner in the shootout. It was another reminder that the stutter can buy time, but it does not guarantee a cleaner finish.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →