Liverpool's Garcia had been guilty of two misses before his brilliant goal, especially when he scooped the ball over the bar with the net at his mercy after Gerrard's fine pull-back from the right in first-half stoppage time.

With Liverpool clearly the better side for the first hour, Cudicini made two diving saves, both to his left, first from Xabi Alonso's shot to the far bottom corner and later from Garcia.

Chelsea captain John Terry headed Arjen Robben's free kick into Reina's net early in the second half but the goal was disallowed because the England defender had both hands on Riise's shoulders when he jumped.

The tide turned Chelsea's way after Drogba's goal, with wingers Robben and Damien Duff on as substitutes stretching the defence, and Reina twice saved from the Dutchman as Liverpool were pinned in their own half.

The last chance of an equaliser and extra time was lost when Joe Cole missed a gilt-edged chance in the fifth minute of stoppage time, hammering a cross from the right over the bar with only Reina to beat.