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Liverpool Thrashes Chelsea To Win Carabao Cup
Liverpool clinched victory in the Carabao Cup (EFL) final in a thrilling manner on Sunday evening when Virgil van Dijk scored a late header in extra time to secure a 1-0 win over Chelsea.
Despite facing injuries, Liverpool managed to field a team with several young players, but it was their experienced captain who led them to their 10th League Cup triumph at Wembley on Sunday evening.
Van Dijk had a goal disallowed by VAR earlier in the match, but he made amends by scoring the winning goal with just two minutes remaining.
This victory marked Liverpool’s first trophy since Klopp announced his departure at the end of the season, and the manager will be hoping it sets the stage for a successful farewell.
Liverpool, who are aiming for a quadruple, currently lead the Premier League, have an FA Cup fifth-round match against Southampton on Wednesday, and will face Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16.
The defeat at Wembley was another disappointing result for Chelsea, who also lost the League Cup and FA Cup finals to Liverpool in 2022.
Mauricio Pochettino, the manager of Chelsea, has requested that the fans not judge him solely on his ability to win titles, especially considering the challenges he has faced in his first season in charge.
Despite this, Chelsea has not won any domestic silverware since the 2018 FA Cup, and they can only blame themselves for their missed opportunities during regular play.
Liverpool, on the other hand, had to deal with numerous injuries to key players, including Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
As a result, young players like Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott were given the chance to start, while six of Jurgen Klopp’s substitutes were 21 years old or younger.
Despite their youthful lineup, Liverpool quickly found their rhythm, with Luis Diaz leading the charge.
Exploiting Chelsea’s hesitant defence, Diaz made a strong strike that forced a commendable save from Djordje Petrovic. Against the flow of the game, Chelsea had an opportunity to take the lead with their first decisive attack.
Conor Gallagher’s delivery was deflected to Cole Palmer just six yards out, but his attempt was denied by a fantastic save from Caoimhin Kelleher.
Ryan Gravenberch was added to Liverpool’s growing injury list after being carried off on a stretcher due to an awkward twist in his leg during a challenge with Moises Caicedo.
Raheem Sterling believed he had scored for Chelsea with a close-range shot from Nicolas Jackson’s pass, but the goal was ruled out for a narrow offside against the Senegal forward before his assist.
In response to Chelsea’s progress, Liverpool came close to scoring through Cody Gakpo, whose header from Andrew Robertson’s cross hit the post.
Liverpool continued to press forward, with Bradley’s shot on target being expertly blocked by Levi Colwill, who bravely threw himself in front of the close-range effort.
Liverpool seemed to have broken the deadlock when Van Dijk rose above Ben Chilwell to head in Robertson’s free-kick.
However, the VAR review led referee Chris Kavanagh to disallow the goal for offside against Wataru Endo, who obstructed Colwill from marking the Dutch defender.
Chelsea’s Axel Disasi missed a golden opportunity to further damage Liverpool’s chances, failing to convert a close-range chance. Chelsea came close once more when Gallagher’s flick off Palmer’s cross hit the far post.
Gallagher then squandered a crucial chance in the final minutes, unable to capitalize on Palmer’s pass due to a heavy touch, allowing Kelleher to make the save. Kelleher’s heroics continued as he made two more saves in quick succession from Palmer and Nkunku, leading to extra time.
Despite Liverpool’s young players like Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Jarell Quansah, and Jayden Danns being on the field, they never seemed overwhelmed by Chelsea’s experience. Danns almost scored with a header over Petrovic, while Elliott’s volley hit the post.
However, Liverpool finally found the breakthrough just before penalties, with Van Dijk heading in Tsimikas’s corner to secure the win, leaving Klopp in disbelief but with a smile on his face.
