LONDON, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 25: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 0-1 during the Carabao Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium on February 25, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Liverpool clinched their tenth EFL Cup crown after defeating Chelsea 1-0 in the final on Sunday evening.
Carabao Cup Final
Result: Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool
Date: 25 February 2024
Venue: Wembley Stadium
The Reds were without the services of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez, as Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliot continued in the attack alongside Luis Diaz.
The game’s first real opening arrived after 13 minutes when Axel Disasi’s slip allowed Gakpo to take possession and play in Diaz, who saw his strike kept out by goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Chelsea should have broken the deadlock on 21 minutes when Raheem Sterling’s shot deflected into the path of Cole Palmer, who was denied by a brilliant save from Reds goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Klopp was then forced to make a change a few minutes later when Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off after a challenge from Moises Caicedo, adding to the club’s lengthy injury list.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side had the ball in the back of the net when Nicolas Jackson broke free before picking out Sterling, who slotted into an empty net but the celebrations were cut short after there was an offside in the build-up.
The high tempo carried over to the second half as the Blues squandered a big chance on 53 minutes through a failed back-heel from Enzo Fernandez when Palmer and Sterling were in better positions.
The Reds who though they had broken the deadlock in the 58th minute when captain Virgil van Dijk out-muscled Ben Chilwell to head home, but the goal was ruled out for Wataru Endo disturbing play in the build-up after being in an offside position. Chelsea went agonisingly close to pulling ahead with 13 minutes on the clock as Palmer did well to pick out Conor Gallagher, whose first-time flick crashed against the upright.
After neither side could find a breakthrough in the final few stages, the game went to extra-time which resembled the final two years ago when these two sides met.
With two minutes left on the clock, Van Dijk stepped up and bagged the winning goal after losing his marker to send a header past Petrovic to seal the cup for the Reds.
