Bitter Sweet Goodbyes: Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 in Carabao Cup Final

Liverpool beat Chelsea to 1-0 to win the Carabao Cup and seal one of their most memorable final wins. 

Virgil van Dijk’s extra time header secured the Reds their first trophy of the season. 

It was a remarkable cup final which resulted in Jurgen Klopp having to playing three teenagers during extra time. 

Klopp’s side still triumphed without a host of injured star names, including forward trio, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota. 

With Ryan Gravenberch joining the long list of injured players after being stretchered off following a first-half challenge by Moises Caicedo. 

It was tight first half with Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling who both saw close-range efforts blocked and ruled out for offside by VAR. 

After the break the chances still keep coming in thick and fast with Van Dijk efforts contentiously ruled out for offside following a lengthy VAR intervention as Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo blocked off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill. 

Connor Gallagher was also denied by the goalpost, then denied once more by Caoimhin Kelleher who produced another outstanding Wembley performance, following his 2022 winning penalty in the EFL Cup final. 

The odds on Liverpool securing the cup seemed even slimmer when three of Kloop’s youngest players were substituted on and sent into the Wembley fray. 

The emerging youngsters, 19-year-olds Bobby Clark and James McConnell, along with 18-year-old Danns put in a stellar performance against a squad which took over £1 billion to assemble. 

The Reds have achieved the first part of their potential quadruple in their manager’s farewell season, but it was bitter blow for Chelsea and their manager Mauricio Pochettino. 

Chelsea have now had six successive loses at Wembley finals, including three against Liverpool. 

Pochettino’s side had a huge opportunity to rewrite history against an under-strengthen Liverpool side that have been heavily impacted by injuries. 

Yet it was heartbreak once more for Chelsea and for Pochettino who is still without a managerial success in England, and suffering defeat once again at the hands of Klopp, after losing the 2020 Champions League Final when he was Tottenham manager.