Liverpool win Carabao Cup as Chelsea branded ‘billion pound bottlejobs’

Liverpool have gained the Carabao Cup to kick off the Jurgen Klopp going away social gathering in type.

Virgil van Dijk scored the profitable aim with a superb header deep into additional time to interrupt Chelsea’s hearts. On commentary, Gary Neville labelled Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively-assembled facet “billion pound bottlejobs” after they spurned quite a few golden probabilities to win the sport in regular time.

It was the third cup ultimate between these two groups to go to additional time after a 0-0 attract a row, following their clashes within the League Cup and FA Cup finals again in 2022. And for the third time working Liverpool clinched victory, this time in additional time somewhat than on penalties.

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Both sides had objectives dominated out in regular time, with Raheem Sterling’s effort getting chalked off for a really tight offside and Virgil van Dijk’s header being disallowed for a rarely-enforced offside involving Wataru Endo, who blocked Levi Colwill’s path off the ball.

Chelsea weren’t actually on the races, however squandered quite a few probabilities to go forward. The likes of Conor Gallagher, Christopher Nkunku, Cole Palmer, Malo Gusto, Enzo Fernandez and Axel Disasi all missed from shut vary, because the Blues rue one other day the place their incapability to place the ball within the web prices them dearly.

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Liverpool missed a lot of respectable probabilities too. Harvey Elliott was denied by a superb Dorde Petrovic save only a few minutes earlier than Van Dijk’s winner, as was Jayden Danns, whose looping header was tipped over the bar by the Serbian.

All in all it was a powerful efficiency from the Reds, who had been with out the likes of Mo Salah, Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai as a result of an damage pile-up. They additionally misplaced Ryan Gravenberch after the Dutchman was stretchered off following an unsightly problem by Moises Caicedo within the first half of regular time.

Victory at the moment marks the primary of a possible trio of trophies for Liverpool this season. They’re at the moment high of the Premier League and are favourites to win the Europa League. Winning all three can be the last word strategy to say goodbye to Klopp, although the likes of Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and, funnily sufficient, Xabi Alonso will do all the things of their energy to make sure the cup-lifting stops right here.

Liverpool are essentially the most profitable group in League Cup historical past and have now lifted the trophy 10 occasions – with half of these wins coming within the twenty first century. They beat Chelsea within the 2022 ultimate, Cardiff City in 2012, Manchester United in 2003 and Birmingham in 2001.

Chelsea, in the meantime, have now misplaced six home finals on the bounce. Their final victory got here in 2018 after they beat Man United within the FA Cup ultimate, however have since misplaced finals in opposition to Arsenal (2020), Leicester (2021) and Liverpool (2022).

Victories within the Champions League (2021) and the Europa League (2019) have balanced issues out, however Chelsea’s current document in finals leaves a heck of rather a lot to be desired. They’ve misplaced 4 of their final 5 FA Cup finals, having gained six in eight within the Premier League period previous to that.

They’ve additionally misplaced their final three League Cup finals, and have misplaced seven of their final eight Community Shield clashes. In the times of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard, Wembley was Chelsea’s second house. Now it is nothing greater than their very own private spook home.