EFL Cup Final Preview: Chelsea Vs Liverpool
Written By Albert Echatah
Chelsea and Liverpool will battle it out at Wembley on Sunday afternoon in a rematch of the 2021–22 EFL Cup final, vying for the first domestic trophy of the 2023–24 campaign.
Even though they have more than ten players missing from the squad, most people still predict that Jurgen Klopp’s team will defeat their opponents once more after a penalty shootout two years ago.
Chelsea
Mauricio Pochettino, the head coach of Chelsea at the moment, is possibly just 90 or 120 minutes away from winning a major English football title that many did not think the mid-table Blues would win when the season started. Pochettino had five admirable but agonisingly trophy-less years as the head coach of Tottenham Hotspur.
Due to their inability to qualify for Europe, Chelsea has also had to navigate a more difficult match than Liverpool, but AFC Wimbledon, Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, Blackburn Rovers, and Middlesbrough have all attempted and failed to obstruct the Blues’ route to Wembley.
Form
Pochettino’s team arrives at Wembley with a winning streak of three games. They defeated Crystal Palace (Premier League) and Aston Villa (FA Cup) back-to-back, 3-1, before taking a bitter taste in a well-earned 1-1 draw with Manchester City, in which a deflected Rodri goal managed to breach the Blues’ seemingly invincible defence.
Player’s to watch
Cole Palmer has scored 1 goal and provided 2 assist in his last 6 games for the London based club. The Englishman has scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists in 21 EPL games for Chelsea.
Liverpool
While none of Leicester City, Bournemouth, West Ham United, or Fulham faced an unbeatable Liverpool defence, the Reds are on the verge of taking the first step towards a historic quadruple despite conceding in all of their EFL Cup matches this season. This is due to their tendency for multiple-goal performances and incredible comebacks.
On Sunday afternoon, in EFL Cup conditions, Jurgen Klopp will be overseeing his technical area for the last time. Liverpool will be looking to break the record for the most tournament victories with nine titles already won, and a record-tying 14th final appearance will also be accomplished.
Form
Liverpool is currently competing for Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League titles. They are travelling south after winning three straight games against Burnley, Brentford, and Luton Town, scoring three goals or more in each of those wins. However, in their last seven games, Klopp’s team has both scored and conceded goals.
Player’s to watch
Alexis Mac Allister has scored 1 goals and provided 2 assists in 5 matches for the Reds. The world cup winner was responsible for staging a second-half comeback against Luton Town.
Team News
Despite some selection concerns at the back, Chelsea’s impressive defensive performance at the Etihad came despite the absence of Benoit Badiashile (groyne), Reece James (thigh), Wesley Fofana (knee), and Marc Cucurella (ankle), all of whom have little chance of playing this weekend. Due to a groyne issue, soon-to-be 40-year-old Thiago Silva withdrew from the squad against Man City and is still questionable for the final.
Next, the battered Reds must manage without all of the following players on Sunday: Joel Matip (ACL), Diogo Jota (knee), Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee), Ben Doak (knee), Curtis Jones (shin), and Alisson Becker (hamstring). There are still a lot of unanswered questions regarding the status of the remaining players. Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah were deemed unfit for Wednesday’s match against Luton after leaving the Brentford game looking a touch roughed up. Pep Lijnders said on Friday that the two would need to undergo last-minute fitness tests.
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Head-To-Head
Liverpool have been winning this matchup lately. They crushed Chelsea 4-1 at Anfield in the Premier League in January, extending their unbeaten run against the West London team to eight games and ending a run of seven straight draws between the two teams after ninety minutes of play.
Possible Lineup
Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Endo, Mac Allister; Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz
Verdict
Pochettino claims that after Chelsea was destroyed by Liverpool at Anfield a few weeks prior, everything “clicked” for the team, and the Argentine’s ambition to eventually win a big title in English football is stronger than ever. Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
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