Liverpool and Chelsea will lock horns at Wembley Stadium on Sunday in the Carabao Cup Final. Who will be crowned champions?
Ah yes, the EFL Cup! The only cup in England where the importance of winning is directly related to the success of your clubs’ season and history – all underpinned by the time between your last piece of silverware.
Nevertheless, it is the first domestic English cup on offer and can turn out to be exactly what a club needs to put a little run together as we quickly begin to surge toward the end of the year. So, let’s do this.
To Win (90 mins)
Chelsea 21/10 | Draw 43/20 | Liverpool 14/10
Chelsea
Chelsea were recently crowned world champions in Abu Dhabi, and yet despite their success in the Middle East, the Blues haven’t exactly been brilliant domestically. Within a Premier League context, they have struggled, playing out to draws with teams they should really be putting away – judging Chelsea has proven a rather harmful task.
Romelu Lukaku – at least in the opinion of his German manager – might be struggling with a bout of low self-confidence and belief. Thomas Tuchel went one step further and suggested that this is not the time to laugh or ridicule the striker, opting to encourage fans to support and believe.
The fact remains that Lukaku has set a new Premier League record for the fewest touches from a player who has played in a full 90-minute fixture since statistics became available all the way back in the 2003/4 season! Now to be completely honest, not joining in on the pity banter took a serious amount of self-control and maturity (if I must say so myself) but it’s for just one reason – Lukaku is a beast who needs such occurrences to unleash him and allow him to make a massive impact on fixtures.
We have seen this before from the Belgian and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Sunday used an outlet to make a point.
Mason Mount’s ankle injury remains a doubt, with the likes of Ruben Loftus-Cheek available to slot in, Chelsea is still a dangerous side who systematically and without drawing too much attention won the Champions League last season.
This is a side who thrive in cup competition, one I wouldn’t be surprised to see win the entire thing.
Liverpool
Liverpool come into this fixture as one of the most dangerous teams in all of Europe. Jurgen Klopp’s side have been lethal in front of goal – with plenty of touches within the 90 minutes!
The Reds often are accused of stepping off of the intensity pedal when they play the so-called lesser sides in the Premier League, no such replication is evident in moments such as these.
Jurgen Klopp will be aware of the impotence winning a cup can bring, the momentum such an achievement provides as his side enter a last gasp chase of Manchester City and an attempt at claiming the European title.
I think if Liverpool can get onto the front foot early and impose themselves on Chelsea, the Blues will have to respond, and this game will ultimately open up. Naturally, this would be ideal for the neutral…but looking at this from a purely Liverpool perspective – they will want to suffocate Chelsea into submission and almost wear them down with just a relentless attack on their goal.
I can’t remember the last time I was so intrigued to see the team sheet before a game that didn’t involve Manchester United! I think both sides have players who can hurt the other, but with managers who operate at such a complete and competitive level – the approach becomes simply vital.
Prediction: Draw (43/20)
I think the game ends in a draw within 90 minutes and we see a penalty shootout at Wembley. These sides are evenly matched and if you must lean a certain way on form, Liverpool come into the fixture in blistering form.
Chelsea however, counter this in my estimation with their current run in once-off cup final fixtures!
I hope this game is every bit the cracker it should be!
