Virgil Van Dijk’s header deep into extra time clinched the Caraboa Cup for Liverpool against a star-studded Chelsea outfit who were outclassed by an injury-stricken Reds team in 120 minutes of cup final action.
Virgil Van Dijk’s header deep into extra time clinched the Caraboa Cup for Liverpool against a star-studded Chelsea outfit who were outclassed by an injury-stricken Reds team in 120 minutes of cup final action.
With this victory, Liverpool are now equal with Manchester United, who both boast a record 18 domestic cup trophies.
Furthermore, they etched their name in history as the first team to claim the League Cup a record 10 times.
Jurgen Klopp faced a daunting challenge assembling his squad for the final, with a long list of injuries side-lining several key starters including Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Allison. However, Klopp’s faith in the youth paid dividends, as their emerging talents stepped up to the plate admirably.
Harvey Elliot was a standout performer on the day, moving to a more central role after Ryan Gravenberch rolled his ankle and added to the Liverpool injury woes, the silky left-footer was everywhere for Klopp’s side.
In 2018, Harvey Elliott became the youngest ever player to feature in the EFL Cup at 15 years and 174 days old.
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 25, 2024
At the age of 20, he is a two time winner having featured in both finals.
And there's plenty more to come. 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/z07QbLem2M
The game went deep into extra time and two minutes from time second-half substitute, Kostas Tsmikas’ delivery to the near post was met by his towering captain, Van Dijk who turned the ball past Dorde Petrovic in goal to send the travelling Merseyside fans into delirium.
Chelsea has become the first team in history to lose 6 domestic finals in a row and would not have had a better chance to beat this Liverpool team but their tactical approach and all-round play left much to be desired.
Axel Disasi positioned with his back to goal during goal-kicks and Cole Palmer pushed wide are just some of the problems in this Mauricio Pochettino setup.
Disasi does not have the turning radius to be positioned in the six in the build-up and Palmer is way more effective in the middle with runners going beyond him.
Enzo Fernandez is another gem who is misused high up the pitch when he should conduct games as a high-volume passer.
Pochettino’s tactics are flawed and do not create the best environment for his players to express themselves.
It is interesting to see how long Todd Boehly backs the manager who is severely underperforming. They sit 11th in the league and the only hope for silverware this season lies in the FA Cup.
Liverpool are the first team in English Football League history to win the League Cup 10 times.
— Squawka (@Squawka) February 25, 2024
🏆 1981
🏆 1982
🏆 1983
🏆 1984
🏆 1995
🏆 2001
🏆 2003
🏆 2012
🏆 2022
🏆 2024
Football Heritage™ pic.twitter.com/vbGLHo1592
Credit to Klopp and his team for getting over the line even though they were down to the bare bones in terms of selection of personnel.
The German has been a major success during his tenure in English football and has added another piece of silverware to his decorated resume.
