Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool LIVE REACTION: Reds win Carabao Cup after Virgil van Dijk scores header deep in extra time
Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 to win the Carabao Cup in extra time thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s late winner at Wembley.
The Reds won the first trophy of the season in incredible fashion after Van Dijk scored a header with two minutes to go.
Jurgen Klopp has got his hands on some silverware in his final season as manager and he did it while dealing with injury woes.
A team littered with teenagers managed to overcome Mauricio Pochettino’s side who were beaten in a final yet again.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
33' Jackson is adjudged to be offside, it remains 0-0.
Chelsea got in behind with their striker before he laid it off to Sterling to tap in from close range.
But he strayed inches ahead of Konate and VAR disallows the goal.
OFFSIDE! Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
32' Sterling has the ball in the net!
But it's offside as Jackson is cautioned for getting ahead of the Liverpool defence too early.
VAR will be taking a look though and it looks tight!
Sam Matterface live on talkSPORT "The mathematical instruments will have to come out, this is very tight..."
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
30' Half an hour into this Carabao Cup final.
Liverpool started the better team but Palmer's chance for Chelsea is the best so far.
And Gravenberch's injury has given the Blues a boost as they look for an opener at Wembley.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
28' Gomez has come on for Gravenberch.
Bradley seems to have moved further up the pitch with Gomez at right-back and Elliott dropping in.
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: "If you're Chelsea at the moment you're thinking Liverpool have taken off all their goalscoring threat."
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
26' The Liverpool bench are fuming.
Klopp has had to hold back assistant Lijnders as they appealed to the fourth official.
Their injury woes continue as Gravenberch is having to come off on a stretcher.
It'll be Gomez coming on in his place.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
25' Gravenberch is down in some pain.
He looks to have rolled his ankle after a strong challenge from Caicedo on the right-hand side.
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: "He could be in trouble here."
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
23' The Chelsea fans are buoyed by that chance!
They have all the momentum right now after Palmer's effort from close range.
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: "Those two chances have lifted Chelsea's confidence now."
CHANCE! Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
21' KELLEHER MAKES A HUGE SAVE!
Somehow, Palmer has missed from point-blank range!
Gallagher finds Sterling who hesitates before the ball drops to Palmer from five-yards out!
But the Liverpool goalkeeper superbly charges out to deny him!
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
19' Bradley has made a great start to the game.
He's looked bright on the right and has just caught Chilwell napping on the ball on the edge of the box.
The right-back then chases back and prevents Jackson from breaking free at the other end.
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: “The one player who has settled into the game from the first minute is Conor Bradley.
"He’s been excellent"
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
17' Chelsea look very nervy on the ball.
They keep losing it and Pochettino is trying to wake them up from the sidelines.
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: "Pochettino is acting like a cheerleader down there!
"He's just short of a couple of pom-poms!"
CHANCE! Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
15' Chelsea lose possession in their own half again!
The ball comes to Diaz who cuts inside on the right of the box and unleashes a powerful effort!
But Petrovic is behind it to deny him at his near post!
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
14' A chance at both ends at Wembley!
Gusto's volley is saved by Kelleher before Liverpool break with Bradley!
Diaz can't get a shot away and then Mac Allister sees an effort easily stopped by Petrovic!
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
12' It's been a frantic start to this Carabao Cup final.
Both teams haven't really had any success in possession with plenty of misplaced passes.
Chelsea were on the backfoot but they're growing into it as the Blues win the first corner of the game which is then cleared.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
10' The first shot comes from Diaz!
He gets on the end of a Robertson cross but can't arc his header into the back of the net as Petrovic collects.
Gakpo was also there in a lot more space and he holds his hands out asking why Diaz didn't leave it for him...
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: "I think if Diaz misses that, Gakpo was coming in behind.
"He had a clear header at goal!"
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
8' Fernandez loses possession in midfield.
Mac Allister nicks it away from him and looks to create but Caicedo is back to cover for his teammate.
The Blues look nervy here.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
7' Another foul from Caicedo this time.
Chelsea have been scrappy with their challenges so far.
It's Liverpool applying the early pressure at Wembley.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
5' The game is being played at a high tempo.
But a lot of the play is taking place at the back with no moves forward from either team.
Colwill has just lunged in on Mac Allister but avoids a card.
Stuart Pearce live on talkSPORT: "Both teams are feeling themselves out of these early stages.
"A lot of these players haven't had this experience of Wembley and they're getting used to the occasion."
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
3' Liverpool have had the most of the ball so far.
A couple of early fouls came from Gallagher and Sterling before Gusto makes an error and concedes a throw-in.
The Reds fans will be pleased with their start.
Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
1' We're underway at Wembley!
Can Liverpool beat Chelsea again in the Carabao Cup final?
Or will the Blues come out on top this time around?
Chelsea vs Liverpool
The captains have introduced guests to their teammates as they line up on the Wembley pitch.
And now the National Anthem is being sung!
We're almost ready to go!
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Here come the teams!
What a sight inside Wembley as it is split blue and red!
There is some noise being made inside this stadium!
Chelsea vs Liverpool
The Liverpool fans have just given Wembley a spine-tingling rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone.
The atmosphere is incredible ahead of this final!
We're less that 10 minutes away from kick-off...
Chelsea vs Liverpool: Match facts
- Liverpool will play in their 29th major domestic cup final (15 FA cup, 14 EFL Cup) – only Manchester United have ever appeared in more (31).
- Chelsea have lost each of their last five major domestic cup finals – the FA Cup in 2020, 2021 and 2022, and the EFL Cup in 2019 and 2022. No side has ever lost six such finals in a row before.
- There have been six EFL Cup finals that have gone to penalties, with Liverpool being involved in four of those (W3 L1). Indeed, each of the Reds’ last three appearances in the showpiece have been settled via a shootout, beating Cardiff in 2012, losing to Man City in 2016, and beating Chelsea in 2022.
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai is not fit enough to play for Liverpool today and he is not happy about it.
The Reds midfielder has been speaking to Hungarian TV and admitted he has had 'fights' with doctors over playing in the final.
He said: “They [medical team] are careful with me. If it would be up to me I would play.
“I hate it. I hate not playing. I had a lot of fights with the doctors.”
Chelsea vs Liverpool
There have reportedly been some issues with tickets ahead of the game with both sets of fans affected.
Thousands of Liverpool and Chelsea supporters are still waiting to get into Wembley...
