Liverpool won their ninth Carabao Cup trophy after a dramatic 1-0 victory over Chelsea in extra time at Wembley Stadium. Virgil van Dijk scored the only goal of the game in the 118th minute with a powerful header from a corner.
A tense and tight affair
The final was a closely contested affair, with both teams having chances to break the deadlock in normal time. Chelsea had the better of the first half, with Raheem Sterling and Cole Palmer testing Alisson Becker with shots from distance. Liverpool grew into the game in the second half, with Diogo Jota and Mohamed Salah forcing fine saves from Rade Petrovic. The best opportunity fell to Jota in the 83rd minute, when he was played through by Salah, but his low shot was brilliantly blocked by the sliding Gusto.
Neither side could find a way through in the first period of extra time, as the game became more stretched and frantic. Chelsea had a penalty appeal turned down when Sterling went down under a challenge from Trent Alexander-Arnold, while Liverpool hit the post through Curtis Jones.
Van Dijk delivers the decisive blow
The game looked destined for a penalty shootout, until Liverpool won a corner in the dying minutes of extra time. Kostas Tsimikas swung in a perfect delivery from the left, and Van Dijk rose highest to power a header past Petrovic and into the net. The Liverpool captain celebrated wildly with his teammates and the fans, as he secured his first trophy with the club.
Chelsea tried to respond, but Liverpool held on to their slender lead and lifted the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2012. It was a bitter disappointment for Chelsea, who had won the competition in 2022 and 2023, and were hoping to complete a hat-trick of titles under Mauricio Pochettino.
What the managers said
Jurgen Klopp was delighted with his team’s performance and praised Van Dijk for his match-winning goal. He said: “It was a very tough game, Chelsea are a fantastic team and they made it very difficult for us. We had to fight for every inch, and I’m very proud of the boys. Virgil is a world-class player, and he showed it today. He is a leader, and he scored a very important goal for us. It’s a great feeling to win this trophy, and we want to win more.”
Mauricio Pochettino was gracious in defeat and congratulated Liverpool for their victory. He said: “It’s a painful moment, we wanted to win this trophy and we gave everything on the pitch. But Liverpool were slightly better than us, and they scored in the last minute. We have to accept it and move on. I’m very proud of my players, they showed a lot of character and quality. We have to learn from this experience and come back stronger.”
What’s next for both teams
Liverpool will hope to use this triumph as a springboard for more success this season, as they are still in contention for the Premier League, the Champions League, and the FA Cup. They will face Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals on March 3, and then host Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 second leg on March 6, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg.
Chelsea will look to bounce back from this setback and focus on their other objectives, as they are still fighting for a top-four finish in the Premier League, and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals. They will travel to Barcelona for the Champions League last 16 second leg on March 7, having lost 2-1 in the first leg, and then host Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on March 10.
