LIVERPOOL captain Virgil van Dijk struck late in extra-time to lead them to a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final today at Wembley.
The game was heading to penalties like the two Cup finals between the two sides in 2022 but Van Dijk intervened with a fine header.
Substitute Kostas Tsimikas took a corner kick in the 28th minute of extra-time and the Dutch defender rose highest to nod home and lead Liverpool to the first trophy of the season in manager Jurgen Klopp’s last campaign at the club.
It was Van Dijk’s second goal of the game, with the first, another header in the 60th minute, having been controversially chalked off after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review.
It was a dramatic encounter of missed chances and close calls, with Chelsea also having a goal by Raheem Sterling ruled out for offside in the first half and Conor Gallagher missing three big opportunities for the Blues.
Liverpool were hampered by injuries to key players, with Mohamed Salah, Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez all missing out.
By the end of the match, Klopp’s Liverpool looked like an U-20s side as he brought on several youngsters to freshen up the team with Chelsea looking stronger and the team most likely to score in the second half.
Liverpool mostly weathered Chelsea’s storm in the second half but the contest was more even in extra-time before Van Dijk struck.
The Reds have now become the first team in English Football League history to win the League Cup (Carabao Cup) 10 times and it is their third consecutive Cup final victory over Chelsea after the penalty shootout wins in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup in 2022.
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