Liverpool won the League Cup in dramatic fashion on Sunday, with Virgil van Dijk’s header late in extra time sealing a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley.
Jurgen Klopp’s injury-plagued team concluded a difficult match with a slew of raw kids on the field, but it was their seasoned skipper who sealed the club’s 10th League Cup victory.
Van Dijk had previously had a goal controversially disallowed by VAR, but the Dutch defender pounced to nudge home with only two minutes remaining.
It was Liverpool’s first trophy following Klopp’s bombshell announcement that he will step down at the end of this season.
The German will hope Liverpool’s first silverware since the 2022 FA Cup will be the springboard for an incredible farewell tour.
Liverpool, who are pursuing a fourth Premier League title, meet Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday and Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16.
Chelsea suffered another defeat at Wembley Stadium, this time in the 2022 League Cup and FA Cup finals against Liverpool.
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has implored fans not to judge him on “winning titles” in the midst of a difficult first season in command.
However, Chelsea has not won a domestic trophy since the 2018 FA Cup, and they can only blame themselves for missing numerous chances in normal time.
Liverpool’s injury list includes 11 key players, including Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott, both 20 years old, started, while six of Klopp’s substitutes were 21 or younger.
Goals Ruled Out
Despite their youthful lineup, Liverpool settled quickly, with Luis Diaz leading the charge.
Taking advantage of Chelsea’s shaky defence, Diaz surged into the area for a powerful effort that forced a nice save from Djordje Petrovic.
Against the odds, Chelsea should have taken the lead with their first incisive assault.
Conor Gallagher’s cross was diverted to Cole Palmer six yards away, but his shot forced a fantastic save from Caoimhin Kelleher.
Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off when his leg twisted awkwardly in a challenge with Moises Caicedo, adding to Liverpool’s already long injury list.
Raheem Sterling thought he had given Chelsea the lead with a close-range finish from Nicolas Jackson’s cross, but the goal was disallowed due to a tight offside against the Senegalese striker prior to his assist.
Responding to Chelsea’s improvement, Liverpool came within inches of taking the lead when Cody Gakpo’s glancing header from Andrew Robertson’s cross hit the far post.
Liverpool continued to press, and Levi Colwill expertly saved Bradley’s goalbound shot from close range.
Liverpool appeared to have broken the deadlock on the hour mark, when Van Dijk soared above Ben Chilwell to head in Robertson’s free kick.
However, VAR intervened, causing referee Chris Kavanagh to deny the goal for offside against Wataru Endo, who prevented Colwill from marking the Dutch defender.
Axel Disasi should have added to Liverpool’s misery, but the Chelsea defender squandered a close-range opportunity.
Chelsea came near again when Gallagher met Palmer’s cross with a flick that bounced off the far post.
Gallagher squandered a fantastic opportunity to win it in the dying minutes, receiving Palmer’s pass in acres of space but taking a heavy touch, allowing Kelleher to save.
In a tense conclusion, Kelleher saved two more shots from Palmer and Christopher Nkunku in quick succession to force extra time.
Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Jarell Quansah, and Jayden Danns were all on by this point, but despite lacking Chelsea’s experience, Liverpool’s youthful players were never intimidated.
Danns almost guided his header over Petrovic, and Elliott volleyed against the post from inches away.
Liverpool would not be denied, and with penalties just two minutes away, Van Dijk met Kostas Tsimikas’ corner with a header that whizzed past Petrovic, leaving Klopp with a disbelieving smile.