This Sunday punters will be treated to a Wembley spectacle as 2 of the games giants compete for silverware. Chelsea and Liverpool take centre stage once again, having met as recently as the 21-22 final in the same competition.
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CHELSEA v LIVERPOOL – Click here to bet
5-time winners Chelsea reached the final with relatively few problems. Despite losing 1-0 to Middlesbrough in the first leg of their semi-final, the hopes and dreams of Boro reaching the final were quickly vanquished when Pochettino’s men gave them a bit of a football lesson, thumping them 6-1 in the second leg.
Realistically, this could be the only opportunity for the Blues to obtain silverware, emphasizing the importance of the occasion. Chelsea, by their standards, have not been at their very best on the domestic front, given they sit mid-table in the Premier League.
There are valid excuses for that, though, given they themselves have had their fair share of players missing due to injuries. The likes of Silva (Groin), Badiashile (Groin), James (Thigh), Lavia (Thigh), Cucurella (Ankle), Ugochukwu (Thigh), Chukwuemeka (Knee), Fofana (Knee), Sanchez(Knee) all remain on the sidelines.
That being said, their most recent outing showed a vast improvement and arguably their best performance to date having secured an impressive 1-1 draw against City at the Etihad. Perhaps the tides have finally turned and this final may just have come at the right time for the Blues.
9 time winners, Liverpool will have the opportunity to extend their record as the most successful club in the League Cup this Sunday. Having beaten Fulham 3-2 on aggregate in the two-leg semi-final, Liverpool will be in a position to send their charismatic manager off on a winning note. Having announced that this will be his last season as Liverpool’s head coach, his last dance could well have a fairytale ending, given the character his side has shown in all competitions. If they find themselves on the winning podium this Sunday, it could very well be the sort of catalyst required to obtain additional glory this season.
Ultimately, the only stumbling block that could potentially hamper them overall is the vastly growing injury list that the Reds have endured this season. Without the services of key players such as Salah (Thigh), Jota (Knee), Trent Alexander-Arnold (Knee), Alisson (Hamstring) it poses a challenge for Jurgen Klopp’s team.
There was hope that the likes of Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez would return to the midweek line-up against Luton Town, but those rumours were quickly dispelled after the team was announced. Despite all these concerns, Liverpool will know they have the necessary depth within their squad to hold the fort until the injured players can return as shown in their most recent 4-1 demolition on Wednesday of Luton.
The question on everyone’s lips is whether the current team can perform like that on a much bigger stage like this Sunday. Only time will tell.
HEAD-TO-HEAD
These two have met twice already in the league this season. Most recently, where Liverpool’s class prevailed at Anfield with a convincing 4-1 win. While the previous encounter played at Stamford Bridge resulted in a 1-1 draw on the day.
Wembley Stadium means we get to witness genuine football pedigree of the highest order on an even stage and despite Liverpool’s free-flowing football and recent dominance over Chelsea, one cannot ignore how the Blues managed to frustrate arguably the best team at the moment, City, leading up to this final.
They are expected to feature the same line-up, so they will most likely go into this clash with a far more settled team. Cup finals bring about different emotions, different tactics and at times very different results and for that reason I’m finding it difficult to split the pair given the magnitude of the occasion.
Recommended Bet: Full Time Result, Draw at 27/10
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Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change
