Match ends, Chelsea 0, Liverpool 1.
Virgil van Dijk's header deep into extra time gave an under-strength Liverpool a remarkable Carabao Cup final win over Chelsea at Wembley.
Van Dijk had seen a header contentiously ruled out for offside on the hour but there was no reprieve for Chelsea when he glanced home another from Kostas Tsimikas' corner in the 118th minute.
Liverpool's 10th triumph in the competition was achieved without a host of injured star names, including forward trio Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, also losing Ryan Gravenberch when he was taken off on a stretcher after Moises Caicedo's first-half challenge.
It means Jurgen Klopp's side have achieved the first part of a potential four-trophy haul in the manager's farewell season, but it was a bitter blow to Chelsea and manager Mauricio Pochettino.
They have now lost six successive Wembley finals, including three against Liverpool, and wasted a host of opportunities here.
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Liverpool were indebted to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher who produced another outstanding Wembley performance after being the hero when Chelsea were beaten on penalties in the 2022 EFL Cup final.
In a tight first half, he blocked brilliantly from Cole Palmer while Liverpool's Cody Gakpo saw a header bounce back off the post. Chelsea's Raheem Sterling also saw a close-range effort ruled out for offside against Nicolas Jackson.
As the chances came thick and fast after the break, Van Dijk thought he had headed Liverpool in front on the hour only for the goal to be contentiously ruled out for offside against Wataru Endo following a lengthy Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervention as the Japan midfielder blocked off Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.
Conor Gallagher was also denied by the woodwork, then once more by the defiant Kelleher as he looked poised to make the breakthrough, Liverpool's keeper darting off his line to save while Chelsea somehow failed to score in a desperate goalmouth scramble in the closing moments of normal time.
Kelleher's Chelsea counterpart Djordje Petrovic was called into action in extra time, turning over a header from Liverpool's teenage substitute Jayden Danns while Harvey Elliott shot into the side-netting from a good position, also seeing a header miraculously kept out by the keeper.
And then came that final twist to give Liverpool another Wembley victory over Chelsea and leave Pochettino still seeking his first trophy in England.
Reds rise above adversity
The odds on Liverpool securing another Wembley win lengthened when the teamsheet landed and the names of Salah and Nunez were added to other high-profile absentees Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jota and keeper Alisson.
And yet, once more, Liverpool overcame this handicap, Klopp trusting Liverpool's emerging youngsters in a major final as three rookies were sent into the Wembley fray as substitutes in the shape of 19-year-old duo Bobby Clark and James McConnell, along with 18-year-old Danns.
All three showed remarkable composure in the heat of battle, offering further evidence of Liverpool's bright future after Klopp departs in the summer.
At the heart of it all was the imperious Van Dijk along with keeper Kelleher, who once again decorated Wembley with an outstanding, calm performance, coming to Liverpool's rescue when required, as he was on several occasions.
It was a victory against all odds and will inject even further confidence into a Liverpool side seemingly on a mission to give Klopp a very special goodbye to Anfield.
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Chelsea miss their big chance
Chelsea have recent experience of losing to Liverpool at Wembley, beaten in both the FA Cup and EFL Cup finals by the Reds in 2022, but the circumstances of this defeat will hurt deeply.
As well as being their sixth successive Wembley final loss, three in the FA Cup and three in the EFL Cup, Chelsea will know they had the chance to provide a different end to what was ultimately a familiar story.
Pochettino's side had a huge opportunity to exact a measure of revenge for those defeats against a Liverpool team reduced by injuries, missing so many influential players, and after coming into better form themselves in recent weeks.
And yet it was heartbreak once more for Chelsea, this time with Pochettino at the helm, the Argentine still without a success in England, and suffering defeat at the hands of Klopp once more after losing the 2020 Champions League final when he was manager at Tottenham.
Chelsea will know this was a major opportunity that they let escape their grasp, not able to find the killer touch in front of goal as well as being strangely passive and second best in extra time.
Victory here would not only have ensured European football for Chelsea, it would also have provided a measure of calm after recent turbulent seasons - but once again Wembley only brought disappointment.
Player of the match
van DijkVirgil van Dijk
Chelsea
Avg
- Squad number28Player namePetrovicAverage rating
5.48
- Squad number23Player nameGallagherAverage rating
5.13
- Squad number20Player namePalmerAverage rating
5.05
- Squad number27Player nameGustoAverage rating
5.01
- Squad number26Player nameColwillAverage rating
4.73
- Squad number2Player nameDisasiAverage rating
4.65
- Squad number21Player nameChilwellAverage rating
4.61
- Squad number15Player nameJacksonAverage rating
4.34
- Squad number8Player nameFernándezAverage rating
4.33
- Squad number7Player nameSterlingAverage rating
4.30
- Squad number18Player nameNkunkuAverage rating
3.95
- Squad number25Player nameCaicedoAverage rating
3.87
- Squad number11Player nameMaduekeAverage rating
3.68
- Squad number10Player nameMudrykAverage rating
3.56
- Squad number14Player nameChalobahAverage rating
3.45
Liverpool
Avg
- Squad number4Player namevan DijkAverage rating
7.89
- Squad number62Player nameKelleherAverage rating
7.81
- Squad number3Player nameEndoAverage rating
7.45
- Squad number19Player nameElliottAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number7Player nameDíazAverage rating
7.35
- Squad number78Player nameQuansahAverage rating
7.33
- Squad number5Player nameKonatéAverage rating
7.17
- Squad number76Player nameDannsAverage rating
7.07
- Squad number21Player nameTsimikasAverage rating
7.03
- Squad number53Player nameMcConnellAverage rating
7.02
- Squad number26Player nameRobertsonAverage rating
6.87
- Squad number10Player nameMac AllisterAverage rating
6.84
- Squad number18Player nameGakpoAverage rating
6.82
- Squad number2Player nameGomezAverage rating
6.80
- Squad number42Player nameClarkAverage rating
6.76
- Squad number84Player nameBradleyAverage rating
6.67
- Squad number38Player nameGravenberchAverage rating
6.58
Line-ups
Chelsea
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 28Petrovic
- 27Gusto
- 2Disasi
- 26Colwill
- 21ChilwellBooked at 45minsSubstituted forChalobahat 113'minutes
- 25Caicedo
- 8Fernández
- 20PalmerBooked at 120mins
- 23GallagherSubstituted forMaduekeat 97'minutes
- 7SterlingSubstituted forNkunkuat 67'minutes
- 15JacksonSubstituted forMudrykat 90'minutes
Substitutes
- 1Sánchez
- 10Mudryk
- 11Madueke
- 13Bettinelli
- 14Chalobah
- 18Nkunku
- 42Gilchrist
- 49Tauriainen
- 56Gee
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 84BradleyBooked at 45minsSubstituted forClarkat 72'minutes
- 5KonatéBooked at 82minsSubstituted forQuansahat 105'minutes
- 4van Dijk
- 26RobertsonSubstituted forTsimikasat 87'minutes
- 10Mac AllisterBooked at 81minsSubstituted forMcConnellat 87'minutesBooked at 107mins
- 3Endo
- 38GravenberchSubstituted forGomezat 28'minutesBooked at 120mins
- 19Elliott
- 18GakpoSubstituted forDannsat 87'minutes
- 7Díaz
Substitutes
- 2Gomez
- 13Adrián
- 21Tsimikas
- 42Clark
- 53McConnell
- 67Koumas
- 76Danns
- 78Quansah
- 98Nyoni
- Referee:
- Chris Kavanagh
- Attendance:
- 88,868
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home46%
- Away54%
- Shots
- Home19
- Away23
- Shots on Target
- Home9
- Away11
- Corners
- Home6
- Away5
- Fouls
- Home14
- Away21
Live Text
Post update
Post update
Second Half Extra Time ends, Chelsea 0, Liverpool 1.
Booking
Joe Gomez (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card.
Booking
Cole Palmer (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Bobby Clark (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by Cole Palmer (Chelsea).
Post update
Offside, Chelsea. Christopher Nkunku is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Noni Madueke (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christopher Nkunku with a headed pass.
Goal!
Goal! Chelsea 0, Liverpool 1. Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kostas Tsimikas with a cross following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Enzo Fernández.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Bobby Clark (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by James McConnell.
Post update
Attempt saved. Cole Palmer (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Mykhailo Mudryk.
Post update
Attempt saved. Harvey Elliott (Liverpool) header from the right side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Kostas Tsimikas with a cross.
Post update
Attempt saved. Kostas Tsimikas (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by James McConnell.
Substitution
Substitution, Chelsea. Trevoh Chalobah replaces Ben Chilwell.
Post update
Attempt saved. Noni Madueke (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Malo Gusto.
Post update
Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Joe Gomez.
Booking
James McConnell (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by James McConnell (Liverpool).
Post update
Cole Palmer (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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No contest
Chelsea £5 billion 0
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Late February in 24
Virgil van dijk arrives late to score
Just remember
What a night.