The biggest clash in English football this season outside the Premier League title race takes place on Sunday, as Chelsea and Liverpool lock horns in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium. Both teams come into the game in contrasting form, with Liverpool flying high and Chelsea searching for consistency. But cup finals have a magic of their own, and anything is possible when these two giants collide.
Match Preview
The Blues come into the final smarting from a 4-1 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the Premier League just three weeks ago. Manager Mauricio Pochettino will be demanding a response from his players, particularly after their inconsistent form throughout the season. Key players like Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer will need to rediscover their scoring touch, while the defense must tighten up against a potent Liverpool attack.
Jurgen Klopp's men, on the other hand, are on a roll. They currently sit first in the Premier League and are hungry for silverware. The victory over Chelsea in the league will undoubtedly boost their confidence, but they cannot afford to underestimate their opponents. Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz remain in lethal form, and their link-up play will be crucial in unlocking the Chelsea defense.
In brighter news, Pochettino's men bring a three-game unbeaten run with them to Wembley - securing back-to-back 3-1 wins over Aston Villa (FA Cup) and Crystal Palace (Premier League) before swallowing a bitter pill in a hard-earned 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
Kick off Time
The match is set to kick off at 4:00 pm (GMT+1) on Sunday and will be broadcast live on different Sports channel.
Team News
The Blues masterful defensive display at the Etihad came despite a few selection concerns at the back, as none of Benoit Badiashile (groin), Reece James (thigh), Wesley Fofana (knee), Thiago Silva(groin) or Marc Cucurella (ankle) played in that game, and only the latter has a slim chance of coming back for the weekend.
Djordje Petkovic has impressed in Robert Sanchez's absence and is expected to retain his place in the post ahead of the Spaniard.
Liverpool, too, are dealing with injuries crisis, with Alisson Becker, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, and Curtis Jones all ruled out. The availability of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez is also a question mark.
Regardless of Nunez and Salah's respective fitness levels, Cody Gakpo has earned his EFL Cup stars this season with four goals in the competition, while Harvey Elliott ran Luton ragged in Salah's place on Wednesday and is poised to start on the left flank at Wembley.
Chelsea's possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Jackson
Liverpool's possible starting lineup:
Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Endo, Mac Allister; Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz
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