Juergen Klopp's Liverpool defeated Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea 1-0 in overtime at Wembley to win their first trophy of a possible treble this season.
The big game needs big players for the big goals.
At 60th minute, Virgil van Dijk thought that his tremendous header from a free kick was excellent enough to put the men in red ahead. The “technical offside” ruled that one out but an extra-time glancing header ensured Liverpool’s man-of-the-match clinched the winner.
Being the most seasoned member of Liverpool's team was easy for Van Dijk to do since he was leading the team with the least amount of matchday experience that Klopp has ever used in a cup final due to the injuries that the first team players are suffering from.
Throughout the second half and overtime, a great deal of academy players required assistance to finish the game, but Van Dijk maintained his usual coolness and poise, which was evident to his younger teammates.
Although some supporters sometimes mock the League Cup as a tournament, Van Dijk's first trophy as Liverpool's captain is lifted, marking a significant turning point in his career.
A total wasted of golden opportunity for Chelsea to win their first silverware under their new manager.
Liverpool became known as Chelsea's biggest rival in big finals in recent years, defeating them on penalties in the FA Cup final (2022), the Carabao Cup final (2022), and the UEFA Super Cup (2019). However, this Liverpool team was the weakest Chelsea has ever faced because of injury.
Even though Mauricio Pochettino's team has struggled with absences, this was a Jurgen Klopp team that was nearly unrecognizable due to the large number of young players that filled in, especially as replacements.
It will be difficult for Conor Gallagher to forget a few of his opportunities, particularly the attempt that went off the post. Although he was not the only culpable culprit, Chelsea was prevented from winning by a combination of subpar finishing and excellent saves from Liverpool's goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
This will be a difficult loss to bounce back from both psychologically and physically, and to make matters worse, their final chance to win a trophy this season is against a rejuvenated Leeds United team on Wednesday night in the FA Cup's fifth round.
An honorable mention for Caoimhin Kelleher.
When teams approached Liverpool in January and again throughout the summer about Caoimhin Kelleher, the club remained steadfast.
Among the bids rejected was a £15 million ($19 million at today's exchange rates) offer from Nottingham Forest, as Klopp was hesitant to jeopardize his goalkeeping staff. It ended up being a smart choice.
Even if Alisson had not strained his hamstring during training, Kelleher would have kicked off this momentous occasion. At crucial moments in the match, he saved Liverpool with calm, bravery, athleticism, and lightning-fast reactions.
In the first half, Palmer appeared certain to score, but Kelleher made an incredible stop. When Axel Disasi strangely missed the opportunity to score from two yards in the second half, Kelleher grinned in relief as the goalie gladly recovered the ball from beneath the crossbar.
But there was nothing lucky about the way he evaded Gallagher a moment later, cutting off his line to close the distance and make a vital stop. Kelleher later denied Malo Gusto as well.
More than anybody, he deserved to win at Wembley again.
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