Carabao Cup Final: Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool (AET) – Extra-time winner Virgil van Dijk brings glory to Reds' Wembley

Virgil van Dijk's header just before extra time gave under-strength Liverpool an impressive victory over Chelsea at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final.

Liverpool achieved their 10th win in the competition without sustaining injuries to many of their star players, including their forward trio of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, and Moises Caicedo was stretchered off after a first-half challenge. We also lost Ryan Gravenbirch, who was carried in.

This means Jurgen Klopp's side have achieved the first part of a potential quadruple in the manager's farewell season, but it is a blow for Chelsea and manager Mauricio Pochettino. .

They have lost six games in a row, including three against Liverpool in the Wembley final, and have wasted many chances here.

Liverpool are indebted to goalkeeper Caouhin Kelleher, who was the hero in Chelsea's penalty shoot-out defeat in the 2022 EFL Cup final, with another impressive performance at Wembley.

In the first half of the close game, he brilliantly blocked Cole Palmer's goal, but Liverpool's Codi Gakpo's header hit the post and rebounded. Chelsea's Raheem Sterling also had his shot from close range against Nicholas Jackson ruled out for offside.

Van Dijk thought he had given Liverpool the lead with a header on the same hour, as the chances were sure to come after the break, but a lengthy intervention by Japan's Video Assistant Referee (VAR) forced the goal to go to Wataru Endo. The match was canceled for offside and caused controversy. The midfielder blocked Chelsea defender Levi Colwill.

Conor Gallagher was also thwarted by the woodwork and then denied once more by a defiant Kelleher who looked poised to make a breakthrough. Liverpool's keeper jumped over his line to make the save, but Chelsea somehow failed to score in a desperate goalmouth scramble in the final minutes of normal play. time.

Kelleher's Chelsea opponent, Djordje Petrovic, played in extra-time, turning over a header from Liverpool's teenage substitute Jaeden Duns and allowing Harvey Elliott to fire a well-placed shot into the side netting. , his header was miraculously saved by the keeper.

Then came the final twist, with Liverpool winning against Chelsea at Wembley, with Pochettino still seeking his first trophy in England.

More to come.