Chelsea vs Liverpool Prediction: EFL Cup Final Preview
Wembley Stadium will serve as the backdrop for the final of the 2023/24 Carabao Cup, as 92 teams have been whittled down to just two with Chelsea taking on Liverpool.
Both managers will be especially hungry for a trophy, with Mauricio Pochettino yet to fully win over the Chelsea fan base, while Jürgen Klopp’s swansong season at Liverpool would be remiss without silverware.
The duel in the dugout might be indicative of where the cup will end up since Pochettino has gotten the better of his German counterpart just once in 13 managerial H2Hs (D4, L7). The one that would’ve stung the most came in their only prior meeting in a final, when Klopp’s Liverpool ousted Pochettino’s Spurs for the coveted UEFA Champions League trophy.
Both sets of fans will argue they’re more deserving of the crown, with the Blues due some luck after being on the losing side of their last five finals at Wembley. The most recent two came in the 2021/22 season when Liverpool edged them out twice via penalty shootouts en route to a memorable domestic double.
The talk of the town on Merseyside that campaign was whether Liverpool could pull off a historic quadruple, and victory here could spark similar conversation with that feat once again an attainable target. As for Chelsea, a trophy will change the outlook of their current campaign, with their league struggles meaning that securing European football for next season through their final Premier League placing is by no means guaranteed.
Players to watch: Klopp said his team shouldn’t be favourites given their injury concerns, which could be mind games given Chelsea’s physio room is far from a ghost town. That may force Pochettino to deploy ex-Red Raheem Sterling to keep the trophy in the capital. He scored two goals in a domestic final back in 2019, plus one against Liverpool in the 2020 Community Shield. The Merseysiders will look to their own No. 7 in Luis Díaz for glory since he’s scored in both games against Chelsea this season.
Chelsea vs Liverpool Prediction
Across 10,000 match simulations conducted ahead of Sunday’s kick-off, the Reds won 62.1% within 90 minutes. Chelsea, meanwhile, are given just a 17.7% chance of winning inside regulation time.
The remaining 20.2% of scenarios saw the match go to extra time and potentially penalties. Given their recent history against Liverpool, Chelsea’s fans might wish to avoid that outcome.
