Feb 24, 2024 - 04:23
By guardian.ng

Again, Liverpool vow to stop Chelsea in Carabao Cup final

Photo by HENRY NICHOLLS / AFP

Liverpool will aim to stay on course for a quadruple in the Carabao Cup final, while Chelsea bid for their first domestic trophy in six years. Tomorrow’s game is a rematch of both the Carabao and FA Cup finals of 2022, with Liverpool winning both on penalties.

Currently leading the Premier League by four points and into the Europa League last 16 and FA Cup fifth round, the Reds can win four trophies this season.

“We’ll go for it,” said Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders. “It’s a special game. Special games need special performances so we have to focus on the performance.”

With Lijnders and manager Jurgen Klopp set to leave Anfield this summer, Liverpool fans are eager for them to enjoy a triumphant send-off having already won six major honours since they arrived in 2015.

“Our philosophy is to give joy and emotions to the fans,” added Ljinders. “I’m really happy that we can give at least a final to start with.”

Defender Virgil van Dijk, who will captain the Reds in a Wembley final for the first time tomorrow, said: “We want to make it a special day and get our first trophy of the season.

“The end of the season will probably be very emotional for a lot of people, including the manager, but we are not there yet. We shouldn’t look too far ahead, we should look at what is in front of us.”

Chelsea’s last domestic trophy was the 2018 FA Cup, although they won four international honours after that, the most recent being the Club World Cup in February 2022 – two weeks before they lost to Liverpool in the 2022 Carabao Cup final.