Carabao Cup final: Liverpool's scintillating final win against Chelsea could turbo charge them to historic season

Kepa Arrizabalaga was the Chelsea goalkeeper who refused to come off in a League Cup final. He could not wait to come on to face Liverpool in the same showpiece at Wembley two years later, but now probably wishes he had stayed in his seat.

Kepa notoriously blanked manager Maurizio Sarri during the 2019 Wembley meeting with Manchester City as Chelsea eventually lost on penalties. The outcome was the same this time as Liverpool prevailed but his role and circumstances were markedly different.

Here, rather than cock a deaf ear to the instructions of an enraged manager who thought he was carrying an injury, Kepa was sent on to replace the brilliant Edouard Mendy in the closing moments of extra time in a classic goalless EFL Cup final.

Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel banked on Kepa's reputation as a penalty specialist but was not rewarded as he failed to save any of Liverpool's 11 penalties, then sent the decisive spot-kick in the general direction of the North Circular to give Liverpool the trophy for a record ninth time, in their first Wembley final success for a decade.

Kepa was simply one component of a magnificent occasion that produced one of the finest goalless draws anyone will see, full of incident, brilliant saves, disallowed goals and chances, with two high-class teams only separated by penalties after 21 successful attempts.

It was clear from the opening moments that this was a game that would be settled on fine margins or a pivotal decision.

Chelsea had three goals disallowed, one from Romelu Lukaku by an offside dealing in millimetres, while Mason Mount was guilty of two big misses.

Christian Pulisic was denied an early goal by Liverpool keeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who justified manager Jurgen Klopp's decision to