Key events
Pre-match reading
Team news: no Salah or Nunez for Liverpool
As expected, Mauricio Pochettino sticks with the Chelsea team that started at the Etihad eight days ago. Djordje Petrovic starts in goal with the fit-again Robert Sanchez on the bench. Thiago Silva hasn’t made the squad.
Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez aren’t even fit enough to be on the bench for Liverpool, who are missing at least five and arguably seven of their best XI. Jurgen Klopp makes two changes from the win over Luton in midweek: Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson come in for Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez.
Chelsea (possible 4-3-3) Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chiwell; Caicedo, Gallagher, Enzo; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling.
Substitutes: Sanchez, Bettinelli, Chalobah, Gee, Gilchrist, Tauriainen, Madueke, Mudryk, Nkunku.
Liverpool (4-3-3) Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Endo, Mac Allister; Elliott, Gakpo, Diaz.
Substitutes: Adrian, Gomez, Tsimikas, Clark, McConnell, Koumas, Danns, Quansah, Nyoni.
Referee Chris Kavanagh.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool. Was it not Aristotle who said, “When a man is tired of winning trophies, he is tired of life”? No, of course it wasn’t, and it wasn’t Samuel Johnson either. But had they said it, they’d have had a point.
Football has changed in the 21st century. There are more potential sources of validation than ever, and at times trophies feel of secondary importance. But at its heart, on the field, football is still about glory. None of the other sources of validation – money, philosophies, underlying metrics, set-piece coaches, the braised beef in Beavertown beer with mushrooms and smooth polenta that’s been getting rave reviews in hospitality – will ever create the same level of euphoria.
In modern English football, the Carabao Cup is a B-list prize. No point pretending otherwise, we’d be lying out of our grotty teeth. So what? The men in the arena, the players of Chelsea and Liverpool, are desperate to win it this afternoon.
Chelsea want this to be the end of the beginning, a first trophy under Mauricio Pochettino that draws a line under an awkward start to his time at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool hope it is the beginning of the end – the first of a few trophies, perhaps even four, in Jurgen Klopp’s final season.
It’s less than a month since Liverpool plugged Chelsea 4-1 in the Premier League, but their grotesque injury list means they are slight rather than strong favourites. Another reason is Chelsea’s excellent recent performances away to Aston Villa and Manchester City.
You probably don’t need a reminder that this is a whole new Chelsea team. Have one anyway. None of their probable XI were even in the squad when they lost to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final two years ago.
All emerging teams need a gateway trophy. This was the first competition that Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola won in English football, Mourinho for Chelsea against Liverpool 19 years ago. Just don’t expect Pochettino to shh the Liverpool fans if Chelsea get a late equaliser.
Kick off 3pm.
