League Cup Final preview: Wembley showdown to go the distance

The first domestic final of the season is upon us and the anticipation is growing for this Wembley spectacle!

As the iconic stage prepares to host this hotly awaited clash between Chelsea and Liverpool, join us in previewing the final, with the latest news, key trends, and the unforgettable moments that will shape the narrative of this encounter.

We preview Sunday’s Final below.

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Sterling can strike first blow

Chelsea have won this competition five times in their history, most recently in 2015 when defeating Tottenham Hotspur two goals to nil. Diego Costa was a goalscorer that day, and Chelsea will need Nickolas Jackson to be on top form and be the talisman up top in order to threaten Liverpool’s defensive outfit.

Mauricio Pochettino has become under some scrutiny this season, success on Sunday would solidify his position at the club with another trophy back at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool have got some massive injuries, including Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez and potentially even star man Mohamed Salah, so it’s unlikely Pochettino and Chelsea will get a better chance than this for a while two beat the Reds.

Chelsea’s confidence will be relatively high, coming off the back of a well-earned point against Manchester City at the Etihad. For the majority of the game Chelsea were leading through a Raheem Sterling finish against his former side. Sterling will be facing another one of his former employers in Liverpool and will be keen to be on the scoresheet once again. Sterling to score first in this final is a solid price of 8/1.

Luis Diaz can fill injured boots

In what is Jurgen Klopp’s last season, Liverpool will be striving for a positive outcome in this season’s first opportunity of domestic silverware. Klopp has lost just one of his 13 games against Mauricio Pochettino in his managerial career. However, he and Liverpool are not without their fair share of key injuries. The current situation seems to be that the reds will be without attacking pair Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez. These two have been involved in 31 of Liverpool’s goals this season, and it will more than likely prove to be a big loss in this Final.

This means that attacker Luis Diaz will have to step-up to the occasion and lead Liverpool to their tenth League Cup success – the most of any team. Luis Diaz could become only the third Liverpool player in history to score against Chelsea in three different games in the same season, following Roger Hunt in 1965-66 and Kenny Dalglish in 1977-78. Luis Diaz to score anytime is 3/1.

Another penalty shootout on the cards?

We can see this one being tight, with both teams scoring and conceding their fair share of goals recently. In both their last five games both teams have scored, and we can’t see it being any different on Sunday. A full-time score of 1-1 is a price of 5/1.

Chelsea and Liverpool have come up against each other in penalty shootouts a lot in recent years, including the 2022 rendition of this Final, where Liverpool won 11-10 on penalties. The Reds have won all four of their penalty shootouts versus Chelsea, the other victories coming in the 2007 Champions League semi-final, 2019 UEFA Super Cup, and the FA Cup final of 2022. We think it’s going to go right down to the wire again but this time Chelsea to come out on top. Chelsea to win on penalties is 11/1.