Liverpool vs Chelsea (Carabao Cup Final)
25th of February 2024
The Carabao Cup Final at Wembley is always a big occasion which the family and I love to go and watch. It does help that I get some complimentary tickets through work.
Introduction
We decided to go down early and make a day of it, driving to Watford Junction to have some food and a couple of drinks before catching the train to Wembley.
We were seated in the Chelsea end and as usual, the tickets from work were fantastic. We were looking forward to a great game with two big teams with fantastic history and some big players but it didn’t quite work out that way.
A big game for both teams
For nearly 120 minutes, Wembley witnessed a closely contested battle between Liverpool and Chelsea. While Liverpool had a slight edge in possession, Chelsea created arguably better scoring opportunities.
The match saw both teams hitting the woodwork and having goals disallowed by the officials. Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling had a close-range finish ruled out for offside, and Conor Gallagher saw his attempt turned aside by the post. As the Carabao Cup final seemed destined for a penalty shootout, the pivotal moment arrived when Virgil van Dijk headed in from a corner, securing victory for Liverpool dramatically in the final minutes of extra time.
The game had a tense start, with both teams finding themselves in precarious situations while trying to play out from the back. However, Chelsea gained control as the initial nervousness subsided and initiated quick attacks.
Despite a lack of significant goal-scoring opportunities in the early minutes, both teams came close to breaking the deadlock. A slip by Axel Disasi allowed Luis Diaz a chance from the edge of the box, but Chelsea’s goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic made a crucial save. On the other hand, Chelsea was denied by Caoimhin Kelleher’s goalkeeping heroics, with the Irish goalkeeper thwarting a promising attack from Conor Gallagher and Cole Palmer.
Chelsea thought they had taken the lead on the half-hour mark, but Raheem Sterling’s goal was disallowed for a tight offside decision. The match remained evenly contested, with Chelsea looking increasingly dangerous, especially down the flanks.
As the first half ended goalless, the second half continued similarly. Both teams had their moments, with Liverpool having a goal disallowed by VAR due to offside. The intensity of the game heightened, and both sides pressed for a decisive goal.
With tensions rising in the final minutes, Chelsea hit the woodwork, and Liverpool’s goalkeeper Kelleher made a crucial save from Gallagher. The match remained on a knife’s edge, and the spectators were on the edge of their seats as it became apparent that a single moment could determine the outcome. In the end, Virgil van Dijk’s header from a corner secured victory for Liverpool in a thrilling Carabao Cup final.
A slow game for most of it and two controversial decisions ruined the game for the supporters, but in the end, the team that takes their chances usually win the game, so a fair result and an excellent day out for me and the family.
