Virgil van Dijk's extra-time goal won the Carabao Cup final for Liverpool against Chelsea after previously seeing a header disallowed for offside.
The 0-0 score after 90 minutes did not reflect the drama at Wembley as both teams failed to score – Raheem Sterling for Chelsea and Van Dijk for Liverpool – and had plenty of chances to boot.
Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp was furious in the first half after losing another player to injury. Ryan Gravenberch was stretchered off after a late foul by Moises Caicedo that went unpunished by the referee.
Caoimhin Kelleher made some outstanding saves to deny Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher, while Cody Gakpo and Harvey Elliott hit the post with headers for Liverpool, before Van Dijk's late strike – the 42nd attempt on goal of the game – decided the game and Liverpool won first Trophy in the final season of Klopp's reign.
The Athletic's James Pearce, Simon Johnson and Mark Carey analyze the key talking points, including a 'technical offside'…
Van Dijk leads by example and lifts his first trophy as Liverpool captain
It may sound like an overused phrase, but the big games require the most experienced players to step up.
Van Dijk thought he had put Liverpool 1-0 up after just 60 minutes with a powerful header from a free kick. The 'technical offside' ruled this out – more on that later – but a glancing header in extra time ensured Liverpool's man of the match secured the winner.
It wasn't difficult for Van Dijk to be Liverpool's most experienced player – he captained the least experienced matchday team Klopp had ever fielded in a cup final.
So many young players had to be helped through the game in the second half and extra time, but Van Dijk exuded his trademark calm and composure, which also rubbed off on his young teammates.
Did Liverpool win the game when Virgil van Dijk scored?
January 5, 2018 vs. Everton – ✅
December 21, 2018 against Wolves – ✅
February 27, 2019 vs Watford – ✅
March 13, 2019 against Bayern Munich – ✅
April 17, 2019 against Porto – ✅
May 4, 2019 vs Newcastle – ✅
August 9, 2019 vs. Norwich – ✅
Nov 30, 2019 vs.… pic.twitter.com/fgcu2GVxYJ— Opta Analyst (@OptaAnalyst) February 25, 2024
As a competition, the League Cup has been regularly derided by some fans, but it marks an important milestone in Van Dijk's career as he lifts his first trophy as Liverpool captain.
Mark Carey
Chelsea missed a golden chance for silver
This was a missed opportunity for Chelsea to win their first trophy under their owners.
Liverpool have become Chelsea's nemesis in major finals in recent years, defeating them on penalties in the UEFA Super Cup (2019), Carabao Cup final (2022) and FA Cup final (2022). However, due to injuries, this was the weakest Liverpool team Chelsea had ever faced.
Yes, Mauricio Pochettino's side were also marred by absences, but this was a Klopp side that was almost unrecognizable because so many young players stepped in, particularly as substitutes.
Whoever was on the losing side would be left wondering why they lost, but Pochettino could resort to players the club paid millions for who made a mess of their lineups.
Gallagher will struggle to forget some of his chances, including the shot off the post. He wasn't the only culprit, but Chelsea failed due to a combination of poor finishing and good saves from Kelleher, the Liverpool goalkeeper.
It will be a tough defeat from which to recover mentally and physically and to make matters worse, they face a refreshed Leeds United side, their last hope of defeat, in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Wednesday night Silver title this season.
Simon Johnson
Kelleher's series of great saves
Liverpool stood firm last summer and again in January as clubs came calling for Kelleher.
A £15 million bid (US$19 million at today's rates) from Nottingham Forest was among the offers rejected as Klopp was unwilling to weaken his goalkeeping department. It turned out to be a smart move.
There are few better understudies than Kelleher and he proved that fact again on the big stage at Wembley Stadium.
Kelleher, a Republic of Ireland international, has a strong connection to the competition after scoring the winning penalty in the shootout against Chelsea in the final two years ago.
Kelleher would have started in this showpiece event even if Alisson hadn't suffered a hamstring strain in training. Calm, courageous, athletic and gifted with lightning-fast reflexes, he came to Liverpool's aid in crucial phases of the game.
Palmer seemed destined to score in the first half, but Kelleher made a miraculous save. In the second half, Kelleher smiled with relief when Axel Disasi somehow failed to convert the ball from two meters and the goalkeeper gratefully retrieved the ball from under the crossbar.
However, it was no luck as he deftly thwarted Gallagher soon after, rushing off his line, narrowing the angle and making a crucial block. Malo Gusto also failed shortly before the end because of Kelleher.
He deserved to be a Wembley winner again as much as anyone.
James Pearce
Endo's blocking and the “technical offside”
From the first set piece in Liverpool it was a clear tactic.
As Andy Robertson stood over the ball to take a free kick on the right, Wataru Endo was offside. His job? Act as a blocker to allow one of Van Dijk or Ibrahima Konate a free run towards the goal.
This happened several times in the first half, but to no avail as Chelsea managed to fend off every turnover. However, another opportunity arose in the 60th minute – a long free kick… with Endo offside. This time his block managed to stop Levi Colwill from chasing Van Dijk and Liverpool's captain ran free to score a free header that put Liverpool one goal ahead.
At least that's what they thought.
The VAR deemed Endo's block a “technical offside” – an obvious action that has an impact on an opponent's ability to play the ball – and Colwill was unable to track Van Dijk's run. This tactic was evident several times in Liverpool's attacking routines. In theory it worked for them, but Law 12 had other ideas.
Endo's day ultimately came down to blocking after a last-ditch effort in the first half prevented Raheem Sterling from giving Chelsea a 1-0 lead.
One was crucial in saving a goal and another was close to scoring. A fighting day for Endo at both ends of the pitch.
Mark Carey
What happened to Gravenberch?
Klopp could not suppress his anger at the officials.
The sight of Gravenberch leaving the pitch on a stretcher midway through the first half was hard for him to bear – but the fact that Caicedo escaped punishment for the challenge that left the Dutch midfielder writhing in agony rubbed salt into the wounds. It was late from Caicedo when his studs hit Gravenberch's left ankle and Chris Kavanagh appeared to be taking advantage for Liverpool.
However, the referee neither gave Caicedo a yellow card nor called the game back for a free kick. While Gravenberch was undergoing treatment, VAR John Brooks ruled that it was not a red card offence. It was a case of negligence rather than serious foul play. Replays showed Caicedo was lucky. Players have been sent off this season for much less money.
It was cruel for Gravenberch, who had made a bright start in his first final since arriving from Bayern Munich in the summer.
Gravenberch was carried on a stretcher (Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
Klopp and assistant coach Pep Lijnders continued their protests to the fourth official, Tim Robinson, while Joe Gomez came on as a right-back, Elliott moved into midfield and Conor Bradley pushed forward as a makeshift right attacker.
It made clear how exhausted Klopp's resources are. With Gravenberch, twelve players from the senior national team are out due to injury. During the celebrations, the midfielder returned to the pitch on crutches and with a protective boot on his left ankle, fearing he would face a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Ahead of Sunday's final, Pochettino had urged those in charge to be “fair” as he warned them not to get caught up in the furore surrounding Klopp's impending exit. Did his mind games pay off for Chelsea? It was a painful moment for his team.
James Pearce
Chelsea are preparing for life after Thiago Silva
Chelsea can say with some confidence that they are finally parting ways with Thiago Silva.
One has to feel a lot of sympathy for the 39-year-old, who has been performing brilliantly for Chelsea since joining as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain in 2020.
A groin injury sustained at Crystal Palace two weeks ago robbed him of a potential farewell appearance at Wembley – he is expected to leave at the end of the season.
His enforced absence has given Pochettino the chance to use Disasi and Colwill against Manchester City last week and Liverpool today.
The duo impressed as a team in two of the club's toughest games. They may not have been entirely infallible, as their opponents still registered plenty of shots, but nevertheless an understanding of high hopes is beginning to develop that Silva should not let go of once he is ready to play again.
Chelsea's defensive line was much higher with these two, even against a team as dangerous as Liverpool.
Despite Silva's experience and know-how, it would have been much more difficult for Chelsea to stop the men in red without Disasi and Colwill.
Simon Johnson
Caicedo against the club that wanted him
Somehow you just knew that Caicedo would be one of the main talking points in a game between these two clubs – and it has been that way since last summer's transfer window.
At the time, Chelsea had narrowly pipped Liverpool to sign him, paying Brighton £115 million (including add-ons) to ensure he moved to Stamford Bridge.
Klopp specifically hinted in December that this was a blessing, saying that the way Liverpool's transfer window went, with Romeo Lavia also turning them down in favor of Chelsea, had been “lucky”.
Caicedo almost moved to Liverpool in the summer (Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Caicedo certainly had a point to prove to the Chelsea fans at Wembley, not to mention their opponents. His form has improved but this was another challenge he failed to achieve last month when Pochettino's side lost 4-1 at Anfield.
He started well here and broke up the game much more effectively than he did just over three weeks ago. But he could have, and perhaps did, be sent off after a clumsy tackle on Gravenberch.
Some players would have withered after being involved in such a controversial incident, but Caicedo continued to provide much-needed protection to Chelsea's backline.
He appeared isolated at times as his midfield partner Enzo Fernandez struggled to cope with the pace of the game. Some of the Argentine's passes were not clean enough.
When tired legs inevitably came into play, Caicedo was still trying to win the ball back for Chelsea and was a constant nuisance.
Despite the controversy, this was the performance he needed to convince the doubters.
Simon Johnson
What did the managers say?
We will let you know after they speak at the post-match press conference.
What's next for Chelsea?
Wednesday, February 28th: Leeds United (H), FA Cup fifth round, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET
What's next for Liverpool?
Wednesday, February 28th: Southampton (H), FA Cup fifth round, 8pm GMT, 3pm ET
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(Top photo: Julian Finney/Getty Images)