5 things Chelsea need to fix after Carabao Cup final humiliation

For the sixth domestic final in a row, Chelsea were left tasting defeat at Wembley on Sunday, but this one felt more painful than the others.

The Blues had actually built some momentum heading into the game, whereas Liverpool were without some of their biggest players and ended up having to rely on inexperienced academy kids. It really felt like this one could end the streak.

After Virgil van Dijk's extra-time header injected an unwelcome dose of reality, here's what Chelsea need to fix.

Raheem Sterling started the game on the left wing. He managed 67 minutes, in which he failed to take a shot (his offside goal does not count), create a chance or complete a single dribble.

Off the bench came the ineffective Mykhailo Mudryk, who did create a small sight of goal but also gave Virgil van Dijk the easiest header of his career at the other end. Noni Madueke managed 23 minutes in extra time without creating a chance either.

Cole Palmer started the game on the right wing but doesn't exactly play like a winger, meaning Chelsea had exactly zero threat out wide from the first minute until the last. How can that be allowed from £200m of talent?

When Chelsea splashed out close to £300m on Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia (the latter of whom has hardly played due to injury), it was highlighted that the Blues had spent such a huge fee on three players who have no idea how to score goals.

As it turns out, that isn't just a problem for Fernandez and Caicedo, but a wider sickness that plagues the entirety of the Chelsea squad.

Conor Gallagher was guilty of missing some big chances here, while the usually reliable Cole Palmer missed perhaps the biggest opportunity of them all which, when added to the aforementioned flaws from the