Van Dijk late winner fires Liverpool past misfiring Chelsea in EFL Cup final
Jurgen Klopp's injury-hit side finished a gruelling clash with a host of raw youngsters on the pitch, but it was their experienced captain who clinched the club's 10th League Cup triumph. Van Dijk earlier had a goal controversially disallowed by VAR, but the Dutch defender pounced to nod home with just two minutes left.
It was Liverpool's first trophy following Klopp's bombshell announcement that he will step down at the end of this season. The German will hope Liverpool's first silverware since the 2022 FA Cup will be the springboard for an incredible farewell tour.
Quadruple-chasing Liverpool sit top of the Premier League, face Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round on Wednesday and take on Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16. It was another bitter Wembley experience for Chelsea, who lost the 2022 League Cup and FA Cup finals against Liverpool.
Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino has asked Chelsea fans not to judge him on "winning titles" in the midst of a troubled first season in charge. But Chelsea remain without domestic silverware since the 2018 FA Cup and had only themselves to blame after missing a host of chances in normal time.
Ravaged by injuries to 11 players, Liverpool's list of star absentees included Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Dominik Szoboszlai. That meant starts for 20-year-olds Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott, while six of Klopp's substitutes were 21 or younger.
Despite their youthful line-up, Liverpool settled quickly as Luis Diaz led the charge. Taking advantage of Chelsea's hesitant defending, Diaz advanced into the area for a fierce strike that forced a good save from Djordje Petrovic. Against the run of play, Chelsea should have taken the lead
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