What Axel Disasi did for Chelsea vs Liverpool as enormous Mauricio Pochettino problem clear

There is a point when Virgil van Dijk is on his way to meeting Kostas Tsmikas' inswinging Liverpool corner, that he is above five Chelsea players, two of them not even off the ground. There are eight Blue shirts closer to the Dutchman than the next Red one. Yet, from the moment the ball came in, there was very little anyone could do to stop the goal from going in.

Liverpool's screen, as it had almost done earlier in the game at the same end, worked perfectly to block off Axel Disasi — Chelsea's best header of the ball. Whilst many bodies at the back post stood watching the cross fly into the front of the six-yard box, Van Dijk was active and on his way.

As he had done for the 117 minutes plus stoppage time that preceded the winning moment, he made it his own. This was an imperious cup final display from one of the best, that much cannot be debated. But Chelsea had all 11 of their team in the box to defend the corner, Liverpool sent five men into the area to attack the initial delivery, one took the kick, and another two were ready for the second ball.

Yet, Van Dijk, a God amongst men on the day, had the time and space to beat three Chelsea players in the air without much competition. It looked, in the moment, to be all too simple given the circumstances.

Second glances show that Mykhailo Mudryk had hardly moved before rising timidly to try and beat the ball away. There's no surprise that the superhuman goliath didn't notice him on the way to winning the cup for Liverpool.

Underneath the ball, as Van Dijk used them as nothing but a step ladder to meet the cross, was also Christopher Nkunku — stood still waiting for the moment to happen. Neither player is known for their aerial dominance, but then again not many in the Chelsea