WATCH: Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk scores the winner against Chelsea in Carabao Cup final
Liverpool won the 2023-24 Carabao Cup, beating Chelsea 1-0 after extra time in the final at Wembley on Sunday, February 25.
The Reds came into the game on the back of numerous injury issues to key players such as Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, and more. However, their youngsters performed brilliantly to secure the first trophy of the season for them.
As the match ended goalless after 90 minutes, the game looked set to go into extra time. However, Van Dijk rose highest from a corner in the 118th minute and scored past Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
Virgil van Dijk Secures Victory with Winning Goal for Liverpool
You can see the goal here:
This is Liverpool’s third consecutive cup final win over Chelsea, having beaten them in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup finals in the 2021-22 season.
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The Blues created multiple chances throughout the game, making 19 attempts on goal with nine being on target. However, the likes of Nicolas Jackson, Raheem Sterling, and Conor Gallagher missed some gilt-edge chances to score.
Meanwhile, Liverpool thought they had scored in normal time as Virgil van Dijk scored from a corner. However, the goal was chalked off as Wataru Endo was offside and deemed to be interfering with play.
It didn’t cost the Reds eventually though, as they created multiple chances of their own. They had 24 attempts on goal against Chelsea with 11 being on target.
Liverpool Secures Tenth Carabao Cup Trophy Victory
The West London side are now the first English team to have lost six consecutive domestic cup finals. Meanwhile, the Reds lifted their 10th Carabao Cup trophy, the most in the competition’s history.
With Jurgen Klopp set to leave at the end of the season, they have begun their trophy hunt brilliantly. Liverpool are also alive in the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League and sit atop the Premier League.
Chelsea, meanwhile, have reached the FA Cup fifth round but are 11th in the Premier League standings.