Carabao Cup Final - Chelsea vs Liverpool: Betting Tips Match Prediction And Preview

Chelsea take on Liverpool in this year’s Carabao Cup final at Wembley. Both sides will be desperate to get their hands on the first available silverware this season, in what is a repeat of the 2022 final.

Date: 25/02/24

Kick-off time: 15:00

Venue: Wembley

This year will see a new team lift the Carabao Cup as Chelsea and Liverpool face each other in a bid to take Manchester United’s title.

Both sides have endured very contrasting seasons so far, with Liverpool fighting for the title and Chelsea languishing in 10th place. The Reds lead the league but are locked in an intense battle with Arsenal and Manchester City. Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been extremely underwhelming and have struggled greatly, but a cup final win could be exactly what they need to help them finish the campaign strong.

Jurgen Klopp recently announced his plan to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, and this will be his first opportunity to ensure he will not be leaving emptyhanded. His side entered this competition in the third round, where they were drawn with Championship side Leicester at Anfield. The Foxes took a very early lead, but the hosts were able to turn it around in the second half with goals from Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Diogo Jota. They were rewarded with a trip to Bournemouth, which was closely fought. Nunez scored the winner six minutes after Justin Kluivert equalised for the Cherries. A much easier 5-1 win followed against West Ham, which set up a two-legged semi-final with Fulham. Liverpool came out on top 3-2 on aggregate.

Chelsea, on the other hand, entered a round earlier due to not being involved in any European competition. They faced AFC Wimbledon in the second round, and were handed an early scare as they went behind to a penalty. Noni Madueke levelled the score with a penalty of his own, before Enzo Fernandez scored the winner. The Blues were subsequently given two home draws, in which they beat both Brighton and Blackburn. A tricky tie with Newcastle followed, and as they were heading to a 1-0 defeat, Mykhailo Mudryk pounced in the 92nd minute to send it to penalties. Djordje Petrovic was the hero as Chelsea advanced. They then faced their first away trip of the competition as they travelled to Middlesbrough in the first leg of the semi-finals. Cole Palmer missed a number of chances as his side lost 1-0. The return leg saw them blow their Championship opponents away, however, as they thrashed Boro 6-1.

There has not been much to split the two sides at all in recent seasons. Seven of the last eight meetings in all competitions ended in draws, including four 0-0 results in a row. Two of these came in cup finals, and Liverpool won both on penalties. The 2022 Carabao and FA Cup finals were contested by both Chelsea and Liverpool, and the Blues will be hoping they are on the right side of the result this time. They have met twice this season, drawing 1-1 on the opening weekend of the season, before Klopp’s men broke the streak of seven straight ties with a 4-1 win at Anfield at the end of January.

Chelsea

Mauricio Pochettino has a few injury concerns to monitor. Centre backs Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile missed the last game so their availability is in doubt. Carney Chukwuemeka recently twisted his ankle in training so may also be missing. Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana and Lesley Ugochukwu remain long-term absentees.

Liverpool

Liverpool have a number of injuries to contend with. Trent Alexander-Arnold has been ruled out with an aggravation of a previous injury. Alisson missed the last game with a muscle injury so he is a doubt. Diogo Jota was stretchered off with a knee injury in their last game, whilst Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez also had to be substituted.

Chelsea

In their last five games, Chelsea have won three and lost two. They began this stretch of games with the two defeats, but have recovered well to win three in a row. It started with a 4-1 defeat at this weekend’s opponents, as goals from Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szobozslai and Luis Diaz condemned them to defeat. It got worse the following weekend, as they were crushed 4-2 at home to Wolves. Despite taking the lead, the Blues conceded four straight, including a Matheus Nunes hat-trick, to lose once more.

A change in competition saw them take on Aston Villa at Villa Park in an FA Cup fourth-round replay. It was an excellent response to perhaps their worst week of the season, as they put in a dominant display against a strong team. Conor Gallagher scored his first of the campaign before Nicolas Jackson doubled the score. Enzo Fernandez added a third with an incredible free kick and Moussa Diaby netted a late consolation. A second away win, this time at Crystal Palace, continued their momentum. They went a goal down in the first half, but Gallagher found the net again to equalise. With the game heading for a draw, the ex-Palace man stepped up again to score the winner. Fernandez scored his second in as many games to seal the three points. Their latest outing was an impressive 1-1 draw at Man City, one which they may have been disappointed not to win. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring against his former side, but it was cancelled out by a deflected Rodri strike in the second half.

Liverpool

In their last five games, Liverpool have won four and lost one. They began this stretch of games with a 5-2 win against Norwich to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup. This preceded the latest meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool, in which the Reds easily came out on top.

Disappointingly, their one defeat came in the most important fixture in this run. In the top of the table clash with Arsenal at the Emirates, they were beaten 3-1. The Gunners had taken an early lead through Bukayo Saka, but a Gabriel Magalhaes own goal in the third minute of stoppage time meant that the teams went into the break on level terms. The game was evenly poised, but a huge defensive mishap between Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson allowed Gabriel Martinelli to put his team in front. As the visitors chased the equaliser in the late stages, Leandro Trossard was able to add a third and put the game to bed.

They soon got back to winning ways, though, as they defeated Burnley 3-1 at Anfield. They were given a scare as the Clarets equalised just before half-time, but goals from Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez won the game. Last weekend, they maintained their lead at the top of the league with a 4-1 win at Brentford. It was a dominant display, and they were rewarded for their start with a fine finish from Nunez to put them a goal up at the half. Further strikes from Alexis Mac Allister, the returning Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo capped off a good afternoon.

Despite the gap in quality between the two sides this season, there will not be much to split them. However, Liverpool should have too much for an inconsistent Chelsea side – Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool

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