Liverpool clinch League Cup as Chelsea flop at Wembley again

Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple is alive and well after they defeated Chelsea 1-0 on Monday (AEDT) in a thrilling League Cup final at Wembley Stadium.

Reds captain Virgil van Dijk sealed the deal with a well-taken header in extra time as the Merseyside giants claimed their first trophy since the 2022 FA Cup.

There was plenty of action at either end of the pitch throughout the 90 minutes, with both goalkeepers forced to pull out some gutsy saves to keep their respective clean sheets in tact.

Both sides had goals chalked off due to offside calls — Chelsea in the 32nd minute, Liverpool in the 60th.

Van Dijk’s disallowed effort was particularly controversial, with the VAR ruling that Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo had blocked off an opponent while standing in an offside position.

It mattered little in the end, however, as manager Jurgen Klopp secured silverware in his final season in charge of the Anfield club.

With Liverpool leading the English Premier League and still in the mix in the FA Cup and the Europa League, it is shaping up to be a fairytale farewell for Klopp.

Online bookmakers have the Reds pegged at +230 to clinch the EPL title, with Manchester City — sitting one point behind — favoured at -125.

Liverpool are also paying +320 with BetOnline to win the FA Cup, while they are +175 favourites to take out the Europa League.

For Chelsea, it was yet another disappointing result on the big stage at Wembley.

The Blues have now lost six consecutive finals in domestic competitions, with three of those defeats coming against Liverpool.

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