Sunday's
Carabao Cup final will be billed as Jurgen Klopp versus Thomas Tuchel, the
guy who followed the guy, but neither manager will think he deserves top
billing.
For all he has done in turning Liverpool into a force again Klopp insists,
as he always has, it is all about the achievements of the players.
Tuchel, whose first year in charge has brought a Champions League, a UEFA
Super Cup and Club World Cup, argues similarly.
Both play down the similarity of their career paths: Tuchel succeeding Klopp
first at Mainz and then Borussia Dortmund before, ultimately, following him
into the Premier League.
But where they are alike is in getting the job done when it matters.
Admittedly Klopp has had more final failures than his opposite number but at
six years his senior that is probably to be expected.
Tuchel has had more immediate success, although some would argue his four
major domestic trophies in two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain was the bare
minimum expected.
But his influence on Chelsea having taken charge just over 13 months ago was
equally instantaneous as he lifted the side from ninth to fourth, took them
to an FA Cup final (losing to Leicester) and achieved his biggest success
yet by overseeing victory over Manchester City in the Champions League
final.
However, their teams meet at Wembley seemingly on considerably different
levels.
Klopp lost seven straight finals before steering Liverpool to Champions
League glory in 2019. Since then the Reds have won the Club World Cup and
the Premier League.
In that context it is easy to see Liverpool's 2016 League Cup and Europa
League final losses, and the Champions League defeat in 2018, as part of a
sustained building process.
The trophies and glory that followed cemented Klopp's era of success, and
lifted a certain weight off both manager and club.
Liverpool's route to Wembley
Third round: Norwich 0 Liverpool 3 (September 21)
Takumi Minamino kicked off his Carabao Cup campaign in similar fashion to 12
months previously with two goals in the third round. Both teams made nine
changes – with 16-year-old Kaide Gordon and 18-year-old Conor Bradley making
their debuts – and Minamino struck after just four minutes. Caoimhin
Kelleher saved a first-half Christos Tzolis penalty before Divock Origi’s
first goal in a year was followed by Minamino’s second.
Fourth round: Preston 0 Liverpool 2 (October 27)
League Cup specialists Minamino and Origi put their side through after a
testing opening hour at Deepdale in which Adrian was the busier of the two
goalkeepers. There was another debut, this time for youngster Harvey Blair,
and a first start full for fellow 18-year-old Tyler Morton, but it needed
Minamino to make the breakthrough in the 62nd minute with the visitors’
first shot on target. Origi’s late acrobatic flick secured progress.
Quarter-final: Liverpool 3 Leicester 3; Liverpool win 5-4 on
penalties (December 22)
Minamino scored for the third successive cup match, his equaliser in the
final seconds of six minutes’ stoppage time setting up a shoot-out in which
Kelleher was the hero. Liverpool twice recovered from a two-goal deficit,
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain replying to Jamie Vardy’s double inside 13 minutes,
with Diogo Jota responding to James Maddison’s brilliant strike before
Minamino recorded his fourth in three matches in the competition. Kelleher
saved two spot-kicks and Jota slotted the winner.
Semi-final, first leg: Liverpool 0 Arsenal 0 (January 13)
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker made his League Cup debut after three
and a half years at the club but it was the other end of the pitch which
came under scrutiny as 78 per cent possession resulted in just one shot on
target – in added time – from 17 attempts. Granit Xhaka’s second red card in
just 13 appearances left the visitors playing with 10 men for 71 minutes but
they held out.
Semi-final, second leg: Arsenal 0 Liverpool 2; Liverpool win 2-0 on
aggregate (January 20)
Jota’s double secured a first League Cup final in six years. The Portugal
international put his side ahead with a low shot which wrong-footed Aaron
Ramsdale in the first half before VAR overruled an offside flag which had
threatened to chalk off his second-half strike. Arsenal’s misery was
compounded when substitute Thomas Partey – who only returned from the Africa
Cup of Nations earlier in the day – was sent off 16 minutes after coming off
the bench.
This season, Liverpool are still contesting four competitions, chasing down
defending Premier League champions Manchester City and making serene
progress in Europe with a virtually fully-fit squad all working in harmony.
The club's decorated recent run under Klopp has pushed the League Cup down
the Reds' priority pecking order. But despite City's shock loss to Tottenham
putting Liverpool back in the Premier League hunt, that will not mean any
focus is lost on Sunday. This is the Reds' first chance to lift something
tangible this season, and Klopp and company will not intend to waste it.
The FA Cup and Champions League are still possibilities, but no one of an
Anfield persuasion will want to let this trophy pass by.
Will Lukaku be benched again?
Chelsea's form has been more inconsistent but having failed to sustain a
challenge with the top two they are still in contention for a cup treble,
although things inside the squad appear not to be so rosy.
Following the fall-out from Romelu Lukaku's December interview in which he
professed his love for former club Inter Milan but less so for Tuchel - for
which he had to apologise - the relationship between the £97.5million
signing and his head coach has remained difficult.
The striker appears to still be struggling with Tuchel's tactics: his only
goals in 2022 have come against Chesterfield, Al Hilal and Palmeiras; last
weekend he played 90 minutes against Crystal Palace and touched the ball
just seven times; and in midweek against Lille he did not even get off the
bench.
Fortunately Chelsea are so sound defensively, and with players like Hakim
Ziyech and Kai Havertz finding some form, they have just about been getting
away with not having Lukaku anywhere near his best.
If Chelsea want to try to stretch Liverpool or even match the Reds'
mobility, then Lukaku could be out of luck again.
Their two draws against Liverpool this season, particularly last month's in
recovering a two-goal deficit, means they will walk out at Wembley confident
they can meet the challenge posed by Klopp's side.
Chelsea's route to Wembley
Third round: Chelsea 1 Aston Villa 1; Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties
(September 22)
Reece James drilled home the decisive spot-kick after Chelsea were dragged
into a shoot-out by Villa. The visitors' young forward Cameron Archer
grabbed a second-half equaliser to cancel out Timo Werner’s opener for the
Blues. Full-back James had set up Werner's header with a neat cross, then
kept his nerve to despatch the winning penalty.
Fourth round: Chelsea 1 Southampton 1; Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties
(October 26)
James again converted the winning penalty, reprising his pivotal role from
the third round. Hakim Ziyech teed up Kai Havertz for a goal just before
half-time that had Chelsea hoping to take control. But after the interval
Che Adams pounced to put the tie back on level terms. Kepa Arrizabalaga
conjured two fine late saves to push the clash into a shoot-out, and again
the Blues kept their heads. Theo Walcott and Will Smallbone missed from the
spot for Saints, but James stayed cool again to send Chelsea through.
Quarter-final: Brentford 0 Chelsea 2 (December 22)
Positive coronavirus tests and injuries wrecked Tuchel's selection plans,
with the Blues boss fielding three teenage academy stars. But Pontus
Jansson’s own goal 10 minutes from time helped the Blues sneak ahead, before
Jorginho's penalty sealed the win.
Semi-final first leg: Chelsea 2 Tottenham 0 (January 5)
Havertz's early effort handed Chelsea total control against an outclassed
Tottenham, who were further pegged back by a Ben Davies own goal. The Blues
were determined to seize the initiative in the home leg and so it proved,
with the clean sheet only boosting their dominance. Antonio Conte cut a
subdued figure on the touchline in enduring a miserable return to his former
club.
Semi-final second leg: Tottenham 0 Chelsea 1; Chelsea win 3-0 on
aggregate (January 12)
Toni Rudiger's early effort handed Tottenham a mountain to climb to stop
rivals Chelsea reaching their first League Cup final since 2019. Spurs
falling further behind in the overall tie early in the second leg allowed
the Blues to close out the triumph and move into the final with minimum
fuss.
They will be, however, meeting a different team in terms of form, confidence
and quality from their early January encounter at Stamford Bridge and have
been invigorated by getting themselves back into a title race with
Manchester City.
In the intervening period Liverpool have won 10 and drawn one of 11 matches,
added ready-made Porto forward Luis Diaz into their already heady attacking
mix and have gained a real sense of momentum and belief.
That, as rivals have found to their cost in the past, is an irrepressible
mix and with Klopp rejuvenated after more than a season behind closed doors
appeared to dull his love of the game the Reds will start as favourites.
Klopp confirms Kelleher will start in goal
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he is more than happy with the progress
of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher and that he has developed in to a top class
keeper.
Under Klopp, Liverpool have won 35 per cent of their meetings with Chelsea
in all competitions; among sides they have faced at least 10 times under the
German, only against Manchester United do they have a lower win ratio.
Indeed, Klopp is winless in his last four managerial clashes with compatriot
Tuchel, including the three since he joined Chelsea. The Liverpool boss has
no qualms about his decision to pick Caoimhin Kelleher.
The day after his side booked their meeting with Chelsea at Wembley, Klopp
made the unusual step of publicly announcing the Republic of Ireland
international would start in the final.
Kelleher has played in every domestic cup game this season, except the
semi-final first leg at home to Arsenal when first-choice Alisson Becker was
in need of match practice after a Covid-enforced absence.
But Klopp reverted to his original selection policy for the second leg away
from home and feels he has to give 23-year-old Kelleher games to keep him at
the club.
"Caoimh is an exceptional goalkeeper and we want to keep him here and for
that, he needs games," said Klopp. "These games are his competition, and
there's no chance of him not playing.
"It's just a thing we have to do because of the quality Caoimh has. We want
to keep him as long as somehow possible, knowing that, from our point of
view, the best goalkeeper in the world (Alisson) is our number one.
"As always, if it works out, then it's all about Caoimh. If it doesn't work
out, then it's all about me. It's as easy as that, and I take it."
Is balance of power shifting towards
Tuchel?
Klopp and Tuchel have faced each other 17 times in management. Liverpool's
boss boasts nine victories, with Tuchel prevailing just three times.
Klopp has so far been unable to get the better of Tuchel in England,
however. Tuchel has led Chelsea to one win and two draws against Liverpool.
Both Premier League encounters this season have ended honours even. First
Chelsea's 10 men battled to a creditable 1-1 draw at Anfield in August,
before the Blues hit back from the brink to snatch a 2-2 result at Stamford
Bridge in January.
Chelsea's defensive prowess under Tuchel has turned the Blues into bona fide
cup specialists. The Champions League holders have already added the
European Super Cup and Club World Cup titles to their trophy haul this term.
Covid-19, injuries and inconsistency have blighted their league ambitions
but the Blues' abilities in cup competitions stem from a miserly tactical
blueprint that so often squeezes opponents.
Liverpool will test that to the extreme on Sunday, but the same was said of
Manchester City in last season's Champions League final, and yet Tuchel's
men still prevailed.
Both encounters this season have proved open, attacking and entertaining
contests. Should Sunday's final follow suit, the Wembley crowd will be
treated to a tussle fit to decide the destination of a major trophy.
Opta stats
This is the third major final meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool (excl.
Community Shields & Super Cups), with the Blues winning on both previous
occasions - 3-2 in the 2005 League Cup and 2-1 in the 2012 FA Cup.
This will be the eighth League Cup tie between Chelsea and Liverpool, with
the Blues coming out on top in four of the previous seven, including the
only previous final in the competition between the two clubs in 2005.
Chelsea will be the first team in English football history to compete in one
of the major domestic cup finals (League Cup/FA Cup) in six consecutive
campaigns, reaching the FA Cup final in 2016-17, 2017-18, 2019-20 and
2020-21, and the League Cup final in 2018-19 and this term.
Chelsea have finished as runners up in each of their last three major
domestic cup finals (2019 League Cup, 2020 & 2021 FA Cup). In English
football history, only Newcastle United and Aston Villa have ever failed to
win four consecutive final appearances in the two competitions, with no side
ever doing so in consecutive seasons.
Liverpool have failed to take home the trophy in either of their last two
domestic cup final matches (FA Cup & League Cup), losing the 2012 FA Cup
final against Chelsea, and the 2016 League Cup final on penalties against
Manchester City. The Reds have never failed to win three consecutive major
domestic cup finals before.
Excluding Premier League games, Liverpool are winless in their last five
matches at Wembley, losing two and drawing three - with all three draws also
seeing the Reds go on to lose on penalties (2016 League Cup final, 2019 and
2020 Community Shields). This is the club's longest ever run of games at the
ground as a neutral venue without winning.
Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in each of their last three League Cup
matches - the quarter-final against Brentford and both semi-finals legs
versus Tottenham - with the Blues never keeping a clean sheet in four
consecutive games in the competition. Indeed, in League Cup history, the
only finalist ever to keep a clean sheet in every one of their matches in
that season's quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were Swansea City in
2012-13.
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