Liverpool have their sights on a “special” League Cup triumph in Sunday’s final,2023-2024 against Chelsea as Jurgen Klopp reaches the first milestone moment of his long goodbye.
Klopp is in his last season as Liverpool manager after the German’s bombshell announcement that he will step down at the end of the current campaign.
Although Klopp is convinced he no longer has the energy to drive Liverpool’s relentless quest for silverware, there has been little sign of the feared decline in his side’s fortunes following his stunning revelation.
Liverpool have won five of their six matches in all competitions, scoring 21 goals in the process, since the 56-year-old revealed his plan to quit.
Extending that hot streak at Wembley this weekend would give Liverpool their first trophy since 2022, when they beat Chelsea in both the FA Cup and League Cup finals.
Klopp has won six major trophies during an iconic nine-year reign and his quadruple-chasing players are desperate to give him a silverware filled farewell. “We want to make it a special day and get our first trophy of the season,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said.
The Reds’ resolve will be tested at Wembley by a mounting injury crisis that leaves them without Alison Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Dioho Jota.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Donimik Szoboszlai face late fitness tests.
But taking advantage of Liverpool’s injury woes will be easier said than done for inconsistent Chelsea.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team were one of Liverpool’s victims during their recent goal spree, losing 4-1 at Anfield in January.
Former Tottenham and Southampton boss Pochettino, yet to win a trophy in England, has been under fire from angry Chelsea fans as a troubled season threatens to spiral out of control.
With Chelsea languishing 25 points behind Liverpool in 10th place in the Premier League, a surprise win at Wembley would be a major boost to the Argentine’s job security.
Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is expected to fly in from the United States to watch the Blues’ first cup final since he and Behdad Eghbali bought the London club from Roman Abramovich in 2022.
Boehly has spent over 1 billion euro [1.26 billion dollar] on signings in a faIled attempt to recapture the Abramovich glory days.
Pochettino, whose Tottenham side were beaten by Chelsea in the 2015 League Cup final, knows how significant it would be to end the Blues’ wait for a first domestic prize since the 2018 FA Cup.
“It’s a dream for us. We have the opportunity and we’re going to fight. The team is ready and we’re going to be very competitive,” said Pochettino, who has won just one of his 13 meetings with Klopp. “The team is awake to the competition. There was a click to change in the way we compete, that we were missing in the first half of the season.”