The stakes at Wembley are far lower than the last meeting of Mauricio Pochettino and Jurgen Klopp in a final, when the 2019 Champions League was on the line, but the Carabao Cup still feels hugely significant for the two managers and their clubs.
Chelsea and Liverpool have tended to view this competition as a bonus rather than a priority — including when they met in the 2022 final, with Liverpool winning on penalties — and, while that remains technically true this season, Sunday’s match is about credibility for Pochettino and legacy for Klopp.
For Pochettino, the Chelsea head coach, it is a huge opportunity to transform the outlook of a so-far underwhelming first season at Stamford Bridge and begin changing the narrative about his own winning credentials. He has admitted he is “desperate” to lift the trophy, and understandably so.
There is also the prospect of the Argentine earning revenge on Klopp for Tottenham’s 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in Madrid five years ago, which was to prove his last chance of winning silverware with an English club until now.
Pochettino, who also lost the Carabao Cup final to Chelsea in his first season at Spurs, broke his trophy duck with Paris Saint-Germain, where he won a Ligue 1 title and two domestic cups, but those honours count for relatively little in the court of public opinion, given the Qatari-backed club’s massive financial advantage over their rivals.
Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino is yet to win a trophy in England, having lifted three with Paris Saint-Germain (AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea supporters do not view Pochettino as a winner in the vein of so many of their previous managers and, while securing the Carabao Cup would not entirely shift that perception, it would be an important step in appeasing uneasy fans — particularly if he can outwit Klopp on Sunday.
Victory would also strengthen Pochettino’s position at Chelsea, allowing him to claim a success of this campaign against the odds and guarantee European football next term — albeit only in the guise of the Europa Conference League — as well as easing the pressure on the club’s owners and their squad.
Klopp and Liverpool, however, arguably have even more incentive to win. The bombshell announcement that Klopp will step down at the end of the season has infused every game with fresh poignancy and significance.
For two heavyweights of English football, there is perhaps an unusual degree of investment in lifting the least prestigious trophy on offer — certainly more so than two years ago, when both were in the Champions League, Chelsea had won the Club World Cup and Liverpool were in the midst of a title race.
For two heavyweights of English football, there is perhaps an unusual degree of investment in lifting the least prestigious trophy on offer
They would also go on to meet in the FA Cup final that season — Liverpool again winning on penalties after a 0-0 draw — and another rematch at Wembley on May 25 remains a possibility.
Liverpool thumped Chelsea 4-1 at Anfield on January 31 in a stark demonstration of the chasm in quality between the teams, although circumstances have since narrowed the odds for today’s game.
Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota are the latest to join Liverpool’s lengthy injury list, which also includes Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Dominik Szoboszlai, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip.
Klopp has already started the mind games by insisting his side are “definitely not” favourites and, admittedly, Liverpool’s starting XI for Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Luton had the youngest average age of any Reds side since February 2018 — and their bench included five players aged 19 or younger.
Pochettino’s Chelsea are callow, but Liverpool’s injury problems should level the playing field somewhat, even if Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez are expected to be fit.
Jurgen Klopp is looking to bow out from Liverpool in style (AFP via Getty Images)
Alisson’s absence should not have a direct impact on the game, with Klopp having already promised to play Caoimhin Kelleher — just as he did in the 2022 final. The Irish keeper repaid that decision, making a string of fine saves and scoring in the shootout.
Chelsea’s only survivors from the squad that day are Thiago Silva (a major doubt), Reece James (injured) and Trevoh Chalobah (frozen out), underlining the remarkable turnover under new ownership and making this match feel like part of a different era for the Blues.
Chelsea followed up their thrashing at Anfield with a 4-2 home defeat by Wolves, which left Pochettino on the brink, but they responded well with wins over Aston Villa and Crystal Palace and last Saturday’s draw with Manchester City, contributing to the sense the final should be a much closer contest. Chelsea will also be the fresher team.
Conor Gallagher and Enzo Fernandez have started scoring, Cole Palmer and Raheem Sterling look sharp, and Axel Disasi and Levi Colwill impressed in the heart of defence at the Etihad.
Chelsea’s season has been pockmarked by brief periods of revival, before another dispiriting setback, and the pressure of a cup final and Liverpool’s quality, even without key players, should be a good indication of whether they have truly made progress under Pochettino.
