Chelsea blew it at Wembley

Losing to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday after extra time was a huge chance wasted for Chelsea. They will feel the pain for a long time, even if they had many reasons - such as lack of experience, misfortune, or injuries - to explain their defeat.

The spurned chances, of which there were so, so many, will be haunting Mauricio Pochettino's dreams tonight, with the injury-ravaged Reds somehow clinging on for long enough for Virgil van Dijk to head home the game's only goal late in the additional period.
In a pulsating first half, Cole Palmer saw a close-ranged effort wonderfully saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, and Raheem Sterling had a goal marginally ruled out for offside. Liverpool, had their chances too, with Cody Gakpo hitting the woodwork and Conor Bradley somehow being denied by some heroic Levi Colwill defending.

The game became even more intense after the interval. Chelsea wasted several good opportunities around the time Van Dijk’s header was ruled out by VAR for a foul by Wataru Endo. And, in a dramatic finish to normal time, Liverpool escaped a huge scramble in front of their goal, before Conor Gallagher hit the woodwork and then fired a great chance over the bar.

But, after being frustrated in normal time, Van Dijk would make Chelsea pay from a dead ball in the 118th minute, heading in a Kostas Tsimikas corner to make the Reds fans behind the goal go wild. A few minutes later, with red smoke from the fireworks after the goal still lingering on the Wembley pitch, the final whistle was sounded and all the Blues could do was walk off with the feeling of regret in their hearts.

Liverool the winning team

It was shocking to see how he dominated Caicedo at Anfield last month, with the poor Ecuadorian being substituted after 66 awful minutes. Mac Allister doesn’t even think defensive midfield is his best role, but he has done it much better this season than the specialist six who cost £115m ($145m).

When you think that Endo has too, it makes sense why Klopp thinks it was actually a good thing that they missed out on Caicedo and Lavia - who cost Southampton £60m ($75m) but has only played 32 minutes this season because of injury.
“We obviously realised that other central defensive midfielders don’t want to come to Liverpool!” he joked in December, “But then you see what happens: we found Endo, an amazing player.”

So, no one is mocking Liverpool before Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Chelsea, as Mac Allister and Endo are showing up the huge amount of money their rivals spent on not only Caicedo and Lavia, but also £107m ($135m) signing Enzo Fernandez in a desperate bid to improve their midfield.
The Blues may have won the transfer battle last summer, but losers have never been so lucky.

Conclusion

The Reds were being ridiculed after losing out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to the Blues, but Jurgen Klopp is laughing now