LIVERPOOL are still chasing glory on all fronts as they bid to give Jurgen Klopp the perfect send-off and they have the chance to land the first of four potential trophies when they face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup Final.
Klopp risked unsettling his squad's quest for silverware last month when he made the shock announcement that he would be stepping down at the end of this season. But they have won five of their six games since that bombshell revelation and a midweek victory over Luton Town sent them four points clear at the top of the Premier League.
An injury crisis looks more likely to threaten their push for a clean sweep, with so many first-team stars on the casualty list. A demanding fixture list is stretching Klopp's squad to breaking point with first-choice keeper Alisson joining the likes of Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip and Curtis Jones on the sidelines.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez are also doubts after missing out in midweek so Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of that at Wembley.
The Blues are on course for a cup double themselves and a 3-1 win at Villa Park in the last round of the FA Cup seems to have sparked their season back into life. That was followed by another 3-1 victory at Crystal Palace and Chelsea busted a few coupons, including Slips Tips', by drawing 1-1 at the Etihad last weekend.
It has been a rollercoaster season for Mauricio Pochettino since taking charge but the former Spurs boss now seems to be finding a bit of consistency. He failed to get his hands on a trophy during his spells at Southampton and Tottenham but now has a chance to put one in the cabinet at Stamford Bridge just a few months into his Chelsea reign.
Liverpool ruined the biggest game of his managerial career by beating his Spurs side in the 2019 Champions League Final but he can now get a bit of revenge by outwitting Klopp at Wembley.
How the bookies view it
This is a tough one to call with Liverpool's injury issues but the Reds are still favourites to lift the trophy at 8/13 with Bet365. Backing them to finish the job inside 90 minutes boosts the odds to 6/5 at 888Sport. Chelsea are 12/5 with BetMGM for a win in 90 minutes and look decent value at 11/8 with Coral to get their hands on the silverware. The full-time draw pays 11/4 with BoyleSports and that bet had landed in the last two finals involving these sides.
Recent head to head
Armchair fans will be hoping this is a better match than the two finals Liverpool and Chelsea fought out two seasons ago. Both those games went to penalties after a 0-0 draw, with the Reds coming out on top both times. The two Premier League meetings this term certainly suggest a better spectacle, with a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge followed by a 4-1 victory for Klopp's side at Anfield.
Players to watch
Raheem Sterling haunted one of his old clubs last weekend by scoring for Chelsea at the Etihad and will now be out to punish another at Wembley. The winger has been the most consistent of Pochettino's forwards and is 10/3 with Bet365 for anytime scorer. Sterling also chips in with a few assists and is a tempting 7/1 with the same firm to set up a goal.
With doubts over so many of Klopp's forwards, the only one who looks certain to start is Luis Diaz. The Colombian's midweek strike made it four goals in seven games and he's 3/1 with Paddy Power for anytime scorer.
Anything else catch the eye?
Finals can often take a while to warm up and the half-time draw is always a good option in these games. It pays a decent 27/20 with Unibet for this showpiece.
The two league games between these sides have been pretty spicy, with six yellows flashed in both matches. Backing over 5.5 cards pays 11/10 with Bet365 but there's better value in backing certain players to go in the book. Conor Gallagher usually dives into tackles and looks good value at 15/8 with Bet365 for a card while Liverpool youngster Conor Bradley is the same price with the same firm.
Andy Robertson is another player who likes to get stuck in and Bet365 are offering a tempting 10/3 on the Scot committing over 1.5 fouls. Enzo Fernandez has been getting forward more for Chelsea in recent games so I also like the 6/4 at Bet365 for the Argentine to have a shot on target.
This EFL Cup match between Chelsea and Liverpool will be played on Feb 25, 2024 and kick off at 15:00. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Liverpool prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
