Liverpool clinched the League Cup title with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday, thanks to a late extra-time goal from captain Virgil van Dijk, sparking jubilation among the Liverpool faithful.
Van Dijk, hailing from the Netherlands, rose to meet a corner in the 118th minute, securing victory with a decisive header in front of ecstatic Liverpool supporters.
Throughout the match, both teams created numerous scoring opportunities, keeping fans on the edge of their seats for the entire 90 minutes.
However, the excitement was tempered by VAR decisions, as goals from both sides were disallowed after lengthy reviews. Raheem Sterling’s first-half strike for Chelsea was nullified due to an offside call against Nicolas Jackson in the build-up, while Van Dijk’s second-half header was canceled out for an infringement by Wataru Endo.
Additionally, both teams had moments of misfortune, with Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo hitting the post in the first half and Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher doing the same in the second.
This victory marked Liverpool’s third Cup triumph over Chelsea in two years under the guidance of manager Juergen Klopp, following their League and FA Cup successes in 2022, which were also decided by goalless draws and penalty shootouts.
