This Sunday sees familiar foes Liverpool and Chelsea go head to head at Wembley for the 2024 EFL Cup Final.
The Reds take a break from Premier League action knowing that they’ll stay top of the table no matter what happens, so they can focus entirely on landing this midseason showpiece. Chelsea meanwhile get some respite from what has been a frustrating league campaign to date, with the Blues sitting mid-table heading into the weeknd’s action.
All of that means nothing for 90 minutes, or possibly more, in London, as these two giant clubs lock horns. Here, we’ll preview this final in the hopes that we can find you some winning bets.
Record holders
Liverpool hold the record for the most League Cups, with an impressive nine titles to their name. Chelsea have landed the cup five times in their history, with their most recent success coming back in 2015 with a 2-0 win over Spurs. The Blues have been to the final twice since then, in 2019 and 2022, losing both via a penalty shootout.
This Sunday’s matchup is a carbon copy of that 2022 final, in which Liverpool eventually won 11-10 in one of the most dramatic penalty shootouts in recent memory. That was an agonising way for the West Londoners to lose out and that memory will still be with a lot of the players as they prepare to go toe-to-toe with the Merseysiders again this weekend.
Previous meetings
Historically, this has been a tight and tense meeting that has produced little in the way of goals, with seven of the last eight games between these ending in a draw. Four of those were back to back 0-0 draws after 90 minutes, so there’s a bit of a worry that this one could be a similar result given what’s at stake.
It’s worth noting though, that the most recent meeting between these in January saw Liverpool tear Chelsea apart in a 4-1 victory at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp’s men have barely taken their foot off the gas since then and back to back 4-1 wins against Brentford and Luton will see them come into this with their confidence sky high.
Penalties likely?
One of the most fascinating statistics is that, since 2010, only four League Cup finals have gone to a penalty shootout and every one of those four finals has featured either Liverpool, Chelsea, or both clubs. With that in mind, it seems almost inevitable that this year’s final will go all the way to a shootout. But if it does, who will come out on top?
Chelsea have a young team, who aren’t afraid to attack and go for the win, but they lack experience in major cup finals and the occasion could get to them. In contrast, this Liverpool team is vastly experienced and, with penalty specialist Alison Becker in goal, it seems like the Reds will prevail.
Suggested bets
- Full time result – Draw
- 1-1 Correct Score
- Liverpool to Win on Penalties
