CHELSEA 0-1 LIVERPOOL: VAN DIJK'S LAST-GASP WINNER HELPS REDS LIFT CARABAO CUP

Read Time:1 Minute, 44 Second

Liverpool have won the Carabao Cup in the dying minutes of extra time against Chelsea after captain Virgil van Dijk’s header secured a dramatic 1-0 victory in the final.

Van Dijk thought had scored a late winner for Liverpool when he avoided opposing defenders in the box and latched onto a header from Andy Robertson’s set-piece cross. Eventually his effort was ruled out by VAR.

Those decision-makers behind the screen perceived that an initially offside Wataru Endo had blocked Ben Chilwell from closing down Van Dijk as the Liverpool captain nodded his effort into the net.

Liverpool continued to threaten by encouraging players forward but almost came undone when Conor Gallagher smashed an effort against the post at the other end not long afterwards.

Cole Palmer similarly tried to pen Jurgen Klopp’s defenders retreating into their own box and almost fashioned an opening late in the match that was eventually cleared away.

Chelsea should have won the match in the 86th minute as Gallagher was put one-v-one with Liverpool’s second-choice goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher who smothered the England international before he could get a proper shot away.

The 24-year-old wasted another chance just moments later when he sent a shot from the edge of the box sailing into the stands.

Pinball football threatened to break the resolve when Chelsea fashioned a series of efforts in stoppage time and one such move resulting in Kelleher somehow ending up with the ball in his hands.

Into extra time and Liverpool’s youth faced their biggest test yet, injuries including a mid-game problem for Ryan Gravenberch forced Klopp to use his energetic bench as Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Jayden Danns and Jarrell Quansah all came on.

Chelsea had the experience and chances to break the deadlock but lacked the required composure. Van Dijk did the opposite as he popped up in the final minutes of extra time to score from a late corner.

The Reds captain surged to the near-post and met Kostas Tsimikas’ delivery that was guided into the bottom corner.