Liverpool wins 2024 Carabao Cup after extra time goal

After Reds captain Virgil van Dijk scored a thrilling game-winning goal in extra time at Wembley to lead his team to a 1-0 victory in the home of football, Liverpool was declared the 2024 Carabao Cup winners.  

Two years after their previous victory over the same opponent in 2022, the Reds, who have won the competition more than any other side, broke into double figures when they lifted the trophy for a record 10th time.  

The initial exchanges were dominated by the Merseysiders when Luis Diaz connected on Andy Robertson's cross. The Colombian's looping header was on goal, but Djordje Petrovic, the Chelsea goalie, reacted fast.  

Alex Mac Allister let fly from distance, but his shot was gathered by Petrovic. Just minutes later, Diaz came close to opening the scoring when he drew the first real save of the afternoon from the Blues stopper, as Petrovic got down well to deny the Liverpool winger. 

With 20 minutes played, the West Londoners found a way into the game. With Raheem Sterling bearing down on goal, Conor Bradley intervened before Caoimhin Kelleher produced a sublime stop from close range to keep out Cole Palmer on the follow-up. As Chelsea players queued up to take aim, Nicolas Jackson saw his effort blocked and Liverpool could breathe a sigh of relief. 

Jurgen Klopp was forced into an early switch after Ryan Gravenberch went down under Moises Caicedo’s challenge. The Dutchman, who left the field on a stretcher, was replaced by Joe Gomez. 

Mauricio Pochettino’s men thought they had taken the lead in the 32nd minute after Jackson picked out Raheem Sterling in the box. The latter rippled the net but the goal was chalked off for an offside ruling against Jackson in the build-up. 

Just five minutes remained of the first half when Cody Gakpo the Club’s top scorer in the competition this season – hit the woodwork. Robertson’s delivery was met by Gakpo but the forward’s glancing header came back off the upright. 

As the half-time whistle fast approached, Conor Bradley came close to getting his name on the scoresheet. Diaz led the attack for Liverpool and it fell to Bradley inside the penalty area as three blue shirts threw themselves into the path of the defender’s goal-bound shot as it remained goalless heading into the break. 

After the restart, the first clear cut chance of the second period fell to Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez, with 52 minutes on the watch. The World Cup winner linked up well with Conor Gallagher, but Fernandez couldn’t get the ball out of his feet and the opportunity passed for the Blues. 

Petrovic was called into action for Chelsea to acrobatically keep out Harvey Elliott’s volley on the bounce and, at the other end of the pitch, Virgil van Dijk had the ball in the back of the net but as the Reds skipper wheeled away in celebration, another offside ruling soon saw the second goal of the game disallowed to keep it at 0-0. 

In the 69th minute, Axel Disasi was presented with an opening from Gallagher’s corner kick. The Frenchman couldn’t quite bring the ball under his spell and Kelleher proved a safe pair of hands for Liverpool. 

With 76 minutes gone, Palmer fashioned an opportunity for teammate Gallagher, who went agonisingly close for Chelsea. The latter got a touch on Palmer’s ball in from the right, but it clipped the post. Soon after, as the pair combined once again as Palmer put Gallagher through on goal, but Kelleher was up to the task, pulling a huge save out of the bag to keep Liverpool in the Final. 

A stoppage time scramble ensued as Chelsea threw bodies forward into the box. Liverpool had Kelleher and Ibrahima Konate to thank for their defensive efforts as it somehow stayed out amid a scene of disarray in the penalty area and the ball eventually found its way into the arms of the Reds gloveman and force the tie to extra-time and there was a strange sense of deja-vu in the air. 

It needed a fingertip save from Petrovic to divert substitute Jayden Danns’ header over the bar in the first period of the additional 30 minutes before Elliott found the side netting for Liverpool. 

Kelleher was the hero again in the second half as he made a low stop to keep out Noni Madueke before gathering at the second attempt. In an action-packed encounter, Liverpool had a chance through Konstantinos Tsimikas whose effort lacked conviction and fell kindly to Petrovic. 

With just five minutes left on the clock, Elliott might have thought he’d scored the winner but his header at the back post was cleared off the line by Petrovic, but the Klopp’s side didn’t have to wait long for that all-important goal. 

Van Dijk, who had a goal ruled out in the second half, was jumping for joy this time as the defender glanced in the match-winner in the 118th minute for Liverpool to send the red half of Wembley into raptures. The skipper headed in Tsimikas’ corner to make it 1-0 to the Merseysiders which was how it finished in the capital.