Liverpool eye 'special' League Cup final triumph against Chelsea
Source: The Straits Times
LONDON - Liverpool have their sights on a "special" League Cup triumph in the final against Chelsea on Feb 25, as Jurgen Klopp reaches the first milestone moment of his long goodbye.
Klopp is in his last season as Reds manager after the German's bombshell announcement in January that he will step down at the end of the current campaign.
Although he is convinced he no longer has the energy to drive Liverpool's relentless quest for silverware, there has been little sign of the feared decline in his side's fortunes following his stunning revelation.
The team have won five of their six matches in all competitions, scoring 21 goals in the process, since the 56-year-old revealed his plan to quit.
Extending that hot streak at Wembley this weekend would give Liverpool their first trophy since 2022, when they beat Chelsea in both the FA Cup and League Cup finals.
Klopp has won six major trophies during an iconic nine-year reign and his quadruple-chasing players are desperate to give him a silverware-filled farewell.
As well as this weekend's date with Chelsea, Liverpool sit four points clear at the top of the Premier League, face Southampton in the FA Cup fifth round on Feb 28 and take on Sparta Prague in the Europa League last 16 in March.
"We want to make it a special day and get our first trophy of the season," Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said. "The end of the season will probably be very emotional for a lot of people, including the manager, but we are not there yet."
Klopp's assistant Pep Lijnders echoed van Dijk's call to make it a day to remember for their boss.
"We'll go for it. It's a special game. Special games need special performances so we have to focus on that," he said.
Lijnders, who was on media duty on Feb 23, insisted Klopp was always confident Liverpool's players would keep their focus after his shock announcement.
"I think you underestimate our squad, the personalities in it," he added.
"A lot of these boys didn't win anything with Liverpool yet so of course they give everything despite the manager saying he is leaving. We are stable enough to deal with it."
Lijnders' reference to several of Liverpool's young squad waiting to taste success underscores Klopp's achievement in rebuilding his team after the pre-season departures of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Roberto Firmino and James Milner among others.
But the Reds' resolve will be tested at Wembley by a mounting injury crisis that leaves them without Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Dominik Szoboszlai face late fitness tests.
That said, taking advantage of Liverpool's injury woes will be easier said than done for inconsistent Chelsea - Mauricio Pochettino's Blues were one of the Reds' victims during their recent goal spree, losing 4-1 at Anfield in January.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton boss Pochettino, yet to win a trophy in England, has been under fire from angry Chelsea fans as a troubled season threatens to spiral out of control.
With his team 25 points behind Liverpool in 10th place in the Premier League, a surprise win at Wembley would be a major boost to the Argentinian's job security.
Pochettino, whose Tottenham side were beaten by Chelsea in the 2015 League Cup final, also knows how significant it would be to end the Blues' wait for a first domestic prize since the 2018 FA Cup.
"It's a dream for us. We have the opportunity and we're going to fight. The team is ready and we're going to be very competitive," said the 51-year-old, who has won just one of his 13 meetings with Klopp.
"The team is awake to the competition. It means a lot for us to arrive in the final and to challenge a team like Liverpool and win our first title here."
Chelsea will be missing the likes of the injured Benoit Badiashile, Carney Chukwuemeka, Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu, while Marc Cucurella and Thiago Silva are not fully fit. AFP, REUTERS