« on: February 27, 2022, 02:05:25 pm »
Liverpool v Chelsea, EFL Cup Final, Sunday 27 February, 4.30pm
Wembley Stadium
Referee: Stuart Attwell
Assistant referees: Dan Cook, Daniel Robathan
Fourth official: Andrew Madley
1981: Liverpool 1 West Ham 1 AET; Liverpool 2 West Ham 1
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The first League Cup game was played in 1960 but we didn’t make a final until 1978, losing in a replay to that iconic Nottingham Forest team through a controversial penalty given for a foul that was actually outside the area. And people wonder why Forest are included in that song.
A chance to make up for lost time came three years later against West Ham, who’d been promoted the previous year while winning the FA Cup, the last second tier team to do so. We breezed through the competition, thumping Bradford, Swindon, Portsmouth and Birmingham by an aggregate of 16-2 before edging out Man City in the semis.
Much as it would three years later, this would serve as a precursor to a European Cup final a couple of months later, and this was a similarly tight game. The first leg was goalless until the 118th minute when Alan Kennedy (who always was dangerous in finals) pounced on a miskicked clearance to blast the ball in from the edge of the box. The equaliser came two minutes later, from a penalty after Terry McDermott had tipped an Alvin Martin header over the bar.
The replay took place on April Fool’s Day and this time all the action took place in the first half hour. Paul Goddard nodded in the opener from a near post cross on the 10-minute mark but otherwise it was all Liverpool. We had four great chances, hitting the woodwork twice, before a slick passing move led to Dalglish sliding in to scoop a volley over the onrushing keeper. Just three minutes later, Alan Hansen of all people leapt to power a towering Jimmy Case cross off a defender’s leg and into the corner.
1982: Liverpool 3 Tottenham 1 AET
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Although Bob Paisley remained in charge, this was a transition season. Having won our third European Cup in five seasons, Clemence, Heighway, Case and Ray Kennedy all departed, with Bruce Grobbelaar, Stevie Nicol, Craig Johnston and Mark Lawrenson being signed and Rushie and Ronnie Whelan coming into the team too.
The season started off slow but we returned to Wembley near the start of what would be a 12-match winning streak that saw us chase down Ipswich and both Manc teams to regain the First Division trophy. We also reached the final of this, the inaugural Milk Cup, as it would be known for five seasons.
Tottenham were FA Cup holders and Steve Archibald nabbed the first, dispossessing Mark Lawrenson and nudging the ball past the onrushing Grobbelaar. Whelan would equalise with three minutes to go, turning to sweep a right wing pass straight into the far corner, after Souness had cleared another Archibald shot off the line. Then, in extra time, Rush won the ball just outside their penalty area, and a Dalglish pull back allowed 20-year old Whelan to get his second. A Hendo-esque long pass by Sammy Lee sent Rush on his way, and a one-two with David Johnson later it was 3-1.
1983: Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1 AET
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In a marked contrast to the previous season, we remained in control in the league throughout, losing five of our last six games and still finishing 11 points clear of Watford in second. By the end of March however, we were out of both the FA Cup and European Cup, to Brighton and Widzew Łódź respectively, and this would prove to be the last final for Paisley, the quiet genius.
It was the first league cup final ever for Manchester United however, part of a season where they’d win the FA Cup and finish third in the league, threatening to challenge with a team containing Ray Wilkins, Steve Coppell, Gordon McQueen, World Cup star Norman Whiteside and Bryan Robson, who – shock horror – was injured for this game.
Whiteside, still 17 years old, opened the scoring by collecting a McQueen long ball just outside the box, turning Hansen and placing the ball in the corner. Alan Kennedy equalised through a 25-yard drive but the best was yet to come in extra time. Whelan received the ball just inside the left-hand side of the box, and after his first shot was blocked, let the ball run back and curled a magnificent banana shot around the defender and into the far corner. It would be the best goal we’d score in a final for more than 20 years.
1984: Liverpool 0 Everton 0 AET; Liverpool 1 Everton 0
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Man United made the early running in the league the following year but collapsed after mid-March, leaving us to win our third successive title before wrapping up our fourth European Cup.
This came first however, out fourth successive League Cup win and also the fourth to go to extra time. It was against Howard Kendall’s Everton, who were just beginning to shake off their status as perennial underachievers. What they didn’t have was experience, as a team with an average age of 23 failed to break through our defence in 210 minutes (though to be fair, they had a decent penalty claim turned down in the first match).
We edged them in the replay, Graeme Souness flicking a pass on to his other foot before looping a shot in from well outside the box. The big story however was around the match. It was the first time the red and blue sides of Merseyside had met in a cup final and there was a convivial party atmosphere, with fans of the different teams heading down to London together and a joint lap of honour after the first game, a united front against the Thatcher government. ITV even made a documentary about it!
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1995: Liverpool 2 Bolton Wanderers 1
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The second half of the 80’s was a period of uninterrupted domestic success, the only real reversal being a loss in the 1987 League Cup Final to George Graham’s Arsenal, relishing their position as spoilers. By the time we reached our next final, the Littlewoods and Rumbelows Cups had come and gone, and Roy Evans’ exciting young side – probably the coolest Liverpool team ever – was competing with First Division team Bolton Wanderers for the Coca-Cola Cup.
This was the Fowler/McManaman/Redknapp era, and although Bolton had a fresh young team containing Jason McAteer, Alan Stubbs and Alan Thompson, it was Macca who turned on the style with a performance that garnered admiring comments from a watching Stanley Matthews.
For his first goal, he picked up a John Barnes pass 35 yards out and sprinted into the Bolton box, outrunning one defender and nutmegging another before drilling a low shot through the keeper. The second was arguably better. David James rolled it out to him deep inside our half, and after a short one-two with Redknapp brought the ball into Bolton's half, Macca dribbled it out to the left, cut inside right back Scott Green (the one who’d been nutmegged earlier – he’d be substituted immediately) with a sudden turn of pace, faked a shot to take another defender out the game and passed the ball into the net.
Bolton got a very good consolation goal, but this would be the last trophy for John Barnes and Ian Rush, the latter getting his fifth League Cup, 14 years after his first, a tally yet to be surpassed.
2001: Liverpool 1 Birmingham City 1 AET (5-4 on penalties)
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The longest season, Gerard Houllier’s cup treble year. It’s chiefly remembered for Michael Owen’s quickfire double in the FA Cup final and the insane 5-4 against Alaves in the UEFA Cup final, but the League Cup run included a Fowler hat-trick in an 8-0 mauling of the hapless Stoke City and a 5-0 thumping of First Division Crystal Palace in the second leg of the semis.
Another First Division side, Birmingham City, awaited in the final, the first of the Millennium Stadium finals. Owen was rested for the game, which took place three days after we scraped past Roma in the last 16 of the UEFA Cup. It was left to Fowler to lead the attack next to Emile Heskey, and he opened the scoring with an arrow of a lob from 25 yards out.
Birmingham managed to equalise from a penalty in the third minute of stoppage time, and after a goalless 30 minutes (in which Birmingham really should have got another spot kick), it went to penalties, the first League Cup final to do so. Didi Hamann missed and it went to sudden death, at which point young left back Jamie Carragher held his nerve and Sander Westerweld made the second of his two saves, winning it for the reds. Far from a vintage performance but hey, they all count.
2003: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
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This was the season when it felt like the shine really went off the Houllier era, a strong start giving way to a sustained malaise in the league. Man United on the other hand recovered from a slow start to snatch what felt like yet another league title, winning 15 of their least 18 games. They’ve never generally had a great time in the League Cup though, while we were coming off a 6-2 record, and they hadn’t won a cup competition for four years.
This was the era of the Juan Veron five-man midfield and Van Nistelrooy up front, but the Mancs were up against a midfield of Hamann, Gerrard (already an on-field leader), Danny Murphy (who was, as ever, lethal against the Mancs) and, uh, World Cup star El Hadji Diouf.
It was Gerrard who opened the scoring, taking a John Arne Riise pull back in a seemingly harmless position some 35 yards out. In a move that would become ever familiar, he tapped the ball sideways and, with a three-step run up, walloped the ball towards the goal, off the back of David Beckham’s boot and over Fabien Barthez, into the top corner.
They huffed and puffed but big-game Jerzy Dudek ensured we’d keep a clean sheet, pulling off a magnificent man-of-the-match performance with a strong of top saves. The Mancs were chasing an equaliser but a defensive mistake in the last five minutes allowed Hamann to pick the ball up just inside their half, and he set Owen off on a run towards their goal with only Barthez to beat. And there was only ever one winner in that situation.
2012: Liverpool 2 Cardiff City 2 AET, (2-3 on penalties)
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A few things happened in the next decade: a couple of Champions League finals, the best midfield in the world, the club being rescued from going out of business, nothing that exciting. We missed out to Mourinho’s (almost) all conquering Chelsea team in the 2005 final but by the time we made the next one it was the Carling Cup and a familiar face was back in charge.
King Kenny’s second stint is somewhat maligned, but he did reach two cup finals despite buying Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing and Andy Carroll, all three of whom started against Cardiff City. Amazingly, this went to penalties yet again, a scruffy Martin Skrtel goal and a terrific Dirk Kuyt shot just after he came off the bench not enough to put the Championship side away.
We looked like we were in trouble after Gerrard and Adam missed our first two, Adam absolutely skying his. Kuyt, Downing and Glen Johnson made no mistake however and another Gerrard, Anthony, was the villain, sliding their fifth penalty wide. We didn’t manage to get past Man City four years later in Klopp’s first English final, but things are very different today.
2022:
As is detailed above, we have a really good record in these finals but we also make bloody hard work of it. Chelsea won the Champions League last season but were helped by one of Pep’s customary big-match brain farts. They cruised past Lille on Tuesday night in a game that gave some clues as to how they’ll likely line up on Sunday.
Tuchel’s Chelsea have used a 3-4-3 quite consistently but have looked far less fluent without regular advanced full backs Ben Chilwell, who’s out for the season, and Reece James, who has an outside chance of making his return on the weekend, and they opted instead for a 4-2-2 against Spurs in the semis.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been their regular EFL Cup keeper this season and has performed ably enough to be trusted with that role again, while Rudiger will marshal a defence likely to include Thiago Silva and Andreas Christensen, with Azpiliceuta and Marcos Alonso on the sides. Tuchel has used Malang Sarr and Trevor Chalobah a bit this season, though, and may try Hudson Odoi on the left to try and get in behind Trent.
Further up, Jorginho was rested on Tuesday and will probably start next to Kante in midfield after Kovacic went off injured. It’s safe to say the Lukaku experiment has not been a success, so look to Havertz and Mount playing next to one of Werner, Hudson Odoi – both fresh – or Hakim Ziyech, who also hobbled off against Lille.
So what of the reds?
The first name on the teamsheet in more ways than one is Caoimhin Kelleher, who’s been a revelation, looking solid and athletic every time he’s been in goal and who deserves the chance to win his first trophy with us.
Otherwise, we’re looking very strong. Trent and Robbo will likely flank goal machines Van Dijk and Matip. Up front, Salah, Mane and Diaz are all fit, though it currently looks like Jota and Firmino won’t be in the frame to start. Having said that, Minamino’s looked excellent off the bench his season and we all know what Divock can do in big games, so it might not matter.
As for midfield, the probable first choice is Hendo, Fabinho and Thiago, with Keita a dark horse considering his recent form. Klopp often looks to spring a tactical surprise in these games, which makes Harvey Elliott a possibility to start, and Ox and Milner should also be in the mix. We have nine permitted subs and can make a maximum of five (six if it goes beyond the 90) so both teams will be using the bench.
Regardless of how the teams line up, it’s great to be back at Anfield South after six years. We’ve won a lot but not that much in the domestic cups, and now’s the time to rectify that. No matter how good the team is, these are always special.
« Last Edit: February 27, 2022, 07:27:02 pm by TepidT2O »
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