Liverpool and Chelsea head to Wembley to play in the Carabao Cup final this weekend and Jurgen Klopp has decided to downplay his team’s chances of lifting their first silverware of the season.
The Anfield outfit are currently sitting at the top of the Premier League table and so far they have lost just four games this season. Two defeats have come in the EPL and the remaining two have come in the Europa League.
Chelsea, on the other hand, are a complete mess this season and after 25 matches the Blues have managed to secure just 35 points. They have lost 10 league games already and even after spending crazily during the summer window, Pochettino cannot create a winning team.
On paper, Liverpool are very much the favourites to win on Sunday but Jurgen Klopp feels this one is going to be a much closer tie.
“Will we be big favourites? Definitely not,” Klopp said after the win against Luton Town. “Since we [last] played [Chelsea], they have improved a lot and it will be tricky.”
Liverpool are in red-hot form right now and they go into the final losing just one out of their previous 15 outings which came against Arsenal, a few weeks ago. However, it’s Chelsea’s form that could be the game-changer on Sunday because the Blues have some wind in their sails.
The last time these two sides met was at the end of January and Liverpool won that match 4-1 but since then, Poch’s team have suffered just a single defeat.
Chelsea have scored nine goals since the defeat to Liverpool and their biggest confidence booster will be their draw against Manchester City last weekend. The Blues held Pep’s Man City to a 1-1 draw at home and after that win, Liverpool will have to be really careful on Sunday.
The Anfield outfit have an xG of 62 which is the best in the league but Chelsea also have an xG of 50 and that’s the fifth-best this season. It’s the goals conceded that has been a problem for Pochettino’s team and if the Argentine can sort that out then Liverpool will have their work cut out on Sunday.
The London outfit have conceded a staggering 41 goals while Liverpool have let slip only 25 league goals and that’s less than one goal per match.
Liverpool will undoubtedly enter the Carabao Cup final with immense confidence. However, they mustn’t underestimate Chelsea in this one-off encounter because the Blues will throw the kitchen sink at Jurgen Klopp’s team.
Stats courtesy Whoscored and Understat
