Jamie Carragher: The game didn’t deserve extra time. Virgil van Dijk’s goal was not offside. Watch and tell us your view.

Klopp’s young squad savors success while Chelsea’s struggles at Wembley persist. In the EFL Cup final, Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute header secured a 1-0 triumph for a youthful Liverpool team over Chelsea. This victory marked Jürgen Klopp’s first instance of lifting the same trophy twice among the seven individual accolades he has earned with the Reds.

While Chelsea sought to kickstart Mauricio Pochettino’s tenure, Liverpool aimed to initiate their trophy-laden swansong season for Klopp. The match began nervously, given the high stakes, but Liverpool quickly adapted, with a Luis Díaz header saved by Đorđe Petrović and subsequent attempts denied. Despite Liverpool’s dominance, Caoimhín Kelleher made a superb save in the 20th minute, keeping Cole Palmer’s effort at bay.

Klopp’s frustration grew when Ryan Gravenberch left the field in the 28th minute due to a challenge from Moisés Caicedo. Chelsea’s disappointment followed as an offside decision negated Raheem Sterling’s goal. The Blues showed improvement, but Liverpool had scares with Cody Gakpo hitting the post and Levi Colwill blocking Conor Bradley’s attempt before the break.

The second half saw Van Dijk’s disallowed goal and Conor Gallagher’s missed opportunities, hitting the post and being denied by Kelleher. Christopher Nkunku’s attempt in added time kept the sides level, setting the stage for penalties. However, Van Dijk’s late header broke the deadlock, securing Liverpool’s record 10th EFL Cup title and handing Chelsea their sixth consecutive cup final defeat at Wembley, three of which came against Klopp’s side.