Player ratings as Van Dijk settles Carabao Cup final in extra-time

FROM WEMBLEY STADIUM – Liverpool beat Chelsea 1-0 in the Carabao Cup final thanks to an extra-time winner from Virgil van Dijk.

The Reds and the Blues seemed destined to draw a third successive domestic cup final without any goals before the Dutchman headed home from the latest of corners at Wembley.

Jurgen Klopp’s side finished the match with plenty of young academy graduates on the pitch and they did incredibly well to outlast Chelsea, who are still looking for their first trophy in the BlueCo era.

How the game unfolded

The first half chance of the game fell Liverpool’s way when Axel Disasi slipped while in poossession, surrendering the ball to Cody Gakpo. He teed up Luis Diaz just inside the penalty area, but he was only able to bring a low save out of Djordje Petrovic.

Despite being penned in for the opening stages, Chelsea went incredibly close to going in front midway through the first half. A clever ball over the top from Moises Caicedo released Conor Gallagher, who found Raheem Sterling in the box. He was nipped of possession by Conor Bradley, though the ball fell kindly for Cole Palmer to hit at close range, but Caoimhin Kelleher came up with a top save to deny him.

Chelsea thought they had indeed taken the lead just after the half hour mark when Nicolas Jackson rolled the ball on a plate for Sterling to tap in, only for the offside flag to go up against the Senegal forward. After a lengthy VAR check, Jackson was ruled ever so marginally ahead of Ibrahima Konate when making his initial run and the goal remained chalked off.

Liverpool struck the post through Gakpo when he rose highest to meet a teasing cross from Andrew Robertson as both sides pushed for an opening goal before the half-time break.

Another quick Reds counter saw Diaz find Conor Bradley, whose goal-bound strike was blocked by Conor Gallagher and the two sides went into the break without anything to split them.

Chelsea spurned another glorious opportunity after the restart when Jackson carried the ball into the Liverpool box and cut it back for Enzo Fernandez, but he couldn’t sort his feet out and the Reds were able to clear their lines.

With an hour on the clock, Liverpool thought they went in front. Robertson’s wicked free-kick in from the left was placed perfectly onto the head of Virgil van Dijk, who rose above Ben Chilwell and found the far-hand corner. However, Wataru Endo was judged offside and interfering with the set play, so the goal was controversially ruled out following a VAR…