Virgil van Dijk’s header secured a thrilling Carabao Cup final victory for Liverpool over Chelsea at Wembley. Despite having several key players sidelined, including Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota, Liverpool emerged triumphant in the dramatic clash.

The match saw intense action, with van Dijk’s header controversially ruled out for offside on the hour mark. However, there was no denying Liverpool in extra time when van Dijk nodded home from Kostas Tsimikas’ corner in the 118th minute.

Chelsea, enduring their sixth successive Wembley final defeat, missed several scoring opportunities throughout the game, including Conor Gallagher’s denied efforts and a disallowed goal by Raheem Sterling.

Liverpool’s goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher stood out with remarkable saves, including blocking attempts from Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher. Chelsea’s Djordje Petrovic also made crucial stops, denying Liverpool’s teenage substitute Jayden Danns and Harvey Elliott.

The tense encounter ended with Liverpool clinching their 10th Carabao Cup title, leaving Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino still pursuing his first trophy in England. 

The victory marked the first step in Liverpool’s potential quadruple under manager Jurgen Klopp’s farewell season.