Reds’ Route to Wembley: Liverpool’s Journey to the EFL Cup Final
Ahead of Sunday’s EFL Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the Reds’ route to Wembley.
For the third time in the history of the EFL Cup, Liverpool and Chelsea will fight for the right to walk up the Wembley steps and lift the trophy aloft in Sunday’s tantalising final. Bidding to take the first step towards an unprecedented quadruple in Jurgen Klopp’s farewell campaign, Liverpool already have a record nine EFL Cup titles glistening in the cabinet, and Sunday’s game will also mark an unrivalled 14th appearance in the trophy match for the Merseyside giants.
Also competing for FA Cup and Europa League stardom alongside their Premier League feats, Liverpool head south on a three-game winning streak in the top flight, notching 11 goals while putting Brentford, Burnley and Luton Town to the sword.
Third round – Liverpool 3-1 Leicester City
For the second time in the space of two seasons, Liverpool would be forced to navigate a Leicester City-sized test to progress in the FA Cup, having emerged victorious on penalties after a 3-3 draw in the 2021-22 last 16. Enzo Maresca’s Foxes silenced the Kop with just three minutes on the board, but Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Dominik Szoboszlai found the mark in the second period to send the Reds through to round four.
Fourth round – Bournemouth 1-2 Liverpool
Eight months on from their excruciating 1-0 Premier League loss to Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, Liverpool would weather another South Coast storm – albeit a weather-related one – on the Cherries’ turf in the fourth round. Gakpo and Darwin Nunez found the net to seal a 2-1 victory for the Reds.
Quarter-final – Liverpool 5-1 West Ham United
The travelling West Ham United faithful had a few reasons for optimism, but a second-half onslaught from the Merseyside giants saw Curtis Jones, Gakpo and Mohamed Salah all contribute to the decimation of the Hammers.
Semi-final – Liverpool 3-2 Fulham (agg)
Only a month on from sharing seven goals with Fulham during an extraordinary Premier League showdown, 180 minutes with the Cottagers – who had already sent fellow Merseyside foes Everton packing in the quarters – would stand in the way of Liverpool and another Wembley date. Goals from Jones, Gakpo and Nunez saw the Reds reach the final.
“Bidding to take the first step towards an unprecedented quadruple in Jurgen Klopp’s farewell campaign, Liverpool already have a record nine EFL Cup titles glistening in the cabinet, and Sunday’s game will also mark an unrivalled 14th appearance in the trophy match for the Merseyside giants.”
Sports Mole, February 24, 2023
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