Liverpool and Chelsea meet again on Sunday in a repeat of the 2022 Carabao Cup final, but plenty has changed since then for those in blue.
In fact, it's pretty much been all change at Stamford Bridge. Thomas Tuchel, the man in charge back then, has long gone. As is his replacement, Graham Potter. Mauricio Pochettino is Chelsea's current head coach but the winds of change have also blown beyond the dugout.
Roman Abramovich's 19-year premiership was brought to an abrupt halt just months after Liverpool bested their old rivals in a penalty shootout at Wembley. Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired the Londoners and have since splurged over £1billion on new players - but they've not got much to show for their investment so far.
After a disappointing 2022/23 campaign, Chelsea's fortunes have yet to significantly improve under the guidance of Pochettino, who has the Blues in mid-table - a far cry from the Chelsea teams of old who won Premier League titles, domestic trophies and even European honours in recent years.
Jurgen Klopp, who could be participating in his final match at Wembley ahead of his summer departure, summed up the shift in mentality at the club under the new regime last April while praising the work done by Frank Lampard in his first spell at Stamford Bridge. He appeared to suggest that expectations have eased somewhat since then.
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He said: “I have to say, I really thought Frank did a really good job at Chelsea, I really liked how they played. Chelsea, at the time, they were a club with massive expectations, so you can be first, second, third, not win the Champions League or whatever, with the old ownership, you were out of a job. Thomas (Tuchel) obviously came there, it was a good decision for Chelsea, but I really like what he did with Chelsea.”
While the new Chelsea regime have proven themselves to be just as ruthless as Abramovich after axing both Tuchel and Potter, they are still awaiting that elusive first trophy. It could, of course, on Sunday if they can extract a measure of revenge on Liverpool.
Join the debate! Who do you think will win the Carabao Cup final? Let us know here.
Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital acquired Chelsea back in May 2022 (Dan Weir / MatchDay Images Limited)Not only did the 2022 Carabao Cup final need a penalty shootout to separate the two sides, even said symphony of spot-kicks went down to the wire. In the end it was Blues goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga who sent his attempt into orbit to hand Liverpool victory.
But this time around, Liverpool are top of the Premier League and in far better nick than their old rivals from the capital. Klopp insists his team are not favourites - Pochettino isn't so sure.
“He’s (Klopp) one of the best, with Pep (Guardiola), coaches in the world. He’s clever enough. He knows when you arrive in a final, always some circumstances can happen,” Pochettino said in his pre-match press conference.
“For me Liverpool are the favourites because after eight (nine) years (of Klopp) they have the experience to compete like a team and be involved in different finals. For many of our players they are not only new in this competition, but also the Premier League. For some of them it is going to be their first final. In my opinion, he’s clever enough to say it is 50-50. But are Liverpool favourites? For sure.”
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