Jurgen Klopp is starting to play mind games ahead of the Carabao Cup final by saying that Liverpool will not be the favorites against Chelsea.
Liverpool will face Chelsea in a rematch of the 2022 final, which Liverpool won on penalties after a goalless draw in regular time. Liverpool is currently in great form, leading the Premier League by four points over Manchester City. Many people expect Liverpool to win against Chelsea again. However, Chelsea has only won 10 games this season and is in 10th place in the table, which is below their usual standards. Despite this, Klopp thinks that Mauricio Pochettino‘s Chelsea could still be a threat to his team, especially considering Liverpool’s injuries.
Klopp told BBC Sport: “Will we be big favourites? Definitely not. Since we played them (Chelsea) they have improved a lot and it will be tricky, this was exceptional tonight.”
Pressed on whether he had any injury updates, he added: “I don’t even know if these boys can play again. The situation is not great, absolutely not… There are a lot of super important games coming up and we go day by day.”
Since 2021, Liverpool and Chelsea have played against each other eight times, with Liverpool not losing any of those matches. They drew 1-1 on the first day of this year’s season, and last month, Liverpool won 4-1 in the rematch. Liverpool narrowly defeated Fulham in the semi-final, while Chelsea easily beat Middlesborough despite losing the first leg.
Liverpool will face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday, February 25, aiming to secure their first trophy of the season. This final could also mark Klopp’s final season as the manager of Liverpool.
