Thomas Tuchel has gotten the better of some of the best coaches in the world during his first 12 months as Chelsea manager. He beat former Blues boss Antonio Conte three times within the course of a month recently, bested Pep Guardiola several times last season — including in the Champions League final — as well as victories over Zinedine Zidane, José Mourinho and Diego Simeone.
It must be said that it is quite the list. In fact, Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp is also yet to get the better of his German compatriot thus far. Chelsea beat Liverpool 1-0 at Anfield in their first meeting last March, with a Mason Mount strike inflicting more pain on the Reds during a tough spell, but there has been nothing to separate the two old foes since — with a 1-1 draw at Anfield earlier in the season followed by a 2-2 result at Stamford Bridge on January 2nd.
The biggest clash between the German duo is perhaps only around the corner though! Chelsea and Liverpool are set to reignite their bitter rivalry in the League Cup final at Wembley later this month, and on current form it is no surprise that the Merseyside outfit are the slight favourites to win in the football odds.
However, with Tuchel’s job looking in greater danger with every passing game, it could be crucial that Chelsea keep the League Cup trophy in London on February 27th — adding a sixth triumph in the domestic competition to their roll of honours. So, with that in mind, let’s take a look at how the Blues can beat Liverpool in the final…
Rediscover their defensive resilience
One of the keys to success for Tuchel in his first six months at the Stamford Bridge helm was his side’s astute defending. Chelsea were watertight at the back for the latter half of last season, a trait that was influential in their 1-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League final as they kept Pep Guardiola’s usually rampant side at bay in Porto.
While they still have the third best defensive record thus far in the Premier League, the Blues’ defence has looked far from as reliable, with goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who was a brick wall between the sticks last season, even making the odd mistake here and there.
Liverpool ripped Chelsea apart in the first 30 minutes at Stamford Bridge last month, and while they let their guard drop as the hosts amazingly salvaged a point, Tuchel’s men will want to be more defensively solid this time around as Liverpool won’t make the same mistakes at Wembley.
Romelu Lukaku needs to find his shooting boots
In Didier Drogba, Chelsea knew they had a player they could rely on in cup finals and big occasions. After all, his record at Wembley was impeccable. However, with the exception of Diego Costa, who helped guide the west London side to their last League Cup success in 2015, the Blues have struggled to fill the Ivorian’s goalscoring void.
£100m was forked out to bring Romelu Lukaku back to the club from Inter Milan in the summer, but after starting his second stint at the Bridge well, the Belgian has left a lot to be desired and Tuchel and the Chelsea fans were seething with an unsolicited interview with Sky Italia.
The 28-year-old has scored just four goals in his last 20 games in all competitions, but all involved with the club will still have faith that he will bring his shooting boots to Wembley later this month.
Win the midfield battle
As we have seen plenty of times already this season, Liverpool’s midfielders are influential in Jürgen Klopp’s philosophy. Fabinho’s main job is to sit in front of the centre-backs and help make them more resolute defensively, but the former Monaco man has turned into a goalscoring threat in recent weeks — scoring an unprecedented four times since the turn of the new year. With his eye for a killer pass, Jordan Henderson is, of course, a real danger on the ball, as well.
To win the midfield battle, Chelsea’s midfielders will need to furiously press their counterparts — which shouldn’t be too much of an issue for the likes of Matteo Kovačić, Jorginho and Kanté. But when faced with that kind of opposition, Liverpool are not afraid to play longer balls from the back to their attacking trio, that’s where Chelsea could be caught out in an aggressive, pressing style. Chelsea arguably have the better midfield on paper, but whether they can contain Liverpool’s remains to be seen.
