2024 EFL Cup Final Tips
There’s a cracking EFL Cup final showdown between Chelsea and Liverpool on Sunday and Wembley is braced for what should be a terrific tussle.
Liverpool will be brimming with confidence after their 4-1 hammering of Luton on Wednesday, but Chelsea have had a clear week to prepare for the EFL Cup clash and that could make all the difference.
The Reds will be hoping to add more silverware to Jurgen Klopp’s collection before the German departs at the end of the season, while Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino will be out to claim his first trophy in English football.
Selection: Chelsea to win in 90 minutes, Over 2.5 goals & Wataru Endo to be shown a card - 12/1
High-scoring Chelsea victory can land a 12/1 bet builder
Liverpool are sitting top of the Premier League table, and a massive 25 points ahead of tenth-placed Chelsea, but the Blues are not without hope of turning the Reds over at Wembley on Sunday.
Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alisson all missed Liverpool’s game with Luton on Wednesday, and while Salah and Nunez may return, there is a huge chunk of quality missing from Klopp’s squad.
The Reds trailed Luton until half-time at Anfield, and although that contest ended in a comfortable victory from the Merseyside men, the EFL Cup final comes just four days later and Chelsea have the advantage of a clear week.
The Blues have twice avoided defeat against the champions Man City this season, they were the better side in a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on the opening weekend of the Premier League season and they also performed extremely well in a 2-2 contest with Arsenal.
Those performances suggest Pochettino’s men can compete with the best sides domestically and the Blues look a value selection in a three-leg bet builder.
There have been 36 goals in Liverpool's last eight matches and the free-flowing Reds only have attack on their mind, regardless of the competition or opposition, while Chelsea have seen the net bulge 28 times in their last seven games and there have been seven goals in the two meetings between the Reds and Blues this term.
The EFL Cup is a big prize, but it doesn’t carry the prestige of the Premier League or Champions League and that should allow both sides to play with freedom at Wembley. Going over 2.5 goals looks a solid bet builder second leg.
Complete the three-part bet by punting on Wataru Endo to be shown a card. Endo is the only real defensive presence in Liverpool’s midfield and the Japanese international is asked to do a lot without the ball.
The 31-year-old has been shown seven yellow cards in his last 11 Premier League appearances for the Reds and an EFL Cup final caution could follow.