Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Carabao Cup final result after Kepa misses crucial penalty in shoot-out

12 mins: Thomas Tuchel spoke before the game about having pace up top and so far it’s working for Chelsea. Kai Havertz has been sharp on the ball and isn’t afraid to take on Trent Alexander-Arnold or cut inside to run at Joel Matip.

Thiago Silva seems to have taken a knock. He’s gone down and needs cheking over by the physios. This would be a big miss for Chelsea if he can’t continue.

9 mins: Chelsea have started as the better team. They’re pushing high up the pitch, right up against the Liverpool back line. Marcos Alonso plays the ball wide to the left and sends Mason Mount free alongside the box. He whips in a cross but Jordan Henderson is back to head it clear.

6 mins: Mo Salah attempts to weave his way into the right side of the penalty area but runs into trouble and has to pass to ball back to Fabinho. He slides a through ball over to the right wing where Trent Alexander-Arnold drills a low cross into the box that Antonio Rudiger clears.

Save! Chelsea work the ball up to Kai Havertz who darts inside from the left and slips the ball over to Cesar Azpilicueta in the right side of the area. He threads the ball into the six-yard box where Christian Pulisic meets it with a first time shot only for Caoimhin Kelleher to keep it out from close range! Great save from the Liverpool man!

3 mins: Virgil van Dijk sends a clearance up the pitch towards Luis Diaz who leans into Trevoh Chalobah and tries to win a free kick. The defender clears the ball though and referee Stuart Attwell lets play go on.

Both teams are trying to find their feet in the game, stringing together a few passes and challenging for the ball in the middle of the pitch.

Kick off: Jordan Henderson gets the 2022 Carabao Cup final underway and Liverpool win a throw in over on the left wing. Andy Robertson chucks it down the line and Cesar Azpilicueta knocks it out again deeper in his own half. N’Golo Kante then intercepts the ball and Chelsea look to build an attack of their own.

Four of Liverpool’s last five League Cup finals went into extra time, with the only exception in this run their 2-0 win after 90 minutes against Manchester United in the 2002-03 final in Cardiff.

Here come the players. Both captains come out onto the pitch carrying wreaths in support of the people of Ukraine. There is an annoucement of unity and solidarity for Ukraine with applause breaking out around the stadium and the Ukrainian flags being raised.

Thiago Alcantara has been injured in the warm-up and is replaced in the Liverpool starting XI by Naby Keita. Harvey Elliott has been brought onto the bench as well.

The only two players to start all five Chelsea matches in this season’s Carabao Cup are Malang Sarr and Kepa Arrizabalaga but neither starts in the line-up today.

Mason Mount also played in all five of those fixtures.

Even if Chelsea leave Wembley today with the League Cup and beat Liverpool in the final, they will depart the stadium with a sense of ‘this is what you could have had.’ What they could have had is Mohamed Salah, who is worth significantly more than English football’s secondary domestic cup.

The Egyptian spent 12 months at Stamford Bridge eight years ago after signing for the London club from Basel. In truth, Chelsea did not really want him back in 2014. He was bought in part because Juan Mata was unexpectedly sold to Manchester United and a replacement was needed to bolster the squad. The other reason was to keep him away from Anfield. Liverpool wanted him badly.