Chelsea vs Liverpool Prediction And Betting Tips

Chelsea take on Liverpool in this year's EFL Cup final at Wembley. Both sides will be desperate to get their hands on the first available trophy this season, in what is a repeat of the 2022 final.

• Both Teams to Score @ -182 with FanDuel
• Over 2.5 goals @ -148 with Paddy FanDuel
• Liverpool to win @ -154 with FanDuel

These odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

• Date: 25/02/24
• Start time: 3:00 PM EST
• Venue: Wembley

This year will see a new team lift the EFL Cup as Chelsea and Liverpool face off. Both sides have had very different seasons so far, with Liverpool fighting for the Premier League title and Chelsea currently in 10th place. The Reds lead the league but are locked in a battle with Arsenal and Manchester City. Mauricio Pochettino, a well-respected manager who previously led Tottenham Hotspur, has been trying to turn things around for Chelsea after a rough season. A cup win could be a big boost for their morale.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp recently announced he'll be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, and this is his first chance to secure a trophy before he goes. His team started their EFL Cup run in the third round, facing Leicester City at Anfield. After falling behind early, they came back with goals from Cody Gakpo, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Diogo Jota. They then faced Bournemouth and Newcastle, with both matches going down to the wire. A comfortable win against West Ham set up a semi-final with Fulham, which Liverpool won 3-2 on aggregate.

Chelsea, on the other hand, entered a round earlier and faced AFC Wimbledon. They went behind to a penalty but equalized and eventually won the match. They then had two home matches, beating Brighton and Blackburn, before a tough encounter with Newcastle. Just as it seemed they were heading for a defeat, Mykhailo Mudryk scored a dramatic equalizer in the 92nd minute, sending the game to penalties. Chelsea advanced thanks to a great performance by Djordge Petrovic. Their first away trip came in the first leg of the semi-finals against Middlesbrough, where they lost 1-0. However, they thrashed Boro 6-1 in the return leg to book their place in the final.

There hasn't been much to separate the two teams in recent seasons. Seven of their last eight meetings ended in draws, including four goalless draws in a row. Two of these were cup finals, and Liverpool won both on penalties. Chelsea will be hoping to finally get the better of their rivals this time around. They met twice this season, drawing 1-1 in the opening game and then losing 4-1 to Liverpool at Anfield in late January.

Chelsea Team News

Mauricio Pochettino has a few injury concerns to monitor. Central defenders Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile missed the last game, so their status for the match is uncertain. Carney Chukwuemeka injured his ankle in training and may also miss the game. Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, and Lesley Ugochukwu remain out long-term.

Liverpool Team News

Liverpool are dealing with several injuries heading into the final. Defender Trent Alexander-Arnold is out after his previous injury flared up again. Goalkeeper Alisson is questionable after missing the last game with a muscle issue. In their last match, forward Diogo Jota was carried off with a knee injury, while midfielders Curtis Jones and Darwin Nunez also had to be subbed off due to injuries.

Chelsea Form Guide:

In their last five games, Chelsea have won three and lost two. They began this stretch of games with the two defeats, but have recovered well to win three in a row. It started with a 4-1 defeat at this weekend’s opponents, as goals from Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szobozslai and Luis Diaz condemned them to defeat. It got worse the following weekend, as they were crushed 4-2 at home to Wolves. Despite taking the lead, the Blues conceded four straight, including a Matheus Nunes hat-trick, to lose once more.

A change in competition saw them take on Aston Villa at Villa Park in an FA Cup fourth-round replay. It was an excellent response to perhaps their worst week of the season, as they put in a dominant display against a strong team. Conor Gallagher scored his first of the campaign before Nicolas Jackson doubled the score. Enzo Fernandez added a third with an incredible free kick and Moussa Diaby netted a late consolation. A second away win, this time at Crystal Palace, continued their momentum. They went a goal down in the first half, but Gallagher found the net again to equalise. With the game heading for a draw, the ex-Palace man stepped up again to score the winner. Fernandez scored his second in as many games to seal the three points. Their latest outing was an impressive 1-1 draw at Man City, one which they may have been disappointed not to win. Raheem Sterling opened the scoring against his former side, but it was cancelled out by a deflected Rodri strike in the second half.

Liverpool Form Guide:

In their last five games, Liverpool have won four and lost one. They began this stretch of games with a 5-2 win against Norwich to advance to the fifth round of the FA Cup. This preceded the latest meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool, in which the Reds easily came out on top.

Disappointingly, their one defeat came in the most important fixture in this run. In the top of the table clash with Arsenal at the Emirates, they were beaten 3-1. The Gunners had taken an early lead through Bukayo Saka, but a Gabriel Magalhaes own goal in the third minute of stoppage time meant that the teams went into the break on level terms. The game was evenly poised, but a huge defensive mishap between Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson allowed Gabriel Martinelli to put his team in front. As the visitors chased the equaliser in the late stages, Leandro Trossard was able to add a third and put the game to bed.

They soon got back to winning ways, though, as they defeated Burnley 3-1 at Anfield. They were given a scare as the Clarets equalised just before half-time, but goals from Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez won the game. Last weekend, they maintained their lead at the top of the league with a 4-1 win at Brentford. It was a dominant display, and they were rewarded for their start with a fine finish from Nunez to put them a goal up at the half. Further strikes from Alexis Mac Allister, the returning Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo capped off a good afternoon.

Despite the gap in quality between the two sides this season, there will not be much to split them. However, Liverpool should have too much for an inconsistent Chelsea side. We predict: Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool

you can watch Chelsea vs Liverpool this Sunday on the Peacock Network (An NBC live-streaming Platform)