MY ACCOUNT
Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel suggested Liverpool are slight favourites ahead of the Carabao Cup final, but says it will be a “pleasure” to face off against his compatriot Jurgen Klopp.
Chelsea are facing the Reds in a major final for the third time in their history – excluding the Community Shield and the UEFA Super Cup – with the Blues winning on both previous occasions, 3-2 in the 2005 League Cup final and 2-1 in 2012’s FA Cup showpiece.
But with Liverpool on a run of nine consecutive wins in all competitions and on the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple, Tuchel believes Klopp’s team should be considered slight favourites on Sunday.
The German, 48, said: “I think maybe 50 to 55 per cent, they are the favourites, because of their recent form and their recent results.
“It’s a big challenge, a big occasion, and we feel competitive. It’s a pleasure to meet Jurgen in a final at Wembley. We are very grateful for the chance.
“Playing against teams coached by Jurgen is not only about pleasure, because they give you a very hard time!
“But we have things to draw on, we have experienced tight matches against Liverpool, I think the last three were draws.
“That won’t happen this time, there will be a winner somehow, but we know what it takes in a tough match against them, and we feel confident that we have what it takes.
“It’s the same for them, and it’s nice to have a match like this in a final.”
Sunday’s outing will represent Chelsea’s ninth final appearance in the competition’s history, and the Blues have won the League Cup on five occasions, with only Manchester City and Liverpool (both eight) posting more triumphs.
Tuchel was also asked about the condition of striker Romelu Lukaku, who was dropped for Chelsea’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Lille, after he managed just seven touches in a 1-0 Premier League win over Crystal Palace.
The Blues boss questioned whether too much focus has been placed on Lukaku in recent weeks and refused to engage with speculation that he was unsettled.
Asked about the Belgium striker, Tuchel said: “I would say [he has been] good, like everybody else.
“You know, I know, he’s an important player, if you pay a lot of money these days for one single player there’s a lot of focus on the player. Sometimes it’s not fair, sometimes it’s a bit too much.
“I did not read the headlines. This is maybe the best thing to do. I trust my players and their focus.
“What other choice is there? There is no transfer period right now and everybody is hugely involved in the goals that we want to achieve together.
“The truth is we can only achieve them together, and we can only achieve them with a strong Romelu, a strong Jorginho, a strong everybody.”
