Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has sent a message to disgruntled Chelsea fans following their Carabao Cup loss to Liverpool at Wembley on Sunday, February 25, 2024.
In a heartfelt message to the Chelsea faithful, Pochettino reminded them that the team was yet to come of age, underscoring the need for exercising patience.
“We are a young team. These players are professional and they are also very competitive, so now we all just need to move forward,” Pochettino said.
Liverpool managed to win the Carabao Cup with a makeshift squad following a string of injuries in their first team, including Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Joel Matip, and Diogo Jota, among others.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp handed 20-year-olds Conor Bradley and Harvey Elliott a starting berth before later introducing Jarell Quansah (21), and teenagers Bobby Clark (19) and James McConnell (19), as well as Jayden Danns (18).
This was the first time a team featured the highest number of teenagers in a League Cup final since Arsenal in 2007. However, Pochettino maintains there is no need for a comparison.
ALSO READ: I am desperate to win a title – Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino
“There’s nothing to compare with Liverpool even if they finished with young players. It is impossible to compare us to Liverpool,” said the Argentinian.
Dutch center-back Virgil Van Dijk, who had a goal chalked off in regulation time, popped up with another at the tail end of extra time to settle the low-scoring final.
The 1-0 defeat meant that Chelsea had lost six successive domestic cup finals. The Blues lost the League Cup final in 2019, 2022, and 2024. They also lost the FA Cup in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
