With only two minutes of extra time remaining on Sunday, it looked as though Liverpool and Chelsea were headed for a third consecutive penalty shootout in a final with the score at 0-0. 

That was until Virgil van Dijk rose to head home the winner from a corner kick to secure the club’s 10th Carabao Cup triumph, his first trophy as Liverpool captain. 

The result felt like a win not just for Liverpool, but for football as well. 

The Reds may have had their hand forced by the injury crisis facing the club at the moment, but they finished the final with six academy players on the pitch. 

In contrast with a Chelsea side that has reached unprecedented levels of spending in the past couple of years, Liverpool’s ability to find a way to the finish line with such a young group spoke volumes about the state of both clubs. 

There are still signs of encouragement as the Blues produced a higher xG than Liverpool, but their inability to finish any of their chances created has been their story all season. 

Chelsea have some serious injury woes of their own, but it’s difficult to overlook the financial muscles they’ve flexed since their 2022 takeover by American businessman Todd Boehly. 

With Chelsea floating in mid-table with 13 games remaining, winning the Carabao Cup would have been a milestone for Mauricio Pochettino to lay down for the club’s ambitious project. 

Now it’s about keeping their slim hopes of qualifying for Europe alive, while Liverpool look to win the Premier League, FA Cup, and Europa League. 

It’s the tale of two very different seasons.