3 key battles in the EFL Cup final

Time Stamp: February 26, 2022 2:30 AM

Chelsea have the chance to add more silverware to their recent Club World Cup glory this weekend, with Liverpool aiming to stop the Blues in their tracks at Wembley.

The congested schedule means both sides had their build-up to the big game affected by midweek action, with Liverpool facing Leeds United in the Premier League and Chelsea taking on Lille in the first leg of their Champions League knockout tie.

Thomas Tuchel and Jurgen Klopp will have been making their plans for the cup final for weeks, though, with these key battles likely to be decisive in who is celebrating on Sunday.

 

Romelu Lukaku v Virgil van Dijk

Tuchel has a big decision to make in attack, with Lukaku having struggled badly for form of late.

The big Belgian has appeared to be an uneasy fit for Tuchel’s system and five goals from 17 Premier League appearances is a poor return given the club-record fee paid to sign him from Inter. Lukaku only touched the ball seven times in Chelsea’s weekend win at Crystal Palace, leaving Tuchel mystified by the ÂŁ97.5 million striker becoming an increasingly peripheral figure.

Tuchel might even be tempted to leave Lukaku out, having benched him for the 2-0 defeat of Lille on Tuesday night, but it would be a huge call to drop the striker for a cup final, even if he would be going up against arguably the world’s finest defender.

Van Dijk took time to recapture top form after being out for injured for nearly a year, but the Netherlands international now seems to be back to his best. Lukaku missed the 2-2 draw between the sides in January, but Van Dijk had the upper hand when they shared the points at Anfield in the early weeks of the Premier League campaign. If Tuchel opts not to use Lukaku, Kai Havertz would likely play up front, providing a very different puzzle for Van Dijk to solve.

 

Cesar Azpilicueta v Mohamed Salah

Chelsea captain Azpilicueta is likely to be the man charged with stopping Salah, with Reece James’ long-term injury meaning the Spaniard is back in as Chelsea’s usual right wing-back.

Even though what seems to be a stalemate over contract talks hangs over Salah, it has not affected his form with the Egyptian superstar scoring 25 goals for the Reds so far this season. While Salah was left gutted by Egypt’s defeat in the Africa Cup of Nations final to Sadio Mane’s Senegal, he has bounced back in style with typical style and panache since returning to Anfield.

Azpilicueta is not the quickest but the veteran defender has outstanding positional sense and he rarely lets his concentration slip either. Salah will be poised to punish any mental lapses from Azpilicueta, whose future is also shrouded in mystery as his contract expires in the summer.

 

Jorginho v Fabinho

Two of Europe’s top defensive midfielders will try to wrest control over Wembley’s famously vast open spaces on Sunday. For Chelsea, Jorginho has become the man who makes the Blues tick, providing a metronomic midfield presence with his precise passing ensuring his side can retain possession. It is likely Klopp will ask Roberto Firmino to drop deep and try to disrupt Jorginho’s rhythm, assuming Diogo Jota is not fit enough to challenge the Brazilian for his place in attack.

Fabinho operates as more of a destroyer in the middle of the park for Liverpool but, as well as being one of the world’s finest proponents of the tactical foul, the Brazil international is also quietly in the middle of the hottest scoring streak of his career to date with a string of strikes.

The 28-year-old netted twice in the FA Cup against Shrewsbury Town last month and has already scored three times in the Premier League in 2022. Chipping in with the only goal in a recent 1-0 win at Burnley showed Fabinho has an unerring habit of delivering in key moments.

 

Marcos Alonso v Trent Alexander-Arnold

Ben Chilwell being out injured long-term means Alonso is expected to start on the left side of Chelsea’s defence, where he gets the tough task of cutting off Liverpool’s creative supply line.

Alexander-Arnold might be yet to make a place in the England team his own, but the 23-year-old is having another magnificent campaign for the Reds. Alexander-Arnold has delivered 10 assists in the Premier League already – more than anyone in the competition – with his wand of a right foot increasingly the major weapon in Liverpool’s attacking armoury.

Alonso’s threat in the final third cannot be forgotten about, though. The Spain international came up with an extra time winner against Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup recently and he will ensure Alexander-Arnold has plenty of defensive duties to think about at Wembley. Both men are also set piece experts and that could be crucial in what is expected to be a tactical battle on Sunday.

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