Fulham 1-1 Liverpool (2-3 on aggregate)
by Layth Yousif
at Craven Cottage

LIVERPOOL made it through to their 14th League Cup final after quelling a late rally at Craven Cottage.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will now face Chelsea at Wembley next month after a 1-1 draw against Fulham on Wednesday evening.

The hard-fought result saw the Merseysiders through to the showpiece final at the national stadium, after winning through 3-2 on aggregate against the Cottagers.

Luis Diaz’s early goal put Liverpool in control early on before Issa Diop levelled to set up a grandstand finish with 14 minutes remaining, but despite late pressure from Marco Silva’s side, the Reds will now face their old foes from SW6 on February 25 for the first silverware of the domestic season. 

In a lively opening on the banks of the River Thames, Darwin Nunez cut inside to test Fulham keeper Bernd Leno. Fulham then swept up the field to the Putney End for Raul Jimenez that Caoimhin Kelleher turned away.

If, from the resulting corner, Joao Palhina had fired high into the net, rather than high over Kelleher’s bar, pressure could have been applied to Klopp’s side. Especially with the way the veteran Willian targeted Reds’ young Conor Bradley in the opening stages. 

But could’ve/should’ve/would’ve make a poor line of attack, and Liverpool survived to flourish moments later when going 1-0 up through Luis Diaz’s near post strike. A goal that Fulham keeper Leno really should have kept out on 11 minutes.

Fulham fans sang: “Stand up if you still believe,” but at 3-1 down on aggregate you felt the match had all but lost its lustre as a contest.

In a clash that never really ignited in front of 24,320, including a needless plethora of black and white plastic flags that punters were (loudly) encouraged to wave before kick-off — presumably in a fearsome bid to unsettle Klopp’s mighty Reds — a Liverpool side shorn of Mohamed Salah and Trent-Alexander-Arnold displayed character and hard work to get over the line. 

Of course, the manufactured “intimidation” failed completely, for there is something utterly inauthentic about organised spontaneity at sporting occasions. 

The flags were briefly raised on 76 minutes when Diop touched the ball past Kelleher, after good work from Harry Wilson and Andreas Pereira — who had earlier hit the post when he should have scored — as the home crowd stirred briefly. 

However, nine-times winners Liverpool were far too streetwise to be unnerved, once Kelleher had turned away Wilson’s long-range shot moments after the leveller.

Not least because Klopp once again showed his in-game management by immediately moving to a back-three — inserting Ibrahima Konate to partner Jarell Quansah and the majestic Virgil Van Dijk in the centre of defence — while injecting fresh legs into the midfield by using 18-year-old Bobby Clark to shield the backline. It was a lesson in how to control a game, and as the clock ticked down, so too did Fulham’s fervour. 

Speaking after the match, Klopp said generously: “Fulham did everything and they threw everything on the pitch.

“We expected they would come out of the blocks and we were ready for them. 

“We had to show the outside world that we wanted it as much as they did.”

Previewing the final against Chelsea — whom Liverpool beat twice on penalties in domestic cup finals in 2022, Klopp added: “[Wembley] stadium is going to be blue and red.

“It is a good one. Going though is special. You can never take these things for granted.”