Liverpool won’t have an advantage in the EFL Cup final vs Chelsea, after all. The Reds lost it as their Leeds United fixture got a new date.
Liverpool didn’t play a Boxing Day fixture this year, with their game against Leeds United postponed because of Covid-19 cases. That game now has a new date, though – February 23rd.
And that might actually be mildly frustrating for Liverpool as it comes in the week before the Carabao Cup final vs Chelsea. The Reds did have an eight-day break before the final but that’s now cut down to just four days.
It strips them of what would have been a noteworthy advantage against Chelsea. The Blues have always had a fixture in that week, taking on Lille in the UEFA Champions League on February 22nd. Thomas Tuchel’s team now actually have an extra day’s rest compared to Liverpool.
Liverpool lose Carabao Cup final advantage
Going into the final with a full week of rest would have been a fantastic blessing. The fact Chelsea wouldn’t have had such a luxury put Liverpool into a wonderful position for the final – a clear advantage over their rivals that could have made a difference.
Instead, both sides will now need to put out strong XIs in the week before the final. That is far from ideal and now Jurgen Klopp needs to figure out the right rotation here.
There’s a title race, after all, and Liverpool can’t afford to drop points vs Leeds. They also can’t afford to exhaust their players ahead of their shot at early silverware.
Honestly, it feels like that postponement has really come back to bite Liverpool. At the time, it was a great thing as the intense Christmas schedule had a reprieve. Heading into the EFL Cup final with proper rest, though, would have been perfect.
Liverpool will adapt, of course, but they’ve lost their advantage.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
