Efl Cup

The Premier League side suffered a 3-2 penalty shoot-out loss at Bramall Lane after a drab 90 minutes ended goalless.

Defeat continued a poor start to the season for the Blades, who have lost their opening three Premier League games.

They made nine changes for this match, but McCall said none of those players who came in pushed their case.

“A poor flat performance has given us a poor result, there’s no getting away from it,” he said.

“Credit to Lincoln, they made it difficult to play against, but we never moved the ball quick enough and got into areas we wanted to.

“If I’m being honest, we were bored ourselves watching it, we needed more impetus. We didn’t do enough to win the game. It seemed quite flat.

“We have to move on to a huge game on Saturday against Everton.

“There’s no excuses, the side we put out there should perform better. Take nothing away from Lincoln but we were pretty dull.

“We were desperate to win tonight and we put a team out that we believed we could do that.

“We were just boring really, we had no thrust. That is not what we want to be at Bramall Lane. Hugely disappointing throughout the night from start to finish. We can’t afford many of them.”

Lincoln were worthy of victory, which came after Lukas Jensen saved spot-kicks from Louis Marsh and Benie Traore to send his side through.

Boss Mark Kennedy was in philosophical mood after a first victory at Bramall Lane in 40 years.

“There’s only two things human beings fear when they’re born, that’s noise, and falling,” he said. “All the other fear some idiot puts in your head. There’s nothing to fear but fear itself.

“So go and embrace the moment, go and enjoy the day.

“And it’s nights like this that me personally and the players…live for. That’s what you get up for in the morning, win, lose or draw.

“You want to get your head out there, stick your chest out and sometimes you win and the rewards are incredible, the highs are high, the lows are so low, but for me that’s what you get up for, that’s what I come to work for every day.”

The Argentina international intends to build a trophy room at his home and while his victory alongside Lionel Messi in Qatar will take pride of place his first silverware for the club he joined in the summer would still mean a lot to him.

“It will be my first final with Liverpool and first opportunity to win something so it is going to be something very special for me and the team,” he said.

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“I look at it (his World Cup winner’s medal) every single day. That is what it means to me and to the country as well.

“It is the biggest game ever for a football player so it is something that I am really proud of and hopefully next week the Carabao Cup medal can be something I will look at as well.

“My plan is to one day create a little museum at home. I have a replica of the World Cup, the medal and some more trophies – all in a safe place for now – and my plan is to be able to have a place for them where I can always see them.

“When I signed for this club I said I wanted to win trophies, that is what every player wants and that is what I want.

“The World Cup helped me to realise that I really want to win more trophies so it is a big opportunity.”

Mac Allister will come up against former Brighton team-mate Moises Caicedo at Wembley.

The Ecuador international was long-destined for Chelsea but haggling over his transfer fee allowed Liverpool the opportunity to hijack the deal and although their £111million bid was accepted the player held out for a move to Stamford Bridge, which he eventually got for a British record fee of £115m.

As a result Caicedo was booed during last month’s 4-1 defeat at Anfield and while there is no such animosity between the ex-team-mates Mac Allister joked Caicedo’s decision to reject Liverpool was annoying.

“I spoke a little with him. Maybe he hurt me a little bit with what happened in the summer – but is completely fine,” he added.

“It is a personal decision. He is an amazing player and a really good guy and I wish him well.”

Winless in their first five games back in the top flight, Vincent Kompany’s side are enjoying better fortunes in this competition and followed up last month’s victory at Nottingham Forest with a one-sided win over Salford, suffering near the foot of League Two but boasting Cup wins over Leeds and Preston.

Anass Zaroury had a hand in all four goals as Sander Berge, Jacob Bruun Larsen and Dara O’Shea put the result beyond doubt inside the opening half an hour before Wilson Odobert marked his full debut with a late fourth. For all four Burnley scorers, it was their first goal for the club.

It was a welcome flurry from a side who had only scored five goals in six games before this, conceding 14, and puts them into the fourth round for a fourth straight season, although they have not advanced any further since reaching the semi-finals under Owen Coyle in the 2008-09 campaign.

Kompany, who lifted this trophy four times as a player with Manchester City, changed all 11 players from the side beaten 1-0 by Manchester United on Saturday as he juggles his 34-man squad.

But facing a side now on a six-match losing streak, fourth from bottom in the fourth tier and battling a lengthy injury list, there was no surprise in seeing Burnley dominate the ball and quickly take control.

The opening goal was all too easy as Berge, the £15million summer signing from Sheffield United, rose unchallenged to head in Zaroury’s 12th-minute corner.

There was a worry a moment later when Manuel Benson went down awkwardly and immediately signalled for help. The Belgian tried to battle on, and by the time he was eventually replaced by Mike Tresor in the 27th minute, Burnley had scored two more.

First Zaroury lifted a ball through for Bruun Larsen to lob the advancing Salford goalkeeper Alex Cairns.

Then the Moroccan tried to catch out Cairns with a quick free-kick from a tight angle. The keeper stopped the shot but could not hold it, and O’Shea accepted the invite to bundle the ball home.

Tresor had a strike ruled out for offside moments later, while Odobert was inches away from scoring in first-half stoppage time, sending Bruun Larsen’s cross back across the face of goal.

The second half started with Salford right-back Tosin Olapade, released by Burnley in the summer, getting it all wrong trying to clear a Vitinho cross and almost putting the ball into his own net.

Salford then had their best moment when former Northern Ireland international Matty Lund sent Conor McAleny racing through the middle but a combination of Vitinho and O’Shea recovered to make the block.

But the second half was a largely disjointed affair, with Burnley sure of their win and Salford trying to avoid any more damage – something they almost managed to do.

Odobert again went close in the 70th minute, shooting straight at Cairns from a tight angle, but got his goal nine minutes from time when Zaroury picked him out with a cross from the right and he cut back inside before firing into the net.

Pep Guardiola's side are aiming to win the trophy for a fourth consecutive season, returning to Wembley eight days after a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-finals.

The pain of that defeat was compounded by star midfielder De Bruyne hobbling off with an ankle injury, although the problem is not as bad as first feared.

De Bruyne sat out Wednesday's 2-1 win at Aston Villa but resumed work with Guardiola's first-team squad alongside Aguero.

City's all-time record goalscorer has endured a final campaign at the Etihad Stadium beset by knee and hamstring issues after meniscus surgery last June, while he also suffered the effects of coronavirus.

"Both [De Bruyne and Aguero] they are training today," Guardiola said, meaning each man appears to have better prospects than Harry Kane, who was unable to take part in Tottenham's Friday session.

"Today was the first training session after the last two weeks [for Aguero]. Tomorrow he will have the last training session and we are going to decide."

Final successes in the past three campaigns over Arsenal, Chelsea and Villa mean City can become the second team in history after Liverpool between 1981 and 1984 to lift the cup for a fourth season in a row.

However, as was the case in the Chelsea reverse, Guardiola hinted there might be wholesale changes as he casts an eye towards Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain.

"We've said many times. every game must be taken seriously. But the Premier League is the most important competition this season. After that it is the Champions League, the FA Cup and after the Carabao Cup," he said.

"When you play this competition at the beginning of the season when every player is fit, it is perfect to rotate and everybody can be involved.

"We have to play right now in the middle of the decisive part of the season. I would say the Premier League is the first title of the season and the second to qualify for the Champions League – ask all the teams who are fighting to qualify for next season.

"Once we are there and arrive in this position, normally the Carabao Cup is over, but now we are going to play [the final] in the middle part of the important part of the Premier League season. And three days before, like a dream come true at the end [of the season], we play the semi-final of the Champions League."

Guardiola added: "That’s why we have a mix of contradiction; that it's a final we have to win, but we have one eye on the Champions League and one eye on Crystal Palace [in the Premier League next weekend].

"Carabao Cup is nice - we want the four, we will play to win the fourth. But PSG and Palace are there and PSG [in the second leg] is there. We'll see what happens on Sunday."

Delap, who is the son of former Stoke City favourite Rory, was an unused substitute for City's opening 3-1 Premier League win at Wolves.

With Sergio Aguero sidelined due to a knee injury and Gabriel Jesus rested as the only remaining specialist striker in Guardiola's squad, the 17-year-old was handed a start at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

He duly opened the scoring in the 18th minute, showing pace and power to latch on to Phil Foden's throughball and clip a brilliant left-footed finish into the top right corner.

Foden netted the winner 15 minutes from time after Sam Surridge found a quick response to Delap's strike.

Speaking at a post-match news conference, Guardiola pointed to the example of Foden, who also made his debut at 17 but had to be patient in his quest to become a first-team regular.

"We see in training how good a finisher he is," the City manager said of Delap. Now he has to be calm and keep working.

"We are delighted with his performance - he played really well.

"The situation that we have right now is we have just 13 players available in the first team. We need players from the academy, not just in training sessions.

"With the problems we have up front, Liam will stay with us. We'll use him but we cannot forget how we spoke about Phil in previous seasons."

Delap shone brightest in a youthful City line-up, that featured Eric Garcia and Taylor Harwood-Bellis at centre-back, Tommy Doyle in midfield and playmaker Adrian Bernabe at left-back.

The latter endured a miserable outing and left the field on a stretcher before half-time.

Afterwards, attention turned back towards Delap and Guardiola was keen to praise City's academy production line, which churns under the watchful eye of former England winger Jason Wilcox.

"He is just 17, he has a lot of things to improve. They need their own time, we cannot anticipate the process of each young player," he added.

"Congratulations to the academy for all the guys that are involved, scouting to recruit these players and all the managers in the academy.

"At the end I have the finished product, the last steps, but before there are a lot of players working for this. Jason Wilcox is now the boss in the academy who helps us to have these players."

Having stayed in contention for a fourth consecutive EFL Cup success, City host in-form Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday.

Antonio Rudiger scored the only goal of the second leg at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday as the European champions secured a 3-0 aggregate win over their London rivals.

It was a frustrating night for Spurs, who were awarded a penalty in each half by Andre Marriner, but the decisions were both correctly overturned.

Marriner pointed the spot in the first half for a foul by Rudiger on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, but the VAR informed the referee that contact was made outside the box.

The referee then realised he got it wrong again when he took a look on the pitchside monitor after ruling that Lucas Moura had been upended by Kepa Arrizabalaga, who clearly got the ball when he came out to deny the Spurs forward.

Harry Kane then had a goal disallowed for offside following another VAR check and Chelsea saw out another victory to set up a final against Arsenal or Liverpool on February 27. 

Yet Blues boss Tuchel was not impressed with the way his side went about booking another trip to Wembley.

The German told Sky Sports: "I think we started okay, started good. We created big chances, we were in the lead, but we played with fire.

"We allowed chances from easy and sloppy mistakes and we were lucky, almost gave a penalty away for absolutely no reason, from a bit of over-confidence. 

"We started again very well in the second half and the same happened for the last 20-25 minutes. There was a mixture of lack of focus, over-confidence, I don't know. Suddenly we need luck to not have another penalty [awarded against them], to have another VAR decision with a little offside. 

"We can play much better, we need to play much better if we want to really deserve results like this because we did play well over long phases of the match, but we need to do better."

Asked if he was unhappy with the performance, he replied: "Yes, we need to have the standards because that is why we work for Chelsea and we play for Chelsea and nothing else matters.

"It's about our standards and not about getting a result somehow. We can do much better, we can close spaces much better, we can do better defending individually, we can control the match better with less mistakes.

"In any part of the match we can do better and we have to do better."

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool stand in the way of a first trophy since co-owner Todd Boehly bought the club in May 2022 and began a radical overhaul.

The Argentinian is also aiming to win silverware for the first time in England, having been runner-up in this competition to his current club in 2015 while in charge of Tottenham.

And he pointed to the example of his opposite number on Sunday as a coach who enjoyed a strong reputation even before his first trophy win.

Klopp defeated Pochettino’s Spurs in the 2019 Champions League final almost four years into his Anfield reign, having missed out on the previous year’s Premier League title by a single point to Manchester City.

“I think it’s not going to increase my popularity or the way the fans are going to see us,” said Pochettino on his team’s prospects on Sunday.

“Klopp was good before he arrived at Liverpool. He had three or four years that he didn’t win. Now he’s won the Champions League and the Premier League.

“I don’t judge a coach or coaching staff for winning titles. It’s about being competitive and winning, but there are too many factors that influence.

“If you have good player, you should be close to winning. Maybe everyone will say you’re the best coach in the world. But everyone knows it’s not like this.

“The thing is to be in the right moment, in the right club that trusts in you with the tools and the possibility to win.

“Some fans will say you’re not good because you didn’t win. For me, it’s not the way to judge a coaching staff.”

Chelsea’s indifferent season has taken on a new complexion after three impressive away performances.

Consecutive 3-1 wins at Aston Villa in the FA Cup and Crystal Palace in the league were followed by a fine 1-1 draw against champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium a week ago.

Prior to that, the team were booed off by supporters at the end of their most recent home fixture, a 4-2 loss to Wolves at Stamford Bridge, days after they were thrashed 4-1 at Anfield.

Pochettino believes that, regardless of Sunday’s result, he is already held in high esteem in England.

“I feel the respect from the football people in this country,” he said. “I really appreciate it, because after five years in Spain and then in France, I feel the competition here – the Premier League, the fans, how people live football.

“It’s a perfect organisation to enjoy my job. It’s my passion to be involved in the game that we love.

“But we want to win because we are very competitive. We want to win because of the people that trust in us, like the owners, the sporting directors, the fans.

“After 11 years here, we feel the respect. That is the most important thing.”

Lo Celso and Ndombele both signed for Spurs in big-money moves during the summer of 2019, but have spent the majority of the last four years out on loan.

Postecoglou’s June arrival provided everyone with a clean slate and, while Lo Celso came off the bench at Bournemouth on Saturday to make his first competitive Tottenham appearance in 18 months, Ndombele is in a different boat.

Ndombele is part of a group alongside five other first-teamers who have not featured in any of the Australian’s three matchday squads and they could all leave the club before the summer transfer window shuts at 11pm on Friday.

“Gio’s been a bit unlucky. He did well when he came on for us. I thought all the subs did really well just to help us control the game,” Postecoglou reflected.

“We’ve got a game Tuesday night and he’ll play. It will be, for want of a better word, a fun week. We’ve got plenty going on for sure.

“I’m just dealing with what’s in front of me. Unless I get told otherwise, I’ll work with the group I’ve got and focus on Tuesday night.”

Ex-Spurs captain Hugo Lloris, Djed Spence, Eric Dier, Japhet Tanganga and Sergio Reguilon are the players alongside Ndombele who have yet to be involved this season.

Tottenham are eager to find new homes either permanently or temporarily for the six players given the club currently have a squad of 31 aged 21 or over.

Spurs must submit a list of 25 players to the Premier League on September 13 for the first half of the season and everything points towards Ndombele being elsewhere by that point.

Asked specifically about Ndombele, Postecoglou admitted: “Tanguy is in a boat with a few other guys. I said the other day that we’ve got five or six players more than we can name on a list.

“All these things come down to decisions that people make, whether it’s individual players, whether it’s myself.

“I’m sure this week those kind of things will work themselves out. Tanguy’s still training, he’s working hard at training, but that midfield area, we’re going really well at the minute.

“You saw the guys who started, (Oliver) Skippy’s been really good, Pierre (Hojbjerg) and Gio have been training well.

“It’s been pretty competitive in that area. I think this week a lot of those things I expect to get resolved.”

Postecoglou could line-up with a midfield three of Skipp, Hojbjerg and Lo Celso at Fulham, but he is not expected to make wholesale changes.

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Guglielmo Vicario may still feature in goal while captain Son Heung-min and Richarlison are likely to play up front.

Richarlison will be desperate to score after three games without a goal and will face old boss Marco Silva but Postecoglou scoffed at the notion of trying to play the Brazilian into form.

“No, I pick teams that I think will win games,” he said.

“I will put Richy in the team because I think we can win the game with him in the team, not because I am trying to get him into a certain space.

“We want to win games of football and we want to play the game a certain way. Every time I pick a team that is all that’s in my head.

“I love winning. I don’t care if it is a cup competition, playing in the car park or on a rooftop. We just need to go out there and try to win.”

In December, Guardiola said the England international returned from the World Cup "overweight" and "not in the right condition to train", with Phillips yet to find his feet at Etihad Stadium following a move from Leeds United.

Six appearances this season have all come off the bench, including 32 minutes in Sunday's FA Cup victory over Chelsea – only the second time he has played more than 15 minutes for the club.

It has been reported Phillips will make his long-awaited first start for the club against Southampton and, while not confirming whether that is true, Guardiola expects him to reach City's requisite standard. 

"He's always ready. He needed a little bit of time but he's ready," Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday.

"We have to see [if he will start] but he's intelligent and normally a holding midfielder. He has an incredible work ethic, was educated at Leeds under Marcelo [Bielsa].

"He's committed in every game, there are patterns and movements that need time and games though. He arrived and had injuries, which meant he couldn't be there, but step by step he will get there."

Guardiola also feels facing Southampton, under Nathan Jones, leaves his side having to adjust to the new approach their opponents will adopt.

"It's an away game, so obviously it would have been better at home. They're in a difficult position, they have a new manager and are still getting used to it," he added.

"We knew Ralph [Hasenhuttl's] style of play, and now they have a changed style and different patterns, so we will have to adapt to that. We have to do our best to reach the semi-final."

Manchester City lost 1-0 to their bitter rivals but still advanced to the EFL Cup final thanks a 3-2 aggregate victory.

Videos circulated on social media during the game appeared to show City fans making plane gestures - in reference to the Munich air disaster - towards the United supporters, who reportedly ripped out and threw seats.

City boss Guardiola condemned the actions along with the individuals involved in Tuesday's attack on the home of United executive vice-chairman Woodward.

"I don't like it," Guardiola said. "I don't like what happened with Ed Woodward at home. You see the squad for United, it's really good. Honestly, it's really good.

"So that is not the way to do that. When you talk about what happened [City fans making plane gestures], I didn't know it. If it would happen, that is not nice. Absolutely not."

Nemanja Matic's first-half goal split the teams in the second leg of their semi-final tie, though a wasteful City always appeared destined to go through after securing a 3-1 advantage in the first encounter.

United's win was their second in as many months at the Etihad Stadium and Guardiola suggested opposite number Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had the Red Devils headed in the right direction.

"I like a lot the way they played. I said when we lost here [in December], they don't need much. The quality of the players up front is incredible," the Catalan said.

"When we lost at home against them, I had the feeling they are trying to do what the manager Ole wants and I think it works. Maybe they are not consistent in all the games, maybe at home they are struggling a little bit against teams that defend deep. But I like the way they play, their qualities.

"[Victor] Lindelof, I saw it in Benfica, is an incredible player, [Harry] Maguire is one of the best central defenders in the world. The people up front, they are so fast. Matic and Fred, they're incredible players. Matic is an outstanding player.

"I think if you give them time, they will come back to what United was for many, many years."

McKenna, who has developed a reputation as one of the brightest coaches in England after he masterminded the Tractors Boys’ promotion to the Sky Bet Championship last season, watched his team go 2-0 down early on.

Hwang Hee-Chan and Toti netted inside 15 minutes for the Premier League side but they still slumped to a fifth defeat in eight matches under new boss Gary O’Neil.

Omari Hutchinson started the Ipswich comeback with a fine 28th-minute finish before Freddie Ladapo ensured it was all square at half-time. Jack Taylor’s superb 25-yard strike soon after the break handed former Manchester United assistant McKenna his first victory over a top-flight club.

A total of 20 changes were made by both teams for this tie but it was Hwang, a starter for Wolves at Luton, who broke the deadlock in the fourth minute.

Ipswich’s Dominic Ball was at fault after he could only clear Pablo Sarabia’s cross to Sasa Kalajdzic, who passed through to the unmarked Hwang and the left-footed strike by the Wolves attacker was too powerful for Vaclav Hladky.

It silenced the expectant Portman Road crowd, which had seen the Tractor Boys making a flying start on their Championship return and win seven of their opening eight fixtures, but it was 2-0 after quarter of an hour.

Sarabia’s dangerous corner picked out full debutant Santiago Bueno and while Hladky made a fine save from point-blank range, Wolves defender Toti was on hand to smash home on the goal line to punish more slack Ipswich defending.

The narrative of McKenna’s all-conquering team being ready to claim a top flight scalp had not gone to plan so far, but the tide started to turn midway through the first half and Hutchinson reduced the deficit in the 28th minute.

The Chelsea loanee had looked a threat and when he was slipped in by Marcus Harness, he did not need a second invitation and rifled beyond Wolves captain Dan Bentley from eight yards with his weaker right foot.

It was Hutchinson’s stronger left foot which forced Bentley into action next but the visitors’ goalkeeper was able to tip over the 20-yard free-kick.

McKenna’s men were impressing now though and the equaliser arrived six minutes before half-time through Ladapo.

Ipswich’s reliable back-up forward was played in by Harness and his low strike was too strong for Bentley, who got a hand to the effort but failed to stop the hosts restoring parity.

A Harness shot deflected wide 50 seconds into the second period signalled the intentions of the Championship outfit and while Matt Doherty had a shot blocked for Wolves soon after, the fifth goal of the contest went to the hosts.

Harness again claimed the assist but it was all about former Peterborough midfielder Taylor, who received the ball around 25 yards out and let fly with a thunderous effort that flew past Bentley.

O’Neil reacted with Matheus Cunha introduced alongside forwards Fabio Silva and Nathan Fraser, but it was Ipswich’s night and a low save by Hladky from Bueno’s 73rd-minute header helped send McKenna’s side through to the last-16 of this competition for the first time since 2010.

Second-half substitutes Bloxham, 18, and Edmondson, 17, joined John Buckley (2), Jake Garrett, Sam Gallagher, Dilan Markanday and Zak Gilsenan as Rovers romped to their biggest victory since 1963 and earned a third round home tie against Cardiff.

Tomasson said: “It’s fairly rare to score eight goals in a competitive match and we have all seen before how tough these games can be but we produced a very professional and mature performance.

“We showed intensity right from the beginning in a competition that I take seriously and it was a perfect day for the academy with players getting their first minutes and goals for the senior team.”

Tomasson made 10 changes from the side that won 1-0 at Watford on Sunday with home boss Simon Weaver also surprisingly fielding eight different players to the starting XI that kicked off the weekend’s 2-0 victory over Morecambe.

Weaver conceded that the result was an “embarrassing” night for the Sulphurites, who were hosting Championship opposition in a competitive fixture for the first time in their history.

“We had important players missing through injury, but I can’t defend a really bad, embarrassing scoreline like that,” he admitted.

“The gulf in class was obvious and we gifted them the first two goals in that opening 13-minute spell.

“It’s hard to then come back and overcome the odds against a Championship team with quality running right through the squad but, as devastated as we are and having taken some stick that was quite rightly directed at us, we have to move on quickly because what’s most important now is we put right a few wrongs here in the league on Saturday.”

The Uruguay international has scored just once in his last 16 club appearances but that barely tells the full story of the 24-year-old’s overall contribution.

Nunez helped turn around Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham with two assists to allow the Reds to take a 2-1 lead to Craven Cottage for the second leg, but he could also have had a hat-trick in the last 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

After the match even Klopp said he was at a loss to explain why the forward had not scored more, but praised his value to the team in other areas.

Nunez’s ninth and 10th assists of the season took him past Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s chief creator and an important part of that has been the South American’s better decision-making in the final third.

And he continues to be a Kop favourite despite his goal drought as fans appreciate the energy he brings and the disruption it causes for other players to benefit.

“I’m so happy about our crowd and how they take it; I am so happy about Darwin’s reaction and how he takes it,” said Klopp, who is content for the Uruguayan to contribute in other ways.

“He did it (provide an assist) for Curtis (Jones) against West Ham and now for Cody (Gakpo). Super-special.”

Nunez’s background numbers do not equate with his top line – goals scored – as he is averaging more shots per game (4.6) per 90 minutes than anyone else in the Premier League this season, but his return of five is well below his xG (expected goals) of 8.6.

He averages a goal or assist every 93 minutes and has 18 goal involvements in total, just one behind last season’s tally of 15 goals and four assists.

And his minutes per non-penalty goal contribution is bettered only by team-mate Diogo Jota (89.9 minutes) among all top-flight players.

Nunez has also contributed seven (three goals, four assists) of the 30 goal involvements by Liverpool substitutes in the current campaign which has played a huge part in Klopp’s side topping the Premier League in addition to fighting on three other fronts.

“It’s mentality. To turn around a game, first and foremost you need quality; to turn a game around you obviously need belief,” said Klopp of his team’s ability to pull off wins from unfavourable positions.

“We had that this season where we had to overcome real difficulties very early in the season and nobody knew how we would react on that because you cannot plan it, you cannot train, you just watch it.

What is equally impressive is Liverpool are managing to still get the results even with a long absentee list.

Salah and Wataru Endo are currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup respectively, while Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara, Dominik Szoboszlai, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas and Stefan Bajcetic are all recovering from injuries of varying length.

An 11-day break should help in getting some of those back, potentially Szoboszlai and Robertson with Alexander-Arnold soon after, but Klopp has been pleased with how they have coped.

“We don’t go for excuses but it is obvious you have to change,” he said.

“It’s not the problem that the players are not there, rather the problem is the patterns you develop over the weeks or months are not there. That’s more the problem.”

It was a sixth consecutive defeat in domestic cup finals for Chelsea and here, the PA news agency looks at the noteworthy statistical implications of the match.

Klopp has won seven different honours with Liverpool, with Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time winner meaning the League Cup is the first trophy his side have lifted more than once.

Victory over Tottenham in the 2019 Champions League final brought his first trophy and the following season saw Liverpool win the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup and then the Premier League.

A domestic cup double in 2021-22, both in penalty shoot-outs against Chelsea after goalless finals, allowed them to add the 2022 Community Shield.

An eighth different prize could yet come in this season’s Europa League, a competition in which Liverpool lost the 2015-16 final to Sevilla at the end of Klopp’s debut season.

Sunday was Liverpool’s record 10th League Cup win.

Much was made of the youth of the Liverpool team that ended the game but Chelsea too are in a rebuilding phase – their finishing XI actually had a slightly younger average age than their Liverpool counterparts, 23 years and 77 days to 24 years and 172 days.

Liverpool brought on Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Jayden Danns for, respectively, their ninth, seventh and second senior appearances, while Jarell Quansah was playing only his 20th Reds game and 36th in senior football.

Van Dijk, though, lifted the total senior appearances of their finishing XI to 1,670, compared to Chelsea’s 1,513, with Joe Gomez joining him above 200 club appearances as Liverpool totalled 817 by that measure to Chelsea’s 371.

The key difference is the method of acquiring those players. While Liverpool finished with five academy products on the pitch, and started another in Conor Bradley, Chelsea’s were largely acquired in Todd Boehly and co’s billion-pound spending spree.

The Blues XI that finished the game cost a reported £466million in transfer fees, with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo both £100m-plus signings and every outfield player bar homegrown pair Trevoh Chalobah and Levi Colwill costing £25m or more. Van Dijk accounts for just over half of the £148m cost of Liverpool’s XI.

Gary Neville, on co-commentary duty for Sky, labelled Chelsea “billion-pound bottle jobs” after Van Dijk’s winner. And while the Blues won the 2021 Champions League and 2019 Europa League, they have lost six successive domestic finals since lifting the 2018 FA Cup.

Sunday’s setback followed in a near-identical vein to Liverpool’s 2021-22 cup double, with Van Dijk staving off the prospect of another penalty shoot-out.

Kostas Tsimikas, whose corner set up that goal, scored the winning kick in the FA Cup final two years ago while the League Cup was a nightmare for Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who was substituted on for the shoot-out but conceded to all 11 Liverpool players – including goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher – before blazing his own penalty over the bar.

That echoed 2019’s confusion over Maurizio Sarri’s attempt to substitute Kepa off before the start of the shoot-out. He saved from Leroy Sane but let a weak Sergio Aguero effort under him as Manchester City won 4-3.

Youri Tielemans settled the 2021 FA Cup final in Leicester’s favour, a year after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s double earned Arsenal a 2-1 win over Chelsea. Christian Pulisic’s early opener was Chelsea’s only goal in the six finals.

Manager Mauricio Pochettino also lost both his finals with former club Tottenham, in the 2019 Champions League – against Liverpool – and the 2015 League Cup.

Jurgen Klopp made 10 changes from the side that beat Chelsea 2-0 in the Premier League on Sunday, with only Virgil van Dijk keeping his place, but they still had more than enough firepower to swat aside their League One opponents. 

Xherdan Shaqiri got the visitors on their way inside the opening 10 minutes, whipping a superb free-kick into the top-right corner, before a fine strike from Minamino and a double from Jones made it 4-0 at the break. 

Minamino added a fifth immediately after the restart before Tayo Edun pulled one back for the Imps on the hour mark.

Marko Grujic and Lewis Montsma then exchanged quick-fire goals, while Divock Origi added a seventh late on as Liverpool – who handed Diogo Jota a debut from the substitutes' bench in the second half – set up a fourth-round clash with Arsenal at Anfield next week. 

Liverpool, who included debutants Rhys Williams and Konstantinos Tsimikas in their starting XI, wasted little time asserting their authority as Shaqiri registered his first goal since December 4 with a sublime free-kick from 22 yards in the ninth minute.

The Reds doubled their advantage after 18 minutes when a sloppy pass out from the back by Montsma found its way to Minamino, who sent a strike into Alex Palmer's top-left corner from 20 yards. 

Jones added a third shortly after the half-hour mark, curling home from inside the penalty area after being picked out by Divock Origi's downwards header. 

The 19-year-old claimed his second just four minutes later when his effort from outside the area clipped off Timothy Eyoma and flew past Palmer.

Any thoughts that Klopp's men would take it easy in the second period were extinguished after just 18 seconds when Minamino volleyed into an empty net after Harvey Elliott had been denied by Palmer.

The Imps started to pour forward in search of a consolation and it duly arrived on the hour mark when Edun coolly slotted past Adrian from inside the area.

Grujic plundered his first Liverpool goal from 20 yards in the 65th minute before Montsma took advantage of Adrian's woeful goalkeeping to head home Lincoln's second just a minute later.

Origi then wrapped up the scoring a minute from time when his strike from 15 yards slipped through the grasp of Palmer. 

The 19-year-old was superb in Liverpool's 7-2 EFL Cup third-round win over Lincoln City on Thursday, scoring twice as the Premier League champions set up a fourth-round clash with Arsenal next week. 

It was only Jones' 16th appearance for Liverpool's first team but Klopp suggested the midfielder can expect to feature more regularly if he continues to produce such impressive displays. 

"I think each game is ideal for Curtis to play in because of the quality he has, the skills he has," Klopp told a media conference. 

"First half, really good. Start of the second half, really good. And then there is still space for improvement, obviously. 

"Both goals were difficult. I think the second goal, the first touch was absolutely exceptional. It was slightly deflected, but that's just exceptional. 

"I think everybody knows my opinion about Curtis. He is an exceptional talent and we will have some fun with him, I'm pretty sure, in the future."

Takumi Minamino also impressed for Liverpool, adding to Xherdan Shaqiri's opener with a sublime effort from outside the area and then claiming his second shortly after the interval. 

While Klopp was pleased with his potency in front of goal, he was also quick to praise the Japan international's relentless energy. 

"I loved Taki's game tonight; it was absolutely outstanding and he was involved in so many situations," Klopp added.

"More and more, I think we all realise where his qualities are. Wherever he will play in the end, he will end up in the centre. If he plays on the left wing or the right wing, he will play in the half-spaces or the centre because that's where he has his real strength. 

"The opponent had to kick off seven times [after Liverpool's goals] and the first guy who chased the opponent again when they received the pass was Taki.

"He set the rhythm for all these pressing and counter-pressing situations, so I really, really liked his game tonight."

Liverpool face Arsenal in the Premier League on Monday before hosting them again at Anfield later in the week, although no date has been set yet.

Curtis Jones and Takumi Minamino hit doubles, while Xherdan Shaqiri, Marko Grujic and Divock Origi were also on target against their League One opponents to set up a fourth-round clash against Arsenal next week. 

Klopp, who made 10 changes from the side that beat Chelsea in the Premier League at the weekend and brought Diogo Jota on for his debut in the second half, was delighted with how his fringe players performed. 

"We played a really good football game tonight," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "It was easy on the eye. We passed the ball and finished situations off. The boys wanted to play football and showed an exceptional attitude.

"That's how it should be [Liverpool's second string playing like the first team]. Wear the shirt and show who you are. I'm happy with everything.

"The two goals we conceded were not nice, but it's not a massive problem. You can have struggles in a game like this."

On Tuesday, Lowe scored the first of 4 goals in a 4-1 demolition of the Toffees at Vitality Stadium and is feeling confident with the teams set up for a quick repeat of the fixture in league competition.  With both teams struggling just above the relegation zone and Bournemouth winless in their last 5 games Lowe is eager to drive home any possible advantage.

"I think it will give us a slight physiological edge on Everton, I feel like they'll have a little bit of doubt in their mind, and we'll go into the game confidently,” Lowe said of the upcoming fixture.

The 26-year-old has made just one appearance, from the bench, so far this Premier League season but could be in contention for Saturday’s matchday squad after a creditable performance on Tuesday.

“I think it shows how hard we work during the week that players who haven't played that much were able to put out a performance like that today (Tuesday)."

United suffered a 3-1 home loss to Crystal Palace in their first Premier League game on Saturday and Solskjaer made 10 changes for the third-round tie at Kenilworth Road, including handing a debut to goalkeeper Henderson as David de Gea was given the night off.

A Juan Mata penalty on the stroke of half-time gave United the lead against their Championship hosts, who would have levelled with nine minutes remaining had Henderson's one-handed stop not denied Tom Lockyer.

By that point a concerned Solskjaer had called for the cavalry and substitutes Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood both added late goals for a victory that flattered United.

The Red Devils beat Newcastle United 2-0 at Wembley in Sunday's final, and are still in with a chance of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Europa League.

After the triumph in the capital, Weghorst was in determined mood to collect more trophies before his loan spell from Burnley ends.

"We win the first one now and still have three to go, so hungry for more," he said. "It's three left now. First one is in and first we have to stand still and enjoy it. But afterwards of course three to go. We have everything in our own hands so let's go."

The Dutch striker has scored just once in 10 appearances for United since his January arrival, but played a key role against Newcastle, providing the pass to Marcus Rashford, whose shot deflected in off Sven Botman to make it 2-0.

"It's a great feeling," he said. "For me not being here too long but for the club it's a long time ago we won silverware. It's good to have it back at the place where it belongs, to me. It's an amazing club."

Weghorst also admitted he "took a moment" at the final whistle, adding: "I can do really tough or I can do really cool, but for me this is a childhood dream; a childhood dream to play for this amazing club, to play a final and also be important in this final with the second goal.

"To give my all and then at the end if you win it you have to enjoy it because during the match you're only focused on one thing and that’s winning it and that's performing. After which you have to take a minute otherwise everything is passing by before you even notice and before you've enjoyed it."