Chelsea-Liverpool Carabao Cup Final Kick-Off Time Moved Up
The Carabao Cup final game between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium is rescheduled to kick off at 3 pm on Sunday, February 25.
The original schedule was for a 4.30 pm start. Still, after consultations with Wembley Stadium, the local authority, and the EFL, the Metropolitan Police recommended an earlier time because the game is classified as ‘high risk.’
Chelsea fans can purchase tickets for the match, with prices ranging for adults from £41 to £150 and discounts available for other age groups. Chelsea has been allocated 31,939 tickets and will occupy the stadium’s west stand.
Sales for Chelsea season ticket holders and members are structured around a loyalty-point system, with sales opening from February 2 to February 5.
This very well may be the final chance for the Blues to save the season and for the manager, Mauricio Pochettino, to avoid the hot seat after another horrific performance in the Premier League against Wolves and a 2-4 loss after getting the early lead.
The Argentinian coach took over last summer and saw the board spend £435.5 million on new players, bringing the total to over £1 billion in the Todd Boehly era. The Carabao Cup final win would bring the club its first trophy since the American businessman took over the London giants in 2022.
Chelsea FC is in the eleventh place in the Premier League, far from contending for a Champions League spot, especially after the last two matchdays. Before Wolves at home, the Blues also suffered a loss against their opponents in the Cup final, Liverpool, 1-4.
The Reds’ recent dominance in head-to-head matchups should also be taken into account in the odds analysis. Fans and bettors should be aware that the Chelsea squad has not defeated Liverpool in the last eight matches, including the 2022 final in the same competition when Jürgen Klopp’s side won the EFL Cup after penalties. Considering this is the final match, the betting markets are already quite extensive, so there will be plenty of opportunities for experienced punters to make a good profit.
The Reds are looking for their second trophy in three years and 10th in total in this competition. Chelsea won the Carabao five times, the last time in 2015 against Tottenham. As expected, Liverpool is the favourite going into the match. Even though the match is three weeks away, the best sportsbooks already have odds for this derby available. You can get good value with 10/11 odds to win in 90 minutes. If you opt for a safer route, you can bet on the Reds to win the trophy, including the eventual extra time and penalties, at 1/2 odds. If you think Chelsea can hold on and steal the victory, you can get good odds at 13/8 for the Blues to lift the trophy.
However, as said, the final is 20 days away, and Chelsea has three fixtures before Wembley to find better form. All three matches are away, at Aston Villa in the FA Cup 4th round replay, and then against Crystal Palace and Manchester City in the Premier League.
Liverpool has a nice schedule to bounce back from defeat against Arsenal and keep the first place in the Premier League. First, they play at Anfield against Burnley and then away at Brentford.
