Chelsea 2 Liverpool 1: Leaving it too Late

Dejection and disappointment. That just about sums up the feelings of the Liverpool fans, players and coaches around the world. So close yet so far, and Liverpool will have to settle with the Carling Cup after an otherwise dismal 2011/12 campaign.

Chelsea scored the two opening goals of the game, with Liverpool swept away by the Blues in the opening proceedings as Ramires and Didier Drogba put their respective goals past Pepe Reina, who returned after being rested in Liverpool’s mid-week defeat to London side Fulham.

Liverpool FC were struggling to cope against the now-FA Cup Champions. Chelsea had more imagination, they created more, and Liverpool were genuinely wandering to defeat, with no conviction in the performance whatsoever until Andy Carroll showed up. It was the 55th minute, where a substitution changed the complexion of the game completely. Andy Carroll was brought on for Jay Spearing, and it’s not the type of player who would directly strike fear into the hearts of Chelsea defenders given his recent form. But he did give them an absolutely torrid time.

His first goal was just a splendid striker’s goal. Control in his touch, cool in his turn and absolute power in his finish to fire past a helpless Petr Cech to inject much needed life to a struggling Liverpool side. Maybe that was one key mistake that Kenny Dalglish made – not picking the lanky Englishman for the final. But even more than Carroll, I question the decision to put Maxi Rodriguez on the bench. This would have been the game that he would have done so well in. We’ve even seen that twice this season, where Kenny Dalglish has taken a gamble and played the Argentine against Chelsea, and he rewarded his manager on both occasions with well taken goals at Stamford Bridge.

I thought there was an equalizer on the 82 minute mark. Andy Carroll managed to beat his marker in the air, and he seemed to put his header just past the line. I think it should have been a goal. Liverpool were unlucky in that respect, and the fact that that’s another one hitting it against the crossbar perhaps makes it worse for the Reds. Just a bit unlucky. But it has to be said that Liverpool left it way too late, and they paid the price by losing the FA Cup.

But that sets up quite nicely for the next Chelsea-Liverpool clash in just a few days time. Both teams have nothing to play for in the Premier League, although Liverpool will most certainly want to put one over the Londoners when they visit Anfield. It should make for a good game.