Chelsea player ratings vs Liverpool: Two 6/10s and plenty 5/10s in Carabao Cup final defeat

Virgil van Dijk scored the decisive winner deep into extra time to hand Liverpool victory and condemn Chelsea to another defeat at Wembley. Their sixth consecutive final defeat at the ground.

Chelsea started the game nervously but that was expected with Ben Chilwell being the only player to have played in the final for the Blues. Liverpool were confidently pinching the ball from left to right, but Mauricio Pochettino's side slowly started picking them apart.

The first big chance of the game fell to the often effective Cole Palmer, but he failed to convert from close range and the Reds managed to clear albeit after some brilliant saves from Caoimhin Kelleher.

Nicolas Jackson then showed why his stock is rising among the Chelsea fans by brilliantly setting up Raheem Sterling to score but VAR intervened and after a lengthy check decided the Senegalese forward was marginally offside.

Chelsea's game plan here was to be patient yet alert, and it told whenever they broke forward, the nervousness which clouded their start to the game was replaced by bravery and determination.

The Blues fans grew in voice steadily as they sought to keep their team going but an early second-half header from Van Dijk threatened to dampen their spirit momentarily until VAR again intervened.

Both teams had now had goals chalked off by VAR but Chelsea were the strongest side at the moment, looking dangerous every time they broke forward. Conor Gallagher missed two chances to seal victory in 90 minutes as Liverpool held on to take the game into extra time.

But as has been the case at Wembley recently the Reds found the winner after Van Dijk headed home a Kostas Tsimikas corner to break Chelsea's hearts. Here is how we rated the players out there.