The Chelsea players came up short at Wembley (Picture: Getty Images)
Gary Neville labelled Chelsea the ‘billion pound bottle jobs’ after their extra-time defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday afternoon.
Virgil van Dijk scored the only goal of the game, deep into extra-time after the match had reached 90 minutes without anyone breaking the deadlock.
The Reds were already without a string of first team players, with the likes of Mo Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Dominik Szoboszlai all out.
Jurgen Klopp trusted his youngsters during the match, throwing academy products Bobby Clark, Jarell Quansah, Jayden Danns and James McConnell onto the pitch.
They rose to the occasion while Chelsea wilted towards the end of the match and Neville was very disappointed with what he saw from Mauricio Pochettino’s side when it really matter.
‘In extra time it’s been Klopp’s kids against the blue, billion pound bottle jobs,’ the Manchester United legend said on Sky Sports. ‘Liverpool absolutely sensational, those young players incredible, he must be so proud. But for Chelsea I’ve got no sympathy whatsoever.
‘I cannot believe Chelsea in extra-time, what has happened to them? From the very first minute of extra time they haven’t played, they haven’t turned up. He [Pochettino] must be absolutely gutted.’
Virgil van Dijk scored the winning goal and left Chelsea crushed (Picture: Getty Images)
Neville could not get over how the London club faded after the 90-minute mark, having been impressed with how they played in normal time.
‘Those Chelsea players will regret that extra-time for a long, long time,’ said the former England full-back. ‘I thought they played quite well and punched hard in the first 90 minutes and were unlucky, but in the real crux of the game where they had Liverpool by the scruff of the neck, not having the answer in the last 10 minutes of normal time.
‘They didn’t turn up, they didn’t perform and you can’t do that. You cannot do that.
‘What was up with them? I’m really disappointed with Chelsea in that extra-time period. You can lose any final, you can lose any game of football but you cannot play like that, you cannot shrink. Particularly when Liverpool had five kids out on the pitch, you have to go for their throats.’
MORE : Virgil van Dijk scores in extra-time as Liverpool beat Chelsea to win thrilling Carabao Cup final
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