Will there be Extra Time and Penalties in the Carabao Cup final?
Liverpool play Newcastle United at Wembley in the club's 15th Carabao Cup final appearance this afternoon.
Having worked tirelessly to win the trophy last season under Jurgen Klopp - in impressive fashion by scoring at the end of extra time - the club were desperate to try and pull off the same feat to start Arne Slot's stewardship of the club.
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Since the emphatic 5-1 win over West Ham at Anfield in the third round, the Reds had to overcome a problematic Brighton team away from home, fortunately managing to cling on at the end to win 3-2.
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A somewhat more straightforward tie followed against relegation battling Southampton, although the 2-1 scoreline was far from convincing and across two legs against Tottenham, the team showed it's class in winning 4-0 at Anfield, in response to a 1-0 loss on the road, to win 4-1 on aggregate.
Slot's side now have the opportunity to retain the Carabao Cup and extend their dominance in the trophy to a record-extending 11th win.
In the context of all the rule changes and protocols that have taken place across the different rounds, here's exactly what you can expect later on this afternoon.
How does it work?
At Wembley stadium in London, the teams will kick off at 16:30pm after a rendition of the National Anthem - which may well be booed by Liverpool fans.
Then as usual, a 90 minute game will take place, and VAR will be in operation for the entirety of the contest.
But while extra time was eliminated for each of the rounds preceding the semi-finals, the clubs will have to play an additional 30 minutes if nothing separates them after the initial game - according to Sporting News.
The decision to remove extra time for the other rounds was backed up in a statement from the EFL that claimed, "84% of the games finish within 90 minutes - we're only talking about a small number that will be affected."
However, the Reds' last three cup finals (FA Cup and EFL Cup) have all gone the distance, with only the last visit to Wembley against Chelsea finishing before penalties were required, as Virgil Van Dijk's towering header in the 118th minute split the difference.
Nonetheless, the tension of extra time will be present in today's contest if necessary, and then penalties will take place if nothing separates the team after 120 minutes.
Of course, Liverpool know all too well how important it is to win the tie in full-time, having played extra time and penalties on Tuesday in the club's Champions League last 16 tie against Paris Saint-Germain, where the Reds were unfortunately knocked out.
If the same process is required, then Liverpool will be able to put their learnings to use straight away, although the impact of having two 120 minute ties in a week might be substantial for the players - although an international break starts after this weekend.
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Whichever way the final goes, if Liverpool can come out the victors, then the club will have an 11th Carabao Cup to celebrate, from 15 final appearances in the competition. For Newcastle on the other hand, it would be their first major trophy since 1969.
May the best team win.
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