Today, Liverpool managed to triumph over Chelsea in the 2023/24 edition of the Carabao Cup.
Throughout many points in the game, either side could have taken the lead, however, the ball didn't seem to want to go into the back of the net.
Both Liverpool and Chelsea each had a goal disallowed in the standard 90-minute game, with Virgil van Dijk and Raheem Sterling having their goals chalked off due to an offside call.
It felt as if the clash was destined for yet another penalty shoot-out, much like the previous two times the teams have faced one another in domestic cup finals.
However, after both sides endured a gruelling 118 minutes of football, the deadlock was finally broken by Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk.
His glancing header, which was delivered by Kostas Tsimikas, was enough to allow "Klopp's kids" to triumph over the "billion-pound bottle jobs," as Gary Neville called it post-match.
Virgil van Dijk's performance in numbers
Van Dijk's header was the thing which set Liverpool apart from the West London club but aside from being handed the Man of the Match award for the final and scoring the match-winning goal, the Liverpool captain's overall game was a sight to behold.
Not only did he play the entirety of the 120 minutes, but, he also managed to win 70% of the duels he faced and even managed to achieve a pass accuracy of 91% by the end of the game.
When Van Dijk's statistics are compared to those of Ibrahima Konate, who also had a very solid outing, it shows how well the 32-year-old really played.
The France international won just 58% of the duels he faced and ended the game with a passing accuracy of 85%. Although the pair aren't too far apart, the presence Van Dijk has on the pitch is almost unbelievable.
So much so, that his opponents have even hailed his performances of late: "I think Virgil was the last couple of years and this year also one of the best defenders in the Premier League, for sure," said Tottenham's Micky van de Ven.
"The year they grabbed the title he was unbelievable and showed how important he is for Liverpool. He shows how important he is the last couple of years."
Although the defender put in a stellar performance, Caoimhin Kelleher is another one of Liverpool's players who deserves a special mention.
Caoimhin Kelleher's Carabao Cup final heroics
It goes without saying that it feels as if the Carabao Cup is Kelleher's competition.
Although over the last few seasons he hasn't been afforded many chances to play due to the performances of Alisson, when called upon, the Republic of Ireland international always manages to show the world his talents.
Today's game was no different after the goalkeeper amassed a total of 75 touches and made nine crucial saves throughout the game, one of which was to deny Conor Gallagher tremendously deep into the second half.
The England midfielder was set free but when presented with a chance to score, out raced the Irishman to smother Gallagher and prevent any chance of the ball finding the net. It was so good that one prominent Liverpool content creator suggested it was the Irishman's best ever showing in a Liverpool jersey.
When compared to Chelsea's goalkeeper, Dorde Petrovic, who also had a solid outing between the sticks, it shows just how well Kelleher played.
Petrovic had a total of 11 fewer touches than the 25-year-old and managed an extra save. The number of shots from each side does need to be taken into account. Liverpool had a total of 24 shots with 11 on target, whilst Chelsea only managed 19 with nine on target.
Although Kelleher didn't contest or win any 'duels', he was still put in a miraculous showing between the sticks.
Hence, why, Petrovic ended up with more saves than Kelleher. One thing is for sure, either side could have won it but, thanks to Klopp's "mentality monsters," they managed to come away with the trophy.
