'He's clever' - Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino responds to Jurgen Klopp's claim that Liverpool aren't favourites ahead of Carabao Cup final

The Premier League table would seem to suggest differently, with the high-flying Reds currently 25 points clear of Pochettino's side - who are all the way down in 10th. However, with Liverpool in the midst of an injury crisis Klopp recently said: "Will we be big favourites? Definitely not. Since we played them (Chelsea) they have improved a lot and it will be tricky."

Pochettino has now responded to Klopp's comments at his pre-final press conference, hinting that the German might be playing mind games ahead of their Wembley showdown.

"Because he's one of the best, with Pep, coaches in the world. He's clever enough," he began. "He knows that when you play a final, circumstances can happen. If they are not favourites, we are not favourites [laughs]. They have experience to compete like a team, be involved in different finals. For some of us, it's maybe their first final. He is clever enough."

The Reds will definitely be without the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota for the final, though Klopp retains hope that Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai - who all missed Wednesday's victory over Luton Town - may still be involved in some capacity. Thiago Silva is a doubt for Chelsea, though Pochettino neglected to definitively rule the Brazilian out for Sunday's blockbuster clash.

This is the third time that Liverpool and Chelsea have met in the League Cup final. Chelsea triumphed after extra time back in 2005, in what was Jose Mourinho's first-ever trophy at Stamford Bridge. Then, in 2022, Liverpool were the victors, with stand-in goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher scoring the winning penalty in a shoot out that went down to the wire.

All eyes will be on Wembley this weekend for what looks set to be an intriguing final. After that, Chelsea return to FA Cup action against Leeds United the following Wednesday as they look to stay in contention to lift another piece of silverware in what has been a testing season.