Chelsea didn't exactly cover themselves in glory in the League Cup final as they lost 1-0 in extra time following a late goal by Virgil van Dijk. But we want to focus on the positive side of things amid the hailstorm of negativity.
Here are three positives from the performance on Sunday. Chelsea can build on that.
1. Taking the game to Liverpool. Remember the game at Anfield in January? Chelsea were played off the park, losing 4-1 felt like a good outcome. The Blues came second-best in everything and were lucky to not concede more.
Now Chelsea had a much better performance, taking initiative and creating enough chances to win the game. The Blues were poor in front of goal, yes, but they were the better side for sustained periods of the game. And we're talking about facing a team that's currently first in the league standings.
2. Petrovic. The Serbian put in an excellent performance, making brilliant saves. Liverpool had 11 shots on target and Djordje conceded only once.
It's been a long time since Chelsea had a reliable keeper between the sticks. Now Petrovic has filled this void and can hold his head high after the first major final in his career.
3. Gallagher & Caicedo. The League Cup final saw very decent displays by Chelsea midfielders Gallagher and Caicedo. Conor won ten duels, created three chances for his teammates. Yes, he missed two big chances but he was otherwise excellent.
Moises played the entire 120 minutes and it was a very solid performance in the holding role. The Ecuadorian did what's needed from a defensive midfielder, winning 11 duels, completing five long balls and not getting dribbled past a single time. His only problem was aggressiveness as he could have been sent off for a reckless tackle on Gravenberch.
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