JURGEN KLOPP described this as "easily the most special trophy" he had ever won, while Mauricio Pochettino was left wondering out loud if he was running out of time to win silverware of his own.
The Carabao Cup is typically the fourth most prestigious trophy on offer to Liverpool and Chelsea, but the contrast between the two managers after yesterday's final was striking, and spoke to the significance of the occasion.
Klopp's Chesire cat grin has rarely been wider, but Pochettino looked close to the edge.
For Klopp, the circumstances of Liverpool's 1-0 win, sealed by captain Virgil van Dijk's 118th-minute header deep into extra-time, made this an incomparable and unique triumph.
"What we see here today is so exceptional, we might never see [the like] again," he said. "These things don't happen in football."
Already missing Trent-Alexander Arnold, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Darwin Nunez to injury, Klopp introduced Jayden Danns, 18, James McConnell, Bobby Clark, both. 19, and Jarell Quansah, 21, in the second half to join 20-year-old starter Harvey Elliott on the pitch. Conor Bradley, 20, also started.
If the Liverpool manager had used the XI which finished the match - also including Kostas Tsimikas and reserve goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who was outstanding in the early rounds of this competition, he would have been lambasted for not taking the Carabao Cup seriously.
And, yet, his side deservedly prevailed, the irrepressible Van Dijk refusing to be denied, despite his first goal, also a commanding header from a set-piece, being controversially chalked off after Wataru Endo blocked a Chelsea player in an offside position.
Denne historien er fra February 26, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 26, 2024-utgaven av Evening Standard.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Why are England wasting time waiting for Tuchel?
Winning the World Cup is the aim, so the new boss should start now
He's been shot, and punched by Mike Tyson, but British boxing's great survivor is back on top and aiming to rule the world
This is where the magic happens,\" reads a big neon sign scrawled across the entrance to the offices of arguably the most powerful man in British boxing today.
How Sketch went from 'obscene' to era-defining
After arocky start, the glamorous and infamous restaurant is now an institution
Money is worth less than time'
He's quit Fendi, but what will Kim Jones do next?
London's Roman Amphitheatre
Guildhall Yard, EC2V
Liberals didn't notice they'd lost relevance in the all-consuming digital sphere
There are many reasons why Donald Trump might have won the election last week.
Do we have to die?
One neuroscientist thinks the answer is no
How to have a magical Christmas in Edinburgh
From cosy cobblestone streets to abundant Yuletide goings-on, few cities rival the Scottish capital in creating Christmas whimsy.
London's best festive restaurants
The social season is upon us once more. These are the city’s most coveted Christmas venues, which need to be booked soon so as to not miss out on the tinsel and tipples.
Rag'n'Bone Man
I struggle with being recognised... I'll never really feel comfortable with it'
