Carabao Cup final kick-off time latest as Chelsea vs Liverpool change explained
Liverpool will meet Chelsea under the Wembley arch on Sunday for the Carabao Cup final with the first piece of silverware of the season up for grabs.
The two teams come into the clash under contrasting circumstances, with Jurgen Klopp's side flying high at the top of the Premier League and still fighting for both the FA Cup and the Europa League. Chelsea on the other hand, languish as low as 10th in the table having lost as many league games as they have won so far this season.
Liverpool have added motivation given this could well be Klopp's last appearance as Reds boss at Wembley before he calls time on his Anfield stay at the end of the season. With that being said, Mauricio Pochettino has not yet convinced the expectant Chelsea faithful he is the man to guide the club and a trophy would hand him a significant amount of credit in the bank.
Both sides have had to adjust to a new kick-off time, after the tie was originally scheduled to take place at 4:30pm on Sunday, February 25. It has since been moved forward by 90 minutes and will now get underway at 3pm.
The change was made after advice from the Metropolitan Police, who have deemed the contest a "high-risk fixture". Much to the dismay of fans, the change of time was only actually confirmed last month, with the EFL themselves conceding they were disappointed by the disruption with such a short turnaround time.
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A spokesperson explained: "Following representations from the Metropolitan Police (MPS), the local safety advisory group has determined the 2024 Carabao Cup Final will now kick-off at 3pm.
"Having previously scheduled the usual 4.30pm kick-off time with Wembley and Sky Sports, it is disappointing to note the change at this late stage."
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Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino will meet for the third time this season for the Carabao Cup finalThe reason behind the police's desire to change is thought to stem from the fact there are fears that booze-fuelled fan clashes are more likely to occur if supporters have more time to drink. This is not the first time a final at Wembley has had its kick-off time changed.
Last season's FA Cup final between Manchester City and Manchester United was also moved forward from 5:30pm to 3pm because of similar concerns from the police. Coming into this game, some fans believe Chelsea have been handed a slight advantage ahead of kick-off.
The Blues have been granted access to the 'home' dressing room because the rules state that whichever team is first in alphabetical order is considered the 'home' side at the neutral venue.
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