"It won't be like Anfield" - Carragher warns Liverpool ahead of cup final vs Chelsea, predicts final scoreline

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has sent a strong warning to the Reds ahead of their highly anticipated EFL Cup final against Chelsea on Sunday, February 25. He also gave his prediction for the encounter, backing Jurgen Klopp's side to secure a 2-1 victory in normal time.

Liverpool could kick-start what would be a proper farewell for Jurgen Klopp by winning the EFL Cup on Sunday. However, they will first need to see off Chelsea when the two sides clash at the Wembley Stadium.

Speaking on The RedMenTV, Jamie Carragher warned his former club to gear up for a tough encounter with Mauricio Pochettino's men.

“What’s your score prediction for the Carabao?” Carragher was asked.

“I’ll go with 2-1 to Liverpool. I think it will be tight,” the former Reds defender said.

“Extra time?” Carragher was asked.

“No, I’ll go for us, I don’t care, just win it. It won’t be like Anfield, they should be better and the pitch is a lot better, it will be more difficult to press than it is at Anfield because the pitch is tighter,” he added.

The last meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea came up in the Premier League at Anfield on January 31. The Reds emerged victorious in that encounter, beating the Blues with a comfortable 4-1 scoreline.

Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Diaz found the back of the net for Jurgen Klopp's side while Christopher Nkunku scored the only goal for the Londoners.

How Liverpool and Chelsea have fared in recent games

Both clubs have had a promising run of results over the last couple of weeks. Liverpool have won five of their last six games in all competitions. Only Arsenal have managed to beat them since the turn of the year.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have a record of two victories, two defeats and two draws in their last six matches across all fronts. They managed to hold Manchester City to a 1-1 draw in their last outing and will be looking forward to producing a better performance on Sunday.

As it stands, the Blues occupy the 10th position in the Premier League table with 35 points in 25 games. The Reds, meanwhile, currently lead the title race with an impressive 60 points in 26 games - four points above second-placed City, who have a game in hand.