"It's a dream for us, we are going to fight" – Mauricio Pochettino sends message ahead of EFL Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool

Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has claimed that his team are ready to take on Liverpool in their 2023-24 EFL Cup final at Wembley on Sunday (February 25).

The Blues, who are currently 10th with 35 points from 25 Premier League outings, will go into their cup clash against Jurgen Klopp's outfit on a three-match unbeaten run. They beat Newcastle United on penalties in their EFL Cup quarter-final before easing past EFL Championship outfit Middlesbrough 6-2 in the last-four stage past month.

During a pre-game press conference, Pochettino shared his thoughts on Chelsea's chances of defeating the Reds and lifting the EFL Cup trophy. He told reporters (h/t football.london):

"It means a lot for us, the coaching staff to arrive in the final and to challenge a team like Liverpool and win our first title here. It's a dream for us, the coaching staff. We have 90 minutes to achieve that and we are going to fight. The team is ready. It's an amazing chance for us."

The Blues, who lost 4-1 at Anfield in the Premier League on January 31, have won four of their past seven EFL Cup meetings against the Merseyside outfit. They lost their most recent clash, slumping to an 11-10 penalty shootout loss following a 0-0 draw in the 2022 final.

Chris Sutton offers prediction for 2024 EFL Cup final between Liverpool and Chelsea

In his column for the BBC, ex-Chelsea striker predicted a 2-1 triumph for the Reds after extra-time in their upcoming encounter against Mauricio Pochettino's side. He wrote:

"I was at Anfield a few weeks ago, when Liverpool absolutely thrashed Chelsea 4-1. To say it was a demolition does not do it justice. But then you see [the Blues] hold Manchester City [to a 1-1 league draw] last weekend, when they almost held on at 1-0 and, with better finishing, had the chances to go further in front."

Commenting on the Merseyside outfit's recent troubles, Sutton added:

"Meanwhile, with Liverpool, there are injury doubts over so many of their forwards, including Mohamed Salah. Is he fit, or not? We don't know. [They] were woeful in the first half [of a 4-1 win] against Luton Town on Wednesday, then wonderful after the break."

Sutton, who represented the Blues 39 times in his career, concluded:

"We will have to wait and see which Liverpool turn up, but the same can obviously be said about Chelsea. So, the question is whether I am going to end up being hoodwinked by that display against City, or whether the tide really is about to turn for Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino. I am not convinced that the latter is the case."

Liverpool, who are atop the league table with 60 points from 26 games, have been in excellent form so far this campaign. They have recorded 28 wins and four losses in 39 outings across competitions, netting a whopping 100 goals and conceding 39 goals along the way.

Chelsea, on the other hand, have struggled to maintain consistency this campaign. They have won 17 and lost 11 of 34 overall matches, finding the back of the net 65 times and shipping 48 goals in the process.