Jurgen Klopp hogged the headlines on Friday by announcing he will leave Liverpool at the end of this season - and he will be hoping to lift the Carabao Cup before he heads off into the sunset.

Liverpool and Chelsea have met twice before in League Cup finals, in 2005 and 2022, with Chelsea winning the first 3-2 after extra time, and Liverpool winning two years ago on penalties after that game ended 0-0.

In fact, the penalty shootout was the most memorable thing about that final – the first 21 penalties were all scored before Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga skied his shot woefully.

In all, Liverpool hold the record for most League Cup wins with nine, compared with Chelsea’s still impressive five victories.

Both teams will be confident of winning this time round after strong semi-final displays. Liverpool overcame a quality Fulham side over two legs, while Chelsea stormed back from the shock of losing 1-0 at Middlesborough with a 6-1 blitz at Stamford Bridge, with Cole Palmer the standout player yet again, scoring two goals.

Here, Vodacom Soccer analyses what the deciding factors could be in this season’s Carabao Cup final.

Chelsea attack finally clicks

Chelsea have amassed the second-best xG in the Premier League this season with 42.1, but have only managed to score 35 goals. But recently, the Chelsea attack has finally started to find the back of the net more regularly.

Over their last six games in all competitions, they have managed to score 16 goals – with Palmer contributing five.

After the semi-final second leg, the beaten Boro manager Michael Carrick said: “They have had six shots and scored six goals, which is very ruthless.” And with Christopher Nkunku set to return from injury soon, this could spell danger for Liverpool.

Liverpool have the best defence

Jurgen Klopp's teams have often been praised for their free-scoring style of play over the years, but this season their defence has also excelled. They have currently conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League with 18, as well as having the most clean sheets with eight.

Their key defensive player is once again Virgil van Dijk, who has not been dribbled past a single time in the Premier League this season. In addition, he is averaging 72 accurate passes per game, showing his importance in both defence and moving the ball forward.

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Jurgen Klopp praises Liverpool's grit as Reds secure Carabao Cup final berth

Gallagher’s form

Conor Gallagher is in great form at the moment, with an average Premier League match rating of 7.46 – the highest in the Chelsea squad. He’s also equal top for assists with Palmer (both have contributed four from midfield in the Premier League).

Gallagher should be key to Chelsea’s gameplan in nullifying Liverpool’s strong midfield, including the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones.

Gallagher is in the top 1% of midfielders for average touches per match this season, as well as being in the top 1% for number of defensive actions per game.

Liverpool injury boosts

Having hurt his hamstring during Egypt's draw with Ghana at the Africa Nations Cup, Liverpool talisman Mo Salah may be out for 3-4 weeks. This should mean he is (just about) back in time for the Carabao Cup final, which will be a major boost to Liverpool's chances.

Salah has got 14 goals and eight assists in the Premier League this season. And there’s more good news for Liverpool: both Thiago Alcantara (hip injury) and Trent Alexander-Arnold (knee) are expected to return in the next week or two, so plenty of time to be ready for the final.

Chelsea’s Silva lining

It is not only Chelsea’s attack that has improved over the past few weeks. Their defence has only conceded five goals in their past six games in all competitions.

Thiago Silva’s experience is playing a key part in the development of this young Chelsea team. While he will be 40 in September, he is still putting in consistent performances at the heart of the defence – and has the added motivation of the Carabao Cup final being potentially his last for Chelsea.

After the semi-final win, he said: “With each game that ends I have the feeling that [my time at Chelsea] is ending, so that makes me a little sad. The three times I went [to Wembley], I lost all three. So I think it’s time to win, right?”

But the form book says Liverpool

Liverpool have been in incredible form over the past few months, only losing one of their last 16 games in all competitions. In this time, they have scored 38 goals while only conceding 13.

Such fine form means they will be full of confidence going into the Carabao Cup final.

In the semi-final second leg against Fulham, even Liverpool’s newcomers looked dangerous – for example, Luis Diaz opened the scoring off a Trent-esque pass from Liverpool's new young centre-back, Jarell Quansah.

The 20-year-old, making only his 16th appearance in all competitions, looked assured throughout the game at centre-back – making seven clearances (joint first with Van Dijk over both teams) and seven recoveries (first overall).

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp to step down as Liverpool manager at season's end in shock move

Will Liverpool or Chelsea win the Carabao Cup? Six key factors that could decide the final