Liverpool v Chelsea | Carabao Cup Match Preview

SPEAKER_1 (0:00)

Before we get into the podcast, I want to let you know that you can get even more from The Redmen TV with a subscription to Redmen Plus. You can get loads of extra content plus all of our usual free content, completely ad free, both in video and podcast form. Right now, you can get your first month of a monthly captain subscription for just one pound, or if you want to join us for the year, you can get a yearly captain subscription for half price. Simply download the Redmen Plus app and subscribe today. Right, I hope you enjoy this show.

Chris Pajak (0:30)

Hello, everyone. Welcome to the match preview. Yes, the big match Liverpool, Chelsea, Carabao Cup, fourth round action at Anfield, Wednesday evening, 8pm, I'm Chris, joined by Dan and by Ryan for this one. And big thank you to OOOSH, our sponsors for the season, our partners, I really should say. They've got an incredible competition going right now. The draw is tomorrow night, that's Wednesday evening. You can win 50,000 pounds in cash prizes and you are guaranteed to win something. It is now reduced to just £3.99 a ticket.

I believe the 20,000 pounds has now gone, unfortunately, for everybody.

Maybe, I don't know. The 20,000 pounds is to draw tomorrow, the 1,000 pound is gone. There are still 2,500 pounds up for grabs, 14 loads of 250 pound cash, 29.25s, loads more. Yeah, the big one, tomorrow night, 50,000 pounds, oh sorry, 20,000 pounds, which I'm really looking forward to seeing who wins. And hopefully, it is one of our Liverpool fans and one of our viewers. So get involved, it's 399 Big thank you to Oosh, as always. We'll get into the show. It is, as I mentioned, Liverpool versus Chelsea. It is a big game. It's just huge. I think it's made more so by the fact that Xabi Alonso and Jordan Henderson are there. And that just adds another wrinkle to it all.

Dan (1:58)

Yeah, absolutely. It does. I mean, both have returned since, obviously, Xabi Alonso a couple of times over in his managerial career thus far. Wanted by Leverkusen, wants for Real Madrid, you go for the hat-trick, which I made the point of yesterday. I don't think that's ever happened before, not to my knowledge anyway, where a former player has returned to one of his clubs and been beaten three times over, especially the manager. That must be a first.

So yeah, hopefully we can make it happen. Then we'll find out afterwards, I guess. So yeah, listen, Liverpool Chelsea is always a big game regardless of competition, regardless of backdrop and side stories, if you will. But yeah, with Henderson back again, obviously, I haven't come back with Benford last season, and obviously, as you mentioned, Xabi Alonso and the dugout, put a whole new sort of expectation around it, and maybe hype and buzz and excitement around it too. I'm looking forward to it. Yeah, I think it's a big old game.

I'm really pleased with where I'm at right now, to be honest. I want that to continue and I think nothing would of help boost the mood more so than beating them and getting one over them to our night.

Chris Pajak (2:56)

Absolutely. Ryan, how do you feel about Chelsea at the moment? We've just done the Bias Football Podcast and we spoke a little bit about them, but yeah, I suppose, are you thinking they're a good side? Are they going to go full strength? What are your thoughts?

Ryan (3:08)

I think they are a good side, and I think there's going to be a healthy mix of youth and experience, which I expect on Liverpool as well, because I thought they looked tired and I thought they looked leggy on Saturday night. So it makes natural sense for Alonso to make changes, to bring in some fresh legs that are still experienced heads, because obviously they are a billion players. But they actually do get an extra day's rest as well, compared to us.

They'll get the extra day's rest as we played the Sunday, and they looked leggy and out of ideas on that Saturday night, so I'm hoping for a bit more of the same tomorrow.

Chris Pajak (3:43)

Absolutely. Obviously they're going to be missing Cole Palmer, which we know.

I've got an interesting fact for you though, Ryan. Did you know that despite winning the Champions League in 2021, the Europa League in 19, the Super Cup in 2021, FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, there's a Conference League in there as well, I think, that they haven't won a domestic trophy since 2018?

Ryan (4:04)

That's quite surprising to be fair. It's been, I'd say, eight years then.