Thomas Tuchel knows Andreas Christensen could be on his way out of Chelsea in light of reports he is set to sign for Barcelona.

Tuchel conceded that Christensen may have already decided to leave the European and world champions for pastures new at the end of this season, but made clear he wants the 25-year-old centre-back to stay.

Reports on Wednesday suggested the Denmark defender is on the verge of agreeing terms with Barca.

Speaking at a media conference ahead of the Blues' Premier League fixture at Norwich City on Thursday, Tuchel said when asked about Christensen's future: "It's in doubt, no?

"We hear the rumours and the situation with Andreas has clear for many weeks and we are not happy about it, because we think that it's best for him to stay and we rely heavily on him.

"He did not sign yet, so you cannot not communicate. This is also a signal to us and communication from his side is that he did not sign until now, so we have to consider the possibility that he leaves us.

"Will we like it? No. Will we live with it? Yes. Things are not personal [and] never should be personal, but this can happen and I have no further information."

Tuchel also confirmed Reece James is a doubt for the trip to Carrow Road after suffering a muscle injury in the 4-0 win at Burnley on Saturday.

The England right-back recently returned from injury and registered a goal and an assist at Turf Moor before being replaced by Mateo Kovacic in the 70th minute.

"Reece James has a bit of a muscular problem after his last three matches," Tuchel said. "Not in his injured leg, the other leg. We thought he could be on the [training] pitch today but he couldn't so we need further examinations to see what is going on.

"He felt it during the match so that's why we took him out and it didn't get better. It's obvious what he can give to our team, so not good news at the moment."

Tuchel is proud of the manner in which his players have gone about their business amid uncertainty at Stamford Bridge following Roman Abramovich's decision to sell the club.

"To have clarity is always better than to have uncertainty, but I have to say we produced performances and we produced results in times of global uncertainty and also club-wise uncertainties, that makes us proud," he said.

"It shows we can trust in ourselves and gives us a lot of trust in the culture of the club and here at Cobham. At the moment I have absolutely no more information than you have [on the sale], for sure."

Thomas Tuchel praised the quality of Reece James after the wing-back registered a goal and an assist in Chelsea's 4-0 thrashing of Burnley.

James has recently returned to action after suffering an injury in December's 1-1 draw with Brighton and Hove Albion, playing just over an hour in Chelsea's EFL Cup final loss to Liverpool and appearing in an FA Cup win at Luton Town before starring at Turf Moor.

The England wing-back scored a superb opening goal early in the second half, twisting and turning before firing a neat finish into the bottom-left corner, before supplying an assist for Kai Havertz's second goal of the day as the Blues netted three times in eight second-half minutes.

With 11 goal involvements in the Premier League, James is the first defender in Europe's top five leagues to register at least five goals and assists this season, and Tuchel was full of praise for him after the comfortable win.

"We missed him for such a long time that you get used to it," Tuchel said. "It was nine weeks and in this time we had something like 25 matches, so we were constantly trying to find solutions and we did it as a team.

"We managed to win games and even titles in this period but once he's back and plays three times, today the first time from the beginning, you see what you missed. 

"[He has] such huge quality and it's very impressive how decisive he is in training and now even in the games.

"These [wing-back] positions are very important when you play with this [3-4-3] structure and it's the same on the left side, so it puts things into perspective when you see what we missed.

"I'm very happy that he came back like this."

James is also one of just three English players to record at least five goals and assists this term in the Premier League, alongside West Ham's Jarrod Bowen and Chelsea team-mate Mason Mount.

Meanwhile, Tuchel was also keen to praise the influence of Thiago Silva, after the 37-year-old contributed to Chelsea's third consecutive league clean sheet.

Before racking up their four second-half goals, Chelsea came under a good deal of Burnley pressure in a tense first period, and Tuchel was keen to highlight the Brazilian's importance against a physical home side.

"He's so professional. The dressing rooms are not so big here [at Turf Moor], which is not a problem, but when you're in there so close with the team you can see his focus, and how professionally he prepares for every game. 

"That's why he can perform like this.

"In a match where you have so many long balls and so many second balls, and where you rely so heavily on the quality of your first touch if you win a duel in the air, it makes a huge difference and that's what he does.

"It's very impressive but I can tell you he works very hard, and on top of it he's a fantastic person and a big character in the dressing room."

Thomas Tuchel believes it was inappropriate for Chelsea fans to chant Roman Abramovich's name during a show of solidarity with Ukraine prior to Saturday's 4-0 win at Burnley.

A Kai Havertz double and goals from Reece James and Christian Pulisic gave the Blues a comfortable Premier League victory at Turf Moor, but the pre-match applause for the victims of the war in Ukraine was overshadowed by visiting supporters chanting the name of Chelsea's Russian owner.

Abramovich this week announced he has put the club up for sale after the billionaire – like other high-profile Russian individuals and entities – was touted as a potential target for British government sanctions, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

Tuchel was not impressed with the timing of the supporters' chants after the win, reiterating his solidarity with the Ukrainian people.

"It's not the moment to do this [chant Abramovich's name]," the 48-year-old said.

"Listen, if we show solidarity, we show solidarity, and we should do it together. 

"We take the knee together and if an important person from our club or another club unfortunately dies, we show a minute of respect. It's not the moment to give other messages. It's the moment to show respect.

"We do this because this is what we are also as a club. We show respect as a club and we need our fans to commit to this minute of applause. 

"At this moment, we do it for Ukraine and there is no second opinion about the situation there. They have our thoughts and our support.

"We should stand together as a club. It's not the moment for other messages."

The former Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain coach was also asked whether it had been possible for his players to ignore the off-pitch controversy surrounding the club.

He insisted debates over Chelsea's ownership had not impacted their performances.

"It is possible [to ignore the speculation], because we do it," he continued.

"We had a brilliant match at Wembley [the EFL Cup final loss to Liverpool], then we were at Luton [in the FA Cup] and were twice behind but turned it around, three days later we arrive at Burnley and you know what's waiting.

"Again, we stepped up. So, it shows a lot of character."

Tuchel's team have now won three consecutive Premier League matches, the same amount of victories they managed in their previous 11, during which they drew six and lost two.

Despite the speculation surrounding the future of the club, Chelsea's win over Burnley was the biggest by an away team in a Premier League match that had been goalless at half-time since Tottenham won 4-0 at Aston Villa in December 2012.

Pep Guardiola hailed the "attractive" high-intensity philosophy that German-influenced managers have implemented in the Premier League, but insists he will stick with his own principles.

There are several Premier League bosses whose experiences include coaching stints in Germany, with Jesse Marsch, Ralf Rangnick, Thomas Tuchel, Jurgen Klopp and Ralph Hasenhuttl among them.

The fast-paced style of play, designed to profit from regaining possession high up the pitch, has many advocates, with current Manchester United interim boss Rangnick a key figure behind its success.

New Leeds United head coach Marsch was Rangnick's assistant at RB Leipzig, where Southampton's Hasenhuttl took charge when the current short-term Old Trafford chief departed in 2016.

Chelsea boss Tuchel pinpointed Rangnick as a mentor after playing under him at Ulm, while Liverpool's Klopp has utilised similar ideas to challenge Guardiola's Manchester City for the Premier League title.

Going into the weekend, City sat six points clear of Liverpool, who had the chance to cut the gap to three when they played West Ham on Saturday. The Manchester derby awaits City on Sunday.

"With Jesse Marsch arriving at Leeds it is already a tendency," Guardiola told Sky Sports of the Bundesliga influence. "Five teams, important ones, playing this way, it is because what happened in Germany arrived here.

"Five important teams and managers all playing this way. Transitions, playing inside, high pressing, everybody together, it doesn't matter if we lose the ball because I recover the second one and attack you again, you lose it again and you lose it again.

"This incredibly good methodology, it is the deep tendency here in England."

Asked whether the approach was for him, the Spaniard said: "It is so attractive when they do it well. It is so attractive for the spectators, and they have had success.

"Of course, I learn a lot in Germany. I adapt. Listen, I am from Catalunya, you know. My education, my football education, comes from there. And I learn a lot here, I learn a lot in Germany, but my principles come from there."

Guardiola's emergence through the Barcelona system means he is indoctrinated in that way of playing. Regardless of the trophy achievements of the likes of Klopp, the Spaniard says that when it comes to his method, he "cannot change it because they have success".

He expects a difficult task against United, who entered the weekend on the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League (eight games), as City eye a league double over the Red Devils for just the second time under Guardiola.

But the former Bayern Munich and Barcelona chief insists he is learning that, whatever the result, he must be more patient on the touchline whichever way the game goes.

"I understand more that the players can make mistakes," he said. "Before, I was more anxious, more angry. Sometimes I am, but I understand because I know they want to do well. I know they want to win against Manchester United.

"I know they want to win the Premier League. I know they want to win the Champions League."

He spoke of always being "anxious and angry".

"But after the action is done, it is gone. I cannot correct this action. So why am I shouting about how they have behaved?" Guardiola said.

The 51-year-old City boss is learning that his players are not automatons, and that while he might complain that "they don't listen to me", he is reconciled to the limitations of his pitchside influence.

Guardiola added: "I have to understand at the end that as much as I want to change, I will not change."

Thomas Tuchel says Chelsea remains "the perfect fit" for him and he is trained to live with uncertainty after Roman Abramovich decided to sell the club.

Abramovich on Wednesday confirmed he will sell up after 19 years as owner of the European champions, saying the decision is "in the best interest of the club".

Tuchel revealed that players and staff have since been briefed by technical and performance advisor Petr Cech on the situation at Stamford Bridge, with the underlying message being to focus on football.

The Blues head coach, who signed a two-and-a-half-year deal to replace Frank Lampard in January 2021, says the dramatic developments have not left him considering his future.

He told reporters on Friday: "I have the opposite of a problem staying here. I've said many times I love working in the Premier League, I love to be in England.

"I feel the tradition and love for sports in general, and for football in particular, it is an amazing place to be.

"Chelsea is from my point of view a perfect fit. I love to be here, I love everything about the club and I hope it continues.

"There is now uncertainty, but isn't there always as a football manager? So I'm trained to live with it. Of course there are different levels, and this is quite the level I have to be honest, but I'm positive things will end well."

Chelsea return to Premier League action at Burnley on Saturday and Tuchel says they must put off-field issues to the back of their mind.

"It doesn't make sense to worry too much because we don't have a lot of influence, if any influence at all," he added.

"We are allowed to focus on football and do the best to focus on football.

"It was not only the team [who had a briefing after the FA Cup win at Luton Town] but the whole staff, this is what we try and do, to create an atmosphere where you feel safe once you enter the building, where you feel calm, because we do this on a daily basis it can help now with the situation.

"Of course there is uncertainty, like with all humans, there are almost 100 people in the building and everybody will feel different about this.

"Some will feel scared, some will feel excited, some will feel sad and I think everything is allowed for every individual, but we can and should allow ourselves to focus on what we love the most and this is football."

Thomas Tuchel says he does not know what impact Roman Abramovich's announcement that he will sell Chelsea will have on the club after his side overcame Luton Town 3-2 in the FA Cup.

Abramovich on Wednesday confirmed he will sell up after 19 years as owner of the European champions, saying the decision is "in the best interest of the club".

The Russian stated that he will ask for any loans to be repaid and has instructed his team to set up a charitable foundation, where all net proceeds from the sale will be donated. Abramovich revealed the foundation will be for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine.

Tuchel's side were later caught cold on the pitch at Kenilworth Road on a huge day for the Blues, as Reece Burke and Harry Cornick edged Championship Luton ahead either side of Saul Niguez's equaliser.

However, Timo Werner's second-half strike restored parity before Romelu Lukaku delivered the decisive strike.

But the focus after the game turned back to Abramovich's announcement, and Tuchel stated that it would be impossible for him to know what will happen following what the club's owner described as "an incredibly difficult decision" for him.

"Maybe I heard it a little bit earlier than you, but still it was close to kick-off," Tuchel told the BBC when asked about the situation at the Premier League club.

"We heard the rumours throughout the day, of course, it is on television when we have team meetings and the guys are talking about it, everybody talks about it - it is big news.

"Let's wait and see, hope for the best and see what the day brings. Every decision he takes for the club is the right decision, it's his choice, it's his club and it's not on me to comment."

When pushed for an answer on what the news could mean in the short term, Tuchel responded: "Even if I want to [tell you], I don't exactly know. 

"In the very short term, for us as a team, staff and players, hopefully it won't mean too much and maybe change nothing but the situation is now out there, it's a big situation. 

"I can understand that there will be a lot of reports, but we try to cancel the noise, as we always do, and to stay focused, which is not always easy.

"We showed again that we can do it and we will try again on Saturday [against Burnley]."

A much-changed Chelsea were largely unconvincing against Nathan Jones' Championship side but Tuchel was delighted with a performance that meant more in the circumstances.

Asked if the result was of greater significance with the ongoings off the field, Tuchel added: "Yeah I think so, we're not living on an island - the guys have an internet connection, the TV is running and we see the news and the rumours.

"It is not normal to be so attached to something and play on the same day in a match where focus is absolutely key, to win is not so easy but it makes it a bigger performance and that is why I'm very happy."

Romelu Lukaku scored the winner to secure Chelsea's place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a battling 3-2 win at Luton Town, after Blues owner Roman Abramovich announced he was selling the club.

Abramovich confirmed he had put Chelsea up for sale, saying the decision is "in the best interest of the club" before kick-off and Thomas Tuchel's side started slowly on the pitch on Wednesday.

Saul Niguez cancelled out Reece Burke's second-minute opener against a much-changed Blues side, but Harry Cornick restored Championship side Luton's lead in the first half at Kenilworth Road.

Timo Werner equalised after the interval, before teeing up Lukaku with 12 minutes left to ensure Chelsea's place in the last eight, which will be played on March 19.

Burke glanced a header into the top-right corner from Luke Berry's corner after just 102 seconds – the fastest goal Chelsea have conceded in all competitions this season.

Tuchel's side levelled things up after 27 minutes when the ball fell kindly for Saul to curl into the bottom-right corner, before substitute goalkeeper Harry Isted expertly denied Saul, Kenedy and Romelu Lukaku within a frantic four-minute period.

Luton regained the lead after Malang Sarr's unconvincing offside trap allowed Cornick in to finish past Kepa Arrizabalaga following Carlos Mendes Gomes' throughball. 

Chelsea boasted 82 per cent possession in the first 15 minutes after the interval, but their reward did not arrive until the 68th minute when Werner poked past Isted after a superb Ruben Loftus-Cheek long pass.

Werner turned provider for the winning goal, when he found space inside the area and drilled across for Lukaku to apply the finish with a sliding tap-in.

Chelsea head coach Thomas Tuchel became irritated with journalists after repeated questions regarding the crisis in Ukraine and his club's owner, Roman Abramovich.

Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday and the conflict continues to escalate.

The world of sport has responded strongly, with several sanctions placed on Russian sporting federations and teams. In football, FIFA and UEFA have banned Russian sides from competing in their tournaments, while European football's governing body has also stripped St Petersburg of this season's Champions League final.

Abramovich, meanwhile, has been mentioned as an individual who may be sanctioned by the British government.

On Thursday, Abramovich's name was brought up in the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament as possible sanctions against the Russian state and individuals were discussed.

Such sanctions are yet to be placed on the Russian-Israeli businessman, though Abramovich announced he was handing over the "stewardship and care" of Chelsea to the trustees of its charitable foundation on Saturday.

On Monday, a spokesperson for Abramovich told PA that the 55-year-old was attempting to assist peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The subject dominated Tuchel's news conference on Tuesday, ahead of Chelsea's FA Cup tie with Luton Town, and eventually the former Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund coach grew frustrated.

"You have to stop. I am not a politician. Honestly, I can only repeat it," he said. "I even feel bad to repeat it, to talk about it. I have never experienced war. 

"I am feeling very privileged, I sit here in peace. I do the best I can. You have to stop asking me these questions. I have no answers to you.

"You always start the question with the same sentence: 'There's much more important things than football, can you comment?'. You decide also to ask me about war. 

"How often do I need to say it? It's horrible. There cannot be any other opinion about it. That's it. Why should we be more distracted than you at work?"

Tuchel's hope is for he and his team to be able to focus on football.

"It's out there. There's more important things out there. This will never change. It's about sports," he continued.

"There's a lot more important things out there. Still, there is a huge distraction going on. We are worried. 

"In the end we try and create an atmosphere to come to work, which is our passion. We are very, very grateful and privileged to have it and it's not that big of a problem. 

"Everybody in Europe has some noise in his head that nobody likes. Maybe the same for you but still you try to do your job as good as possible, the same for us."

Thomas Tuchel called for calm and insisted it is business as usual on the pitch following Russian owner Roman Abramovich's decision to pass stewardship to Chelsea's trustees.

Abramovich announced on Saturday, a day before the Blues' EFL Cup final penalty shoot-out loss to Liverpool, that he is taking a step back from his involvement with the club.

That announcement came three days after Russia began its military invasion of Ukraine to widespread international condemnation.

But ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round tie with Luton Town, Tuchel is not letting talk surrounding Abramovich – and wider events in Ukraine – distract his players.

"We try to be calm here," he said at Tuesday's pre-match news conference. "We are calm in the centre of a storm or some noise around us we cannot control. 

"We are not responsible for it. In the end it's best to stay calm and focus on what we love and what we do. This is sports. 

"We have a right to focus on sports, the players have a right to be focused. This is what we can tell the fans, I think this is what the fans saw on Sunday. 

"There is a big situation out there. A lot of commitment from the players of both clubs, from the fans. I think everybody is aware there are more important things. 

"The situation in Ukraine is by far much more important than football. Still, there was a full stadium. Still, we arrived two teams, strong teams, who played a fantastic match. 

"This is what we can do for the fans, to distract them and entertain them. To do what we do with maximum effort and commitment. 

"I don't see any other solution what we can do different."

Probed further on events that are escalating in Ukraine, and whether Abramovich should remain the owner of Chelsea, Tuchel grew irritated with the line of questioning.

"You have to stop. I am not a politician. Honestly, I can only repeat it," he said. "I even feel bad to repeat it, to talk about it. I have never experienced war. 

"I am feeling very privileged, I sit here in peace. I do the best I can. You have to stop asking me these questions. I have no answers to you.

"You always start the question with the same sentence: 'There's much more important things than football, can you comment?'. You decide also to ask me about war. 

"How often do I need to say it? It's horrible. There cannot be any other opinion about it. That's it. Why should we be more distracted than you at work? 

"That's what I mean when I said it in the first place. It's out there. There's more important things out there. This will never change. It's about sports. 

"There's a lot more important things out there. Still, there is a huge distraction going on. We are worried. 

"In the end we try and create an atmosphere to come to work, which is our passion. We are very, very grateful and privileged to have it and it's not that big of a problem. 

"Everybody in Europe has some noise in his head that nobody likes. Maybe the same for you but still you try to do your job as good as possible, the same for us."

Chelsea's six-match winning run in all competitions was ended with Sunday's defeat to Liverpool at Wembley, albeit in a game that finished goalless at the end of 120 minutes.

The Blues now have a second game in the space of four days as they head into an FA Cup tie at second-tier Luton.

After suffering a rare defeat in a major final, Tuchel is hopeful his side can quickly respond this week.

"It should not be too hard to lift the team after Sunday," he said. "Everybody knows we played a strong match to our identity, with full commitment and a lot of quality. 

"You can never control the result. A winner had to be found and it was found after 22 penalties. That tells the story. That should not be the problem. 

"It's only two days. We gave a day off to clear our minds. It was not only a disappointment but physically training, demanding. 

"That leaves us with a one day turnaround to be ready for tomorrow. It's another competition; that's life at Chelsea. 

"We want to be competitive, we want to be in different competitions, so we have to be ready. Is that always easy? Maybe not. 

"This is what we do, what we demand. From me, myself and everybody around the team, last but not least from the players. This is where we are."

Tuchel confirmed that Chelsea have a "massive list" of absentees ahead of facing the Hatters, with Hakim Ziyech among those out of contention for Wednesday's contest.

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool's EFL Cup triumph can be the "springboard" to achieve a remarkable quadruple after they edged Chelsea for a record ninth win in the competition.

Jurgen Klopp's side sealed their first EFL Cup for a decade with a thrilling 11-10 penalty shoot-out victory following a goalless encounter at Wembley Stadium.

Having pressed back into contention for the Premier League, and still in the FA Cup and Champions League, the Reds are looking at a potentially unprecedented silverware haul.

Former Reds defender Carragher certainly believes they can taste further success in the coming months, and hopes their victory over Thomas Tuchel's Blues can launch them onto more glory days this season.

"It can be a springboard," he told Sky Sports. "Liverpool are involved in four trophies, they've won the first one, it's going to be really tough to win the other ones, but this could be a really special season.

"Not just for this group, but Liverpool's history as a club - to getting close to winning three or four trophies, it could be really special, and this could be the start of it."

Another former Liverpool player, Jamie Redknapp, raised concerns about Tuchel's decision to bring Kepa Arrizabalaga on specifically for the shoot-out, with the Spaniard not saving any of Liverpool's 11 penalties and skied the one he took over the bar.

"I hope it puts to bed the idea of bringing on goalkeepers on for shoot-outs," Redknapp told Sky Sports. "[Edouard] Mendy's one of the world's best goalkeepers, and then you bring on Kepa instead. [It's] ridiculous.

"I didn't like his behaviour when the penalties were being taken, and then he took one of the worst penalties you'll ever see. I don't understand why you'd do it."

Caoimhin Kelleher expressed his delight after netting the winning penalty in Liverpool's EFL Cup final triumph over Chelsea, acknowledging he did not realise that his spot-kick had proven decisive at the time.

The enthralling Wembley showpiece saw four goals disallowed across a goalless 120 minutes before 21 consecutive penalties were scored in an incredible penalty shoot-out.

Kelleher, who started the game ahead of Alisson as Jurgen Klopp kept faith with the man who had helped the Reds to Wembley, converted the 21st spot-kick.

Kepa Arrizabalaga was brought on to replace Edouard Mendy specifically for the shoot-out deep into extra-time but shot over to hand Liverpool their first domestic cup in 10 years.

Kelleher told Sky Sports in the aftermath that he was delighted with the success, but admitted he had not realised that he was the match-winner at the time.

"I thought I'd saved one, I got close to a few and then when it came down to me, I didn't even realise I'd scored the winning penalty!", he said.

"I forgot that I'd scored the winning one, all the penalties from the lads were class, and I was just happy to score."

When asked if he had channelled his youth as an outfield player when taking his kick, the 23-year-old responded: "I think it was more hit and hope!

"I got a hand on a few, but all the penalties were very high quality, and I'm just thankful we were able to win.

"I thought we had scored when we got that goal [Joel Matip's second-half disallowed effort], and it was obviously disallowed. They had a few disallowed too, so I think over the game a draw was a fair result."

Kelleher also revealed his exchange with Klopp after the tense finale, with the Liverpool manager telling his young keeper that he had written his name into the club's history.

"He [Klopp] just said 'well done for scoring the winning penalty, there's a wall at Liverpool with all the goalkeepers who have managed to win cups, and he said 'now's your chance to join them!'," he added.

The 11-10 shoot-out win over Chelsea represented the highest-scoring penalty shoot-out in history between two English top-flight teams, with Liverpool's backup keeper eventually proving the unlikely hero in the Reds' record ninth EFL Cup win.

The third major final meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool proved to be a classic.

It was the Reds who triumphed at Wembley, where the crowd were treated to a tale of bad misses and, ultimately, a tale of two goalkeepers.

Caoimhin Kelleher, Liverpool's 23-year-old number two, was their hero, scoring what turned out to be the shoot-out winner as Kepa Arrizabalaga, brought on at the end of extra time by Thomas Tuchel specifically for penalties, blazed his effort high over the bar.

Kepa had proved Chelsea's hero in the Super Cup in August when he replaced Edouard Mendy for that shoot-out, yet history did not repeat itself. Nothing on Sunday went to plan for the Spain international, who had seemed all set to start, given he has been the Blues' regular cup keeper this season.

His strike may well not have been on target if two goals had been stacked on top of each other, and it meant Jurgen Klopp's side won 11-10 on penalties.

It was the highest-scoring penalty shoot-out between two English top-flight teams in history, and brought up a record ninth EFL Cup title for Liverpool, who have collected a fourth major trophy under Klopp, though their first domestic cup of his tenure.

Yet it could all have been very different. Kepa wouldn't have needed to be the butt of all jokes had his team-mates finished some glorious chances, while Liverpool passed up a fair share of their own in what was one of the most thrilling 0-0 draws you are likely to see.

Here are the biggest moments from a memorable showdown...

Pulisic, 6 (xG 0.52)

The first huge moment came within six minutes. Kai Havertz, who would go on to have a superb game, exploited space in midfield and slid a pass out to Cesar Azpilicueta. His low cross found Christian Pulisic in space but the forward clipped a first-time effort straight at Kelleher.

Mane, 30 (xG 0.58)

Having headed wide from an earlier, albeit more difficult, opportunity, Sadio Mane was left bewildered not to be celebrating a goal when Mendy justified Tuchel's selection, making a wonderful save to deny his compatriot from point-blank range.

Mount, 45 (xG 0.6)

Chelsea bookended the first half with another remarkable miss. This time it was Mason Mount who got on the end of Kai Havertz's centre, yet he volleyed wide when it seemed easier to score. Indeed, based on Opta's xG model, this was the best opportunity of a game packed full of golden chances.

Mount, 49 (xG 0.33)

While the xG for this opportunity would suggest Mount only had a 33 per cent chance of scoring, he really should have done better. Put through by a delicately lofted throughball, the England international set himself before sliding a low effort to Kelleher's right, only for the ball to clip away agonisingly off the foot of the post. 

Salah, 64 (xG 0.58)

Mendy was almost the master of Chelsea's downfall when he thumped an overhit pass straight out into midfield. Salah capitalised and raced through, lobbing the onrushing goalkeeper, yet there was not enough power on the chip, which may well have been heading wide anyway, and it was cleared.

Matip disallowed goal, 67-69 (xG n/a)

The deadlock seemed to have been broken when Joel Matip headed in from Mane's nod back across goal, only for the VAR to disallow Liverpool's goal due to Virgil van Dijk, who appeared to block Reece James, having been offside in the build-up.

Havertz disallowed goal, 78 (xG n/a)

Chelsea got a taste of the VAR medicine as Havertz's celebrations were cut short after he headed in from Timo Werner's cross, with the creator having strayed offside.

Van Dijk, 90+1 (xG 0.04)

Andrew Robertson and Luis Diaz went close in a scramble, but it was Van Dijk who almost won it for Liverpool in normal time. It was a brilliant header from the towering defender, but Mendy got down low to his left to parry it away.

Lukaku, 90+5 (xG 0.19)

Chelsea had a big moment of their own in stoppage time, but Kelleher – the youngest goalkeeper to start in an EFL Cup final since 2011 – reacted sharply to keep out Lukaku's clever flick at the front post.

Lukaku disallowed goal, 98 (xG n/a)

Lukaku showed flashes of his Inter form as he raced through, isolated a defender and slotted home at the near post early in extra time, only for the offside flag to go up again. The VAR checked the decision, but by the finest of margins the forward was indeed offside.

Havertz disallowed goal, 109 (xG n/a)

Havertz finished superbly across Kelleher in the second half of extra time, yet the Germany international was also stood in an offside position when he received Lukaku's pass.

Kepa's howler, penalties

In remarkable scenes, the shoot-out went all the way to 22 kicks, and it was the goalkeepers who had to step up. But having been brought on to save spot-kicks, Kepa did not seem ready to take one, and he lashed his effort way, way over the crossbar, sealing a Liverpool win in a classic final that, somehow, finished 0-0.

Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara was withdrawn from the Reds' starting XI for the EFL Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium after suffering an injury in the warm-up.

Naby Keita replaced the Spain international, with Harvey Elliott taking Keita's place among the substitutes.

Thiago – who was seen to be crying on the bench – has been in excellent form for the Reds, including playing 68 minutes in the 6-0 demolition of Leeds United on Wednesday before being subbed for Jordan Henderson, presumably to ensure he was fit for Sunday's final.

It had earlier been confirmed that Diogo Jota had made the bench after missing Premier League wins over Norwich City and Leeds United following a knock picked up against Inter in the Champions League on February 16.

Romelu Lukaku was named on the bench for a second straight game by Thomas Tuchel, while Chelsea opted for Edouard Mendy ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal.

Romelu Lukaku was named on the bench for a second straight game by Thomas Tuchel in Sunday's EFL Cup final, while Chelsea opted for Edouard Mendy ahead of Kepa Arrizabalaga against Liverpool.

Lukaku's role in the Chelsea team has been the subject of some debate all season long and came to the fore again following his display in the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on February 19. 

The Belgium striker managed just seven touches – the fewest of any player to complete 90 minutes in a single top-flight game since Opta has the data available (2003-04) – and was subsequently dropped to the bench for the win over Lille in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Tuchel said that decision was made to keep Lukaku out of "the next fire", seemingly hinting at a return at Wembley, but Kai Havertz was again preferred when the Chelsea team was announced on Sunday.

Tuchel's other conundrum was whether to start Kepa, who has starred as Chelsea's cup goalkeeper. However, first-choice Mendy, as in the Club World Cup final, was preferred.

Hakim Ziyech did not make the matchday squad, but Mateo Kovacic was named in the XI. Both men had hobbled off against Lille.

Andreas Christensen's absence created space for Trevoh Chalobah to be brought in, while Reece James returned to the bench for the first time since suffering a hamstring injury on December 29 against Brighton and Hove Albion.

Jurgen Klopp made for two alterations to the Liverpool line-up that hammered Leeds United 6-0 on Wednesday, keeping faith with his cup keeper in Caoimhin Kelleher while Jordan Henderson returned.

Diogo Jota made the bench after missing Premier League wins over Norwich City and Leeds, following a knock picked up against Inter in the Champions League on February 16.

It is not uncommon for second-choice goalkeepers to be given minutes in the early rounds of cup competitions, only for the number one to return when it comes down to the crunch.

Yet for Kepa Arrizabalaga, that will almost certainly not be the case.

Signed in 2018 from Athletic Bilbao for £71.6million (€80m), which is still a record fee for a goalkeeper, Kepa undoubtedly struggled in his first few seasons at Stamford Bridge.

Indeed, Kepa's form was so worrying that Chelsea, then managed by club great Frank Lampard, decided to sign Edouard Mendy from Rennes in 2020, just two years after shelling out that record-setting fee.

Yet since Thomas Tuchel came into the club, Kepa has been given a new lease of life.

While Mendy has solidified his place as the number one, Kepa has stepped up when called upon.

The nervous, shaky youngster has made way for a player who once again seems confident in his own ability and his right to play for the European champions.

With Mendy staying as the first choice in the Premier League and Champions League, for now, Kepa has nailed down a starting spot in the domestic cup competitions, and looks set to start against Liverpool in the EFL Cup final on Sunday.

Should he turn in another match-winning display, as he did in the UEFA Super Cup last year, then Tuchel may well have a decision to make on just who is his first choice after all.

What went wrong?

Kepa's move to Chelsea came in the same window that Liverpool had splashed out on Alisson, and there was plenty of expectation on both goalkeepers.

But while Alisson thrived under the pressure, going on to help Liverpool win the Champions League and then the Premier League a year later, Kepa crumbled.

The Spaniard also made headlines when he refused to be subbed off before a penalty shoot-out in, ironically, the EFL Cup final. Maurizio Sarri's side lost to Manchester City.

Across 36 league appearances that season, Kepa conceded 39 goals. Eight of these came from shots outside the box, with only five goalkeepers conceding more long-range efforts. His overall save percentage was 67.77, ranking him 15th in the competition.

Another way to assess the quality of Kepa's shot-stopping is by using the expected goals on target (xGOT) model to calculate the number of goals Kepa actually prevented. xGOT measures not just the quality of a chance (xG) but the quality of the attempt itself.

Kepa's Premier League xGOT figure for 2018-19 was 37.1. Minus the 39 goals he conceded, Kepa essentially allowed in just over two more goals than the numbers would suggest (-1.9).

In comparison, Alisson finished the season having prevented 5.5 goals in the league through the quality of his saves, while West Ham's Lukasz Fabianski, for example, had an outstanding figure of 12.9. 

Yet it was in 2019-20 that Kepa's form truly dropped off. He conceded 47 times from 33 league appearances, with only seven goalkeepers allowing more goals. His save percentage of 53.47 was the poorest in the league, out of shot-stoppers to play at least 10 times, while his goals prevented figure was -10.7 (including penalties, but excluding own goals).

Chelsea claimed a top-four place and reached the FA Cup final, yet it was Willy Caballero, not Kepa, who helped them get to a Wembley showdown and, at the start of 2020-21, they drafted in Mendy from Rennes.

Turning point

Things hardly improved for Kepa at the start of 2020-21. Across the Premier League season, no goalkeeper made more errors leading to goals than the Spain international, who committed three such mistakes in just seven appearances.

All of those mistakes came in his first three league appearances of the season, and he did not feature again in the top flight under Lampard, next playing in February. He made four saves, including an impressive stop from Joe Willock late on, as Tuchel's team defeated Newcastle United 2-0.

That, perhaps, was the start of Kepa's resurgence. Chelsea again reached the final of the FA Cup, and again lost - this time to a Youri Tielemans stunner for Leicester City - but Kepa played in all six of those cup matches.

However, the true turning point came in August's Super Cup. Tuchel's side triumphed 6-5 on penalties over Europa League winners Villarreal following a 1-1 draw in Belfast, and Kepa was the hero.

In contrast to that 2019 EFL Cup final, Kepa was the goalkeeper brought on specifically for penalties this time, and he denied Aissa Mandi and Raul Albiol to ensure victory.

Back at his best?

Perhaps Kepa will need to move on to be a first-choice goalkeeper once again. After all, at 27 he can no longer be counted as a youngster, and as it stands Mendy is still Tuchel's number one.

Though Kepa will get his chance in Sunday's EFL Cup final, surely, to help Chelsea claim a third trophy of the season, following the Super Cup and the Club World Cup, in which he featured in the semi-final.

Since that Super Cup success, Kepa has been a consistent performer. In his 13 games across all competitions, he has conceded just eight goals, keeping six clean sheets.

Those eight goals have come from an xGOT of 18.5, meaning Kepa's "goals prevented" figure is now way into the black, at 10.5.

In fact, that figure is the best of any goalkeeper in Europe's top five leagues in all competitions, proving just how much Kepa has come on over the course of the last year.

Mendy, in comparison, has stopped just over three goals with his saves, while Kepa also holds a better save percentage (83.7 to Mendy's 77.4), and he has established himself as worthy competition.

It may not be what Chelsea had in mind when they paid that world record fee in 2018, but if he helps them to another piece of silverware on Sunday, it would be hard to argue he is not starting to prove his worth.