Liverpool substitution: Nunez for Garcia.

71 mins: The football's not great but it's absorbing stuff. 90 + 6 mins: Who's special now, Jose? In a single night Liverpool's grandeur has been restored. Squad details and shirt numbers:[17], Since Manchester United qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup as, 2005–06 UEFA Champions League group stage § Group G, 2005–06 UEFA Champions League knockout stage, "For the record: Premier League facts and figures", 2006 English football corruption investigation, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2005–06_Chelsea_F.C._season&oldid=984223033, English football championship-winning seasons, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 18 October 2020, at 22:43. Striker Milan Baroš replaced Morientes for Liverpool while Chelsea substituted Gallas for striker Mateja Kežman. 82 mins: The ball is whipped into the Liverpool box form the left, only for Didier Drogba (missed header) and Mateja Kezman (missed contact of any kind) to miss easy chances. Will anyone believe a word of it? It could have sounded like a fortune cookie but the four pictures of the European Cup beneath gave it resonance. On ITV1, co-commentator Andy Townsend is stressing the need for Chelsea to get Frank Lampard and Joe Cole more involved in the game, particularly in the absence of their wide players Arjen Robben and El Duffer. Anfield is wedged tonight and Liverpool's fans are taking their role as 12th man seriously, instilling a spot of pre-match terror into their opponents by belting out a crowd-pleaser from the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel. [6] The second leg at Watford's home ground, Vicarage Road finished in the same scoreline, with Gerrard again scoring the winning goal. It's cut out and Chelsea clear courtesy of Lampard. However, Liverpool were unable to find an equalising goal in the remaining minutes and Chelsea won 3–2 to win the League Cup for the third time. Gerrard's ball through the centre for Baros was inch-perfect and if Liverpool hadn't scored, they'd almost certainly have got a penalty and seen Petr Cech get sent off. Call me a wet Guardianista liberal, but a bit of peace, love and understanding wouldn't go astray. This unecessary manouvre allows Jamie Carragher to make up ground, stick out a leg and dispossess the Chelsea striker. It wouldn't have been a penalty anyway, as Terry was standing just outside the box. Arjen Robben was fit enough only to play as a substitute and Damien Duff was in no condition to be in the squad at all. Steve Finnan sends a high ball into the Chelsea penalty area, but his pass is too high and it scuffs off the top of Baros's head and goes wide.

As Liverpool were competing in the Premier League, they entered the competition in the third round and were drawn against Millwall, who were in the Championship. [23], Chelsea replaced midfielder Jiří Jarošík with striker Eiður Guðjohnsen at the start of the second half, and started the second half in the same manner that they finished the first, with Liverpool withholding the pressure on their penalty area.
"£30 million for Drogba and Kezman?!!" I've sat through all your Big Cup minute-by-minutes and I've got used to the lack of information.". The first leg at Stamford Bridge finished 0–0 with both teams missing chances to score. A run by Finnan in the 27th minute saw him go past Duff and defender William Gallas before he passed to Luis García, but his shot was blocked by Ricardo Carvalho. That's the topic of interest to the rest of us. "Doesn't really seem right does it? 19 mins: Eidur Gudjohnsen goes on a good run through the centre, only to be relieved of the ball by a robust challenge from Didi Hamann. After winning the League Cup in the previous season, they failed to defend their title by taking an early third-round exit to Charlton Athletic on penalties. His pass is cut out by the forehead of the authoritative Sami Hyypia. Robben and Mateja Kezman came on immediately but for once this was no suave tactical switch by Mourinho, just the doomed gamble of a desperate manager who saw Liverpool's fame coming back to searing life. Thanks to Luis García's disputed fourth-minute goal, they tower over English football once more as the club that will seek a remarkable fifth European Cup by taking on PSV Eindhoven or, almost certainly, Milan in the final on May 25. Chelsea manager Mourinho was sent off following the goal for making a gesture towards the Liverpool fans. Jose Mourinho's post-match comments: "The best team lost. "You do sound quite bitter Barry," writes Ruairi Johnston, who keeps massaging my ego by sending emails to the Guardian in which he complains about my rampant egotism. It was a scrappy moment and the fixture lacked the majesty of Liverpool's peak occasions of the 1980s. Considering the pride that Anfield took in the great displays of synchronised passing a generation ago there was a certain irony to the booing when Chelsea composed themselves by holding the ball but this was the moment for any Liverpool fan to be at his most partisan. If they do something to earn praise, you dish it out. Liverpool were appearing in their tenth final; they had previously won seven and lost two while Chelsea were appearing in the final for the fourth time. Despite the incident, Chelsea continued their dominance into extra-time and a goal each from Didier Drogba and Mateja Kežman gave them a 3–1 lead. It must be because of the two pitch invaders, but they can't have held the match up for more than a minute between them. The Czech lobbed Petr Cech before being fouled by the charging goalkeeper. Moments later, Robben sends a long-range effort over the bar. He's fouled and wins a free-kick, the taking of which is further delayed by a spot of "afters" between himself and John Terry. Liverpool's matches were generally close affairs, with only two victories secured by two goals or more.

Ouch! 51 mins: Eidur Gudjohnsen is made leave the field with a blood injury after getting caught in the eye by Djimi Traore's flailing boot. The clinical runs of Robben were badly missed before he came on for the closing 20 minutes. It strikes John Terry's arm and the shout goes up for hand-ball. "Abused by everyone as a (insert team name)-hater and only loved by a 300-pound stalker called Paula Willow in Russia.

43 mins: "Hey, anyone named Barry has to be a Scouser," writes Jeff. and so on]. In the FA Cup, they managed to improve on their third-round exit in the previous season, but fell short in the semi-final, losing 2–1 to Liverpool. Benítez's team counted on grittily relentless defending and the substitute Djibril Cissé let Cech save when he should have relieved the pressure with a second goal.

It's hard to know whether the ball crossed the line or not, but the concensus seems to be that the referee gave Liverpool the goal rather than award them a penalty and send off Petr Cech. Calm down! And finally, some actual match analysis: "Apart from the initial flurry, there is little to credit Liverpool with tonight," writes Stephen in Toronto. How the in the name of all that's good and holy did Eidur miss such a great chance to snatch it for Chelsea at the death? They had previously won twice and lost once. Tottenham appeared to be on course for victory, but a handball in their penalty area by Frédéric Kanouté resulted in a Liverpool penalty, which striker Florent Sinama Pongolle scored. Great strike, excellent save. We'll go back to London as heroes independent of the result," he deadpanned, as the sound of eyes rolling skywards was drowned out by sniggering at the back of the press-room. The 2005–06 season was Chelsea F.C. [24], Following the match, Chelsea manager José Mourinho claimed that the gesture he made had been intended for the media and not Liverpool fans: "The signal of close your mouth was not for them but for the press, they speak too much and in my opinion they try to do everything to disturb Chelsea.

[12], Liverpool were appearing in their tenth final they had won seven (1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003) and lost two (1978, 1987). Their new away kit was light blue with black shorts and black accents.

24 mins: Luis Garcia dawdles on the ball just outside his own penalty area and is robbed by Frank Lampard. Upon winning the 2005–06 Premier League season, Chelsea clinched their third national league title. Read about Chelsea v Liverpool in the Premier League 2005/06 season, including lineups, stats and live blogs, on the official website of the Premier League. There is a slight doubt as to whether García's shot crossed the line but the incident could have had even more devastating consequences for Chelsea if the referee Lubos Michel had interpreted it differently.

"Are you going to do the final?"

Available for everyone, funded by readers. 2 mins: Chelsea win a free-kick on the left, just inside Liverpool's half. When it looked as if he might shoot from the left hand side, he attempts to cross instead. Jamie Carragher blocks his effort with a fine tackle. [3] Liverpool were drawn against fellow Premier League side Middlesbrough in the fourth round. With Tiago screaming for the ball at the far post and ne'er a defender in sight, Drogba attempts to get the ball on to his stronger foot before crossing. The ball stays deep in Chelsea territory, which is good news for Liverpool fans. The referee waves play on, deeming it accidental. Shame it was only how to make panic substitutions though.". 3 mins: Liverpool 1 - 0 Chelsea (Agg: 1-0) What a start for Liverpool! Liverpool fielded a team that did not feature many of their regular starters including Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso. Makes a change!". [16]
He knows how important the game is for the club.". The Czech Republic striker tried to lift the ball over the onrushing Petr Cech, who promptly floored him. 12 mins: Deep in chelsea territory, Steven Gerrard attempts a 20-yard pass out to the left, but his wayward pass goes straight to Geremi. I don't want to criticise them but they played the way they want; they fought and fought and fought. 80 mins: With more men up front, Chelsea are starting to carve out a few scoring chances, but are looking totally exposed at the back. Mourinho was happy that Chelsea had won but said the victory was not special: "It's just one more. Thus, Chelsea won the tie 2–1 on aggregate to progress to the final.

"Why don't you let it go and concentrate on the game rather than your ego. He's not one bit happy and makes his feelings clear to the referee. Watched by a crowd of 78,000 Liverpool scored inside the first minute when John Arne Riise volleyed a Fernando Morientes pass into the Chelsea goal. It was the final match of the 2004–05 Football League Cup, the 45th season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and Football League. Terry then starts moaning at the refereeing, saying that Baros keeps backing into him. [9], Local rivals Fulham were Chelsea's opposition in the quarter-final, with the match held at Fulham's home ground, Craven Cottage.

However, the free kick from Ferreira was cleared by Liverpool. Robben and Huth combine down the left flank, before Makelele sends the ball wide to the right. It's the first one he's had to make tonight. Chelsea continued spending vast sums of money in their third season under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, signing Michael Essien from Lyon and Shaun Wright-Phillips from Manchester City for more than £20 million each. Tottenham took the lead in the 108th minute when striker Jermain Defoe scored.