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Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has claimed that Manchester United legend Gary Neville's comments about Chelsea being 'bottlejobs' in their EFL Cup final loss are unfair.
Earlier on Sunday (February 25), Klopp's side lifted their 10th EFL Cup trophy after beating Chelsea 1-0 in the summit clash at Wembley. They started the contest with 11 players injured and brought on inexperienced teenagers prior to Virgil van Dijk's 118th-minute winner.
Following the Liverpool captain's header in the extra-time of the clash, Neville said that Mauricio Pochettino's outfit were "blue billion-pound bottlejobs" on Sky Sports. However, Klopp has insisted that he is not a fan of the ex-United man's remarks in a presser (h/t Echo):
"I understand that people have to talk about it, but I was in the other seat as well, losing a final. People say a lot of things about you that you don't like to hear. In my case, some of them were true, some were not true, just guessing what might have happened."
Klopp, who has won eight trophies during his time at Liverpool, added:
"I'm the one who knows what it's like to lose five or six finals in a row. I can imagine how it was for Chelsea, everybody tells you: 'By the way, you lost the last [six] and that's a new record'. It's not nice, and like I say, I really felt for them. They didn't deserve to get all the blame... they played a really good game."
Sympathising with Pochettino and his Chelsea stars, Klopp concluded:
"In a final where nobody plays their absolute best football, you just have to beat the opponent, and that's what we did. That's why this 'bottling' thing is really not mine. I really don't understand it. They wanted it badly and didn't get it, and I saw in the faces of the players and Poch after the game that it felt horrible."
Mark Goldbridge labels Chelsea 'cowards' after 1-0 EFL Cup final defeat to Liverpool
After Virgil van Dijk's late winner at Wembley earlier on Sunday, popular YouTuber Mark Goldbridge slammed the Blues for their sub-par display in the EFL Cup final's extra-time. He wrote on X:
"Chelsea deserve that. Cowards in extra-time."
Liverpool, who lost Ryan Gravenberch to an injury in the 28th minute of the match, had five players under the age of 21 in the extra-time. Bobby Clark, Jayden Danns, James McConnell, and Jarell Quansah were all substituted on to help their team's senior side triumph.
During the 2024 EFL Cup final, Liverpool relished 54% possession and completed 579 passes with a 84% accuracy. They registered 24 shots compared to the Blues' 19 shots against an in-form Caoimhin Kelleher.
