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Gallagher was not the only player to struggle in front of goal on what was a hugely frustrating day at Wembley.
This will hurt Chelsea for a long time. No matter how many extenuating circumstances (inexperience, bad luck, injuries, etc.) you try to attribute to it, their heartbreaking extra-time loss to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday was a colossal missed opportunity.
Missed opportunities, of which there were plenty, will haunt Mauricio Pochettino’s dreams tonight, with the injury-ravaged Reds somehow holding on long enough for Virgil van Dijk to head home the game’s only goal at the end of the extra period.
In a vibrant first half, Cole Palmer saw a close-range shot wonderfully saved by Caoimhin Kelleher and Raheem Sterling had a goal marginally disallowed for offside. Liverpool also had their chances, with Cody Gakpo hitting the woodwork and Conor Bradley somehow being denied by heroic defending from Levi Colwill.
Incredibly, the intensity increased even more after the break. Chelsea passed up a series of presentable opportunities either side of Van Dijk’s header which was controversially ruled out by VAR for a Wataru Endo infringement. And, in a climactic end to normal time, Liverpool survived a fight of epic proportions in goal, before Conor Gallagher hit the post and then launched an excellent opening high and wide.
But, after being denied in regulation time, Van Dijk would punish Chelsea with a set piece in the 118th minute, heading in a corner from Kostas Tsimikas to send the Reds traveling behind the goal crazy. A few minutes later, with the red smoke from the pyrotechnics rising behind the goal still covering the Wembley grass, the final whistle sounded and all the Blues could do was leave with the bitter taste of disappointment in their mouths.
GOAL qualifies the Chelsea players for a classic final…