Chris Bascombe skrifar virkilega góða leikskýrslu í Liverpool Echo, þar sem hann lætur Chelsea heyra það. Hann er greinilega á sömu skoðun og við Kristján eftir leikinn í gær:

CHELSEA may have won the League Cup, but in doing so they lost something far more precious.

Any ounce of dignity the Londoners had before this game - and, admittedly, even this was in short supply - was extinguished amid one of the most classless exhibitions witnessed in a major final.

If the taunting of Liverpool’s fans by a man so self-obsessed he makes Sir Alex Ferguson look graceful wasn’t enough, the Chelsea fans’ delight in ridiculing Steven Gerrard could prove as serious an own goal as the one which turned the game their way.

Do they seriously believe they’ve made themselves an attractive destination for Gerrard now? How can he ever contemplate joining that lot - a club which is the antithesis of everything both he and Liverpool represent?

Jose Mourinho’s comic arrogance seemed more charming than threatening until yesterday, but now, on what should have been the day he finally made his mark in England, his halo has slipped. Chelsea didn’t just beat Liverpool, they rubbed their noses in defeat. They clearly haven’t heard the expression about never kicking a good man when he’s down. Their antics gave what should have been a valid victory a more sinister twist.

Usually, final defeats need to be wiped from the memory. No-one who witnessed the gutless celebrations will forget this and Rafa Benitez is in no doubt about the identity of his most arch-enemy during his spell in English football.

This wasn’t to be Benitez’s day, but when he returns to a showpiece event with a team of his own construction, hopefully having been given a fraction of the financial support Mourinho enjoys, revenge will be sweet.

Og áfram:

Then came the equaliser. We knew Gerrard would have a major influence on the result, but no-one foresaw such cruel circumstances. Chelsea fans thought it hilarious that the player who could have been playing for them should score for their side, anyway.

They won’t find it so funny when they reflect on how such freak circumstances mean it’s now unthinkable he will ever wear their shade of blue. If he leaves, it has to be anywhere but there.

Og enn áfram:

Today Chelsea have the silverware to go with their Russian gold, but the one priceless quality which Benitez possesses still eludes the victors.

As the banner in the Liverpool end so aptly read: “Respect can’t be bought.”

Við hefðum ekki getað orðað þetta betur!

Viðbót (Einar Örn): Kannski ekki úr vegi að benda á leikskýrslu Paul Tomkins, sem er mjög góð.