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The Premier League was claimed at a canter a few months later.

During his second spell at Stamford Bridge, his first trophy was the League Cup, and it was the same when he switched to Manchester United.

And no doubt Mourinho would claim it could have been at Tottenham Hotspur too, had he not been sacked shortly before the final against Manchester City in 2021.



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The League Cup may by some distance have been the least important of the four trophies Liverpool were chasing at the start of the season.

In terms of Liverpool managers, both Rafael Benitez and Jurgen Klopp reached the final in their debut season - setting a template for the future - and it was the first trophy won by Joe Fagan, Roy Evans, Gerard Houllier and, in his second spell in charge, Kenny Dalglish.

Slot will know history suggests winning the League Cup can be a precursor to further success.

And with Liverpool 15 points clear at the Premier League summit with nine games remaining, there's a strong chance Sunday could be the first part of a trophy double.

But the portents also indicate the Reds boss, having previously highlighted how rarely his team have enjoyed a strong winning margin to see out games comfortably this season, should braced for another nervy occasion.

Liverpool simply do not do straightforward final appearances.

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The Reds have reached 14 previous League Cup finals, winning 10.

And even then, the 3-1 triumph over Tottenham Hotspur in 1982 was sealed in the penultimate minute of extra time while Michael Owen's goal to cap a 2-0 success over Manchester United in 2003 came in the 86th minute.

In fact, in the 46 one-off finals Liverpool have reached in all competitions, only one has been won or lost by a margin of more than two goals - the 3-0 FA Cup final triumph in 1974.
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