Back in February, 85,500 fans packed into Wembley Stadium to witness Liverpool lift the Carabao Cup following a penalty shootout triumph over Chelsea.
When Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga ballooned his spot-kick over Caoimhin Kelleher's crossbar it sparked jubilant scenes among the Reds squad and fans who had made the trip to London. It also marked the first domestic cup won by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and the celebrations appeared to demonstrate that the League Cup still had value in the English game having been been increasingly maligned in recent years.
But now it has been claimed that the competition is under threat, with the increase in Champions League group games from six to eight from 2024 adding to an already hectic fixture schedule that has been the focus of anger from a number of top-flight bosses, including Klopp, with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola having previously called into question the requirement for the League Cup in the modern English game, at least for the biggest sides.
