Jordan Henderson’s chance to make history with 6th different trophy shuffle

Jordan Henderson has the opportunity to pull out his trophy shuffle for a sixth different piece of silverware today as Liverpool look to add to their FA Cup collection.

Following on from the League Cup final, this will be the first F. Cup final to be contested between two managers from Germany.

No German manager has ever managed a team to victory in the final of this competition.

Liverpool are looking to win a sixth FA Cup game in succession for the first time since 2006, when the Reds lifted the trophy against West Ham in Cardiff.

 

A SIXTH Hendo Shuffle?

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, February 27, 2022: Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson lifts the trophy as his side celebrate winning the Football League Cup Final match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Jordan Henderson could become the first Liverpool captain in history to lift six different trophies.

He will have a 10-year gap between his first and second Liverpool FA Cup Final appearance – the longest such span of any Reds player.

And Liverpool are aiming to become only the fourth team ever to win the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season – the others being Arsenal (1993), Liverpool (2001), Chelsea (2007) and Manchester City (2019).

 

Prepared for Penalties?

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, February 27, 2022: Liverpool players line-up for the penalty shoot-out during the Football League Cup Final match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool won 11-10 on penalties after a goal-less draw. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson, Mohamed Salah, Divock Origi, Ibrahima Konaté, Virgil van Dijk, Fabio Henrique Tavares 'Fabinho', Diogo Jota. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Three of Liverpool’s last four Wembley visits have gone to a penalty shoot-out – the 2019 and 2020 Community Shields (which they lost to Manchester City and Arsenal respectively) and this season’s Carabao Cup final.

Liverpool have won all three penalty shoot-outs with Chelsea – 2007 Champions League semi-final, 2019 Super Cup and this season’s League Cup Final.

And to add to that, the Reds have won all three of their FA Cup penalty shoot-outs, the last in the 2006 final against West Ham – and have won 18 of 25 in all competitions.

 

Formidable Reds

2J6BM3T Liverpool's Naby Keita (centre) celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game with team-mates Andrew Robertson (left) and Luis Diaz (right) during the Premier League match at St. James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Picture date: Saturday April 30, 2022.

Liverpool have not lost any of the 42 games this season in which they have scored the first goal of the game – 38 wins and four draws.

They are unbeaten in the last 15 games in all competitions (since a home defeat to Inter Milan in March), winning 12 and drawing three.

 

They’ve Been Here Before…

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 1, 2022: Chelsea's manager Thomas Tuchel during the FA Premier League match between Everton FC and Chelsea FC at Goodison Park. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

This is Chelsea’s fifth FA Cup final in six years, they have won one of the previous four, against Manchester United in 2018.

A defeat today will see them set an unprecedented record by becoming the first team ever to lose three FA Cup finals in a row.

And a loss will also see them become the first team since Middlesbrough in 1997 to lose the finals of both the League Cup and FA Cup in the same season.

 

Finding Form…

LONDON, ENGLAND - Sunday, January 2, 2022: Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas (R) Chelsea's Mason Mount during the FA Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC at Stamford Bridge. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Romelu Lukaku has scored 20 percent of his season’s goals tally in the last two games (has netted three times).

Mason Mount, meanwhile, has hit five goals in his last eight appearances.

They have scored in all but one of their last 17 games played since the League Cup Final – at Everton in the league three games ago when they lost 0-1.

 

Today’s ref

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, December 6, 2020: Referee Craig Pawson reverses his decision to award Wolverhampton Wanderers a penalty after looking at a replay on the VAR monitor during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC at Anfield. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Craig Pawson takes charge of a game involving both teams for the first time.

He oversaw Liverpool’s win at Nottingham Forest in the quarter-final and he was the fourth official in the 2015 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Aston Villa.

 

This Season’s Scorers

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - Tuesday, May 10, 2022: Liverpool's Sadio Mané (L) celebrates with team-mates captain Jordan Henderson (C) and Diogo Jota (R) after scoring the second goal during the FA Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Liverpool FC at Villa Park. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Liverpool: Salah 30, Mane 22, Jota 21, Firmino 11, Minamino 9, Fabinho 8, Luis Diaz 6, Origi 6, Keita 4, Henderson 3, Konate 3, Oxlade-Chamberlain 3, Van Dijk 3, Alexander-Arnold 2, Matip 2, Robertson 2, Thiago 2, Elliott 1, Gordon 1, Jones 1, own goals 2

Chelsea: Lukaku 15, Havertz 13, Mount 13, Werner 11, Jorginho 9, Pulisic 8 , Ziyech 8, James 6, Rudiger 5, Alonso 4, Chalobah 4, Azpilicueta 3, Chilwell 3, Hudson-Odoi 3, Thiago Silva 3, Christensen 2, Kante 2, Kovacic 2, Loftus-Cheek 1, Saul 1, own goals 3


* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).