Topik: Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Chelsea, Carabao Cup
The Spaniard watched on as his German rival secured an impressive Carabao Cup win over Chelsea in Sunday's headline-grabbing final.

Liverpool's Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea remains the talk of the town as Jurgen Klopp's injury-plagued side overcame Pochettino's expensively assembled squad 1-0 after extra time.

Virgil van Dijk grabbed the winner at Wembley, heading the ball past Đorđe Petrović in the 118th minute to secure the Merseyside giants the first out of four possible titles in Klopp's final season at Anfield.

However, Pep Guardiola, arguably Klopp's greatest rival, looked to rain on Liverpool's parade when asked about the Reds' Carabao Cup victory. The Spaniard was asked about the competition during his pre-match press conference for Man City's upcoming FA Cup clash with Luton Town and made an eye-catching remark about the importance of the League Cup.

"I remember when I arrived, Brian Kidd (former Man City assistant coach) told me: 'The Carabao Cup, don't pay attention, play the young players, nobody cares'," Pep stated.

"Sir Alex Ferguson was always: 'It doesn't matter'. I don't know what happened in these last years, looks like the final of a different competition. It's the truth!" 

Jurgen Klopp hailed Sunday's title win as "easily the most special trophy" he has ever won given the circumstances but is Guardiola trying to undermine the German's recent achievement? While several fans have interpreted it this way, the Spaniard's comment could be seen in a different light.

On one hand, he could be bemoaning the lack of appreciation he was shown after winning the title for four consecutive years in comparison to Klopp this season and Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag in the previous campaign.

On the flip side, Guardiola could be crediting his team for bringing a previously neglected tournament to the limelight given the number of times he has won it. Nonetheless, the Manchester City manager has been accused of being salty by fans on X (previously Twitter) for his choice of words.

The Cityzens are gearing up for an FA Cup showdown but their focus this season remains on the heated Premier League title race. Liverpool are currently top of the table but Haaland and Co. are only a point behind in second while Arteta's Arsenal are only a point behind City in third.