Chelsea etched their name in English football history on Sunday, but not for the reason they would have hoped. Their defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final marked their sixth consecutive domestic cup final loss, solidifying a truly unwanted record.
The Blues’ cup woes began in 2019 with a defeat to Manchester City in the EFL Cup final. Since then, they have fallen at the final hurdle in the FA Cup on three occasions (2020, 2021, 2022) and the EFL Cup twice (2022, 2024).
This stretch of near misses has earned Chelsea the unfortunate nickname “The English Bottlers” from some sections of the fanbase and media. Despite their dominance in the Premier League under Thomas Tuchel, their inability to convert that form into cup trophies is becoming a cause for concern.
Only time will tell if Chelsea can break this winless streak and add to their impressive collection of domestic cups. But for now, they hold the unenviable record of most consecutive domestic cup final defeats in English football history.
