"Liverpool meet Chelsea once again. The EFL Cup final is underway!"
Havertz played the ball back.
As Leo looked over this Chelsea team, he suddenly felt something strange.
He had faced every single one of these players before. He could even clearly remember how each of them had lost to him in different competitions.
Whenever Leo made a run, he couldn't help glancing at the Chelsea players around him and remembering what they had looked like when they were younger.
It was a strange feeling.
Leo tried to focus on the match.
But then he glanced toward the bench and saw Lukaku, which immediately reminded him of the first time he had faced Manchester United. Back then, Lukaku's performance hadn't exactly pleased the United supporters.
Then Leo looked at the others.
When Havertz had played for Germany against Spain, he had been one of Spain's main defensive targets. Leo still remembered that European Championship match clearly. Havertz had barely been given any chances to attack.
Leo then began directing his teammates.
He rarely did this in previous matches. He almost never spelled out every opponent's weaknesses so clearly, especially when the other team could understand every word he was saying.
"Van Dijk, whenever Havertz is about to receive the ball, get physical with him. If you put him under pressure, he'll struggle to hold onto it!"
"Rodri, don't worry about Kanté. Sometimes he carries the ball forward, but that's not the real threat. Keep your eyes on Kovačić. He loves driving forward!"
"Mac Allister, when you're defending Pulisic, don't stay behind him. He likes knocking the ball into space and running onto it, so step in and intercept before he can get there!"
"Gvardiol, keep an eye on Mount. I'd rather he stay quiet all match, because every now and then he can produce something dangerous."
"Szoboszlai, whenever Rüdiger starts carrying the ball, press him immediately. Don't let him get into that high-kneed stride."
"Robertson, Azpilicueta likes getting forward sometimes. Watch him carefully. I love that guy!"
When Azpilicueta heard Leo mention him, he smiled and did a little dance toward him.
Back when Spain had won trophies, Azpilicueta had loved doing that same dance with Leo.
Tuchel stood on the touchline listening to every word.
Liverpool visibly grew more confident.
Leo carried himself like someone who already knew what winning felt like.
Then Tuchel realized something uncomfortable.
From his starters to the players on the bench, almost every member of Chelsea's squad had lost to Leo before.
How were they supposed to play against that?
Leo had walked onto the pitch with that attitude, openly listing Chelsea's weaknesses, and somehow everything he said sounded completely convincing.
How were Chelsea supposed to approach an EFL Cup final after hearing that?
And it wasn't only the Liverpool players who remembered Leo's words.
Every Chelsea player remembered them too.
Once the opposing captain reminded you of exactly how you had lost to him before, it was difficult not to think about it.
Havertz suddenly felt as though he had no chance against Van Dijk.
Chelsea's confidence dropped sharply.
In the 17th minute of the EFL Cup final!
Havertz moved toward midfield. Tuchel wanted him dropping back to provide an outlet for the defenders.
Rüdiger carried the ball forward with his usual high-kneed stride.
He passed to Azpilicueta.
As an experienced champion, Azpilicueta stayed composed. He waited for the opening and then found Kovačić.
Kanté immediately started moving forward, just as Leo had predicted.
Rodri ignored him.
Mac Allister stayed with Pulisic.
Mount moved into position to receive the ball.
Kovačić tried to drive forward, but getting past Rodri was difficult, so he had no choice but to pass to Pulisic.
Just as Leo had said, Pulisic immediately ran into space and tried to let the ball come to him.
Mac Allister stepped forward at once and intercepted it.
Mount had been preparing to combine with Pulisic, but the connection never came.
Liverpool launched their counterattack through Mac Allister.
Azpilicueta stayed with Díaz.
Szoboszlai shook off Rüdiger and began dropping deeper.
Leo moved into support, received Mac Allister's pass, and immediately sent the ball to Salah.
Salah drove forward.
Szoboszlai then joined him, and the two attacked Rüdiger together.
Kanté tracked back.
Thiago Silva moved across toward Rüdiger to provide cover, but out wide, Rüdiger's size gave him little advantage against Salah.
Chelsea's best chance of controlling the match lay in their defending.
Thiago Silva had been Chelsea's best defender this season, and now he was trying to keep track of Rüdiger's situation while also watching Szoboszlai.
Then Leo suddenly sprinted past Azpilicueta and slipped in behind Thiago Silva.
When a player like Leo got behind you, you had to worry.
You had no idea what he was about to do.
But at that exact moment, Salah cut inside and beat Rüdiger, creating an opening.
Thiago Silva had no choice but to deal with Salah first.
Meanwhile, Leo moved back from an offside position and got himself onside again.
Salah had no intention of shooting.
He simply passed the ball back to Szoboszlai.
Leo still needed a little more time.
If he dropped directly out of an offside position and immediately received the ball, there was still a chance the flag would go up.
So Liverpool worked the ball through Szoboszlai first, drawing Thiago Silva forward and giving Leo time to reset his position.
Even Édouard Mendy could see that Leo was about to receive the ball.
Chalobah couldn't.
When Szoboszlai finally passed to Leo, Leo realized there was nobody in front of him.
Chalobah hadn't come across to mark him at all.
He hadn't merely lost his man.
He was still marking Díaz.
Leo looked at Édouard Mendy and used the simplest finish possible, calmly guiding the ball into the net.
Nothing else was needed.
"Chalobah didn't just lose his man there. He was marking the wrong player entirely."
"You're a center back. Shouldn't your first priority be the attacker standing inside your own penalty area?"
"And somehow he went after Díaz instead!"
"Lin has scored in another EFL Cup final! I've lost count of how many times he's scored in this competition's final, but one thing is certain. Whenever Lin has scored in a final before, Liverpool have never lost!"
Azpilicueta went straight over to Chalobah, trying to get him focused again.
When you were defending with everything you had, only to look over and see a teammate who didn't even know who he was supposed to mark, and who still seemed to think he had done nothing wrong after marking the wrong player, it became difficult to know how you were supposed to keep playing the final.
Azpilicueta was already struggling to trust Chalobah.
Thiago Silva seemed to be the only Chelsea defender who still had a clear picture of what was happening.
But how was one man supposed to stop every Liverpool attacker by himself?
"Liverpool can keep attacking this way and force Chelsea into more mistakes. Chalobah can't handle Lin on his own. He needs help."
"I think Kanté has to focus entirely on defending now. Chelsea can't afford to keep sending him forward."