Liverpool's triumph over Tottenham ensured they qualified for the League Cup final for the second year in a row, possibly marking Arne Slot's first trophy with the team.
He shares a similar achievement with Jurgen Klopp, as the then-manager also made it to the final of this same competition in his first season in charge back in 2016.
Considering this, we have taken a look back at the Liverpool squad that lost the 2016 final against Manchester City and where they are nearly nine years on.
GK: Simon Mignolet
At the age of 36, Mignolet remains in top form and is thriving with Club Brugge, where he has established himself as their top goalkeeper, starting every league and Champions League match.
In the end, he remained with the club for three additional years due to Alisson Becker's emergence. The latter's arrival made his return to the team highly unlikely, so he moved to Brugge in 2019 for approximately £6 million.
His side enjoyed significant success early on in his tenure, securing the league title three consecutive times before capturing a fourth championship in the 2023-24 season. Additionally, he claimed the Belgium Cup in 2022, and has accumulated five titles for Goalkeeper of the Season.
RB: Nathaniel Clyne
Prior to Trent Alexander-Arnold's emergence, Clyne was the number one selection under Klopp. He is now on the periphery of things at age 33 with Crystal Palace, the club in which he was developed through their academy system.
Unfortunately, he suffered a significant injury prior to the 2017 season, which initially allowed Alexander-Arnold to have a chance to break into the team. However, he played a supporting role before being loaned to Bournemouth in January 2019. Subsequently, he suffered another long-term injury; Liverpool subsequently confirmed they would not be renewing his contract, and he parted ways with the team after 105 games.
He then re-joined Palace for a second stint and has been functioning as a versatile player under Oliver Glasner's management.
CB: Lucas
Despite having Kolo Toure on the bench, midfielder Lucas was chosen to start at centre-back and he played the full 120 minutes. He missed a critical penalty kick in the shootout.
The 38-year-old player retired in 2023 after putting his playing career on hold. Notably, he holds the record for playing the most games in a single stint with Liverpool, with 346 appearances, and earned widespread affection from the Liverpool fans during his 10-year tenure with the club.
After moving to Lazio for £5 million in 2017 from Liverpool, he spent five successful years there, winning the Supercopa Italia twice and the Coppa Italia, and being named the club's player of the year during his first season. He then returned to Brazil for one final season to play for Gremio, his childhood club, in a farewell move.
CB Mamadou Sakho (Kolo Toure, '25)
Sakho's time at Liverpool was indeed perplexing; he left the game prematurely due to an injury and was eventually replaced by the more seasoned player, Yaya Toure. Initially joining the team from Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 for £18million, he was quickly promoted to the first team and became a part of the side under Brendan Rogers that almost secured the title.
He suffered setbacks and injuries during his time at the club and was limited to only 80 appearances across three and a half seasons before being released. Furthermore, he was part of a doping scandal related to a weight-loss medication, for which he subsequently received reparation. Meanwhile, he reportedly developed a strained relationship with the coach, resulting in his transfer to the reserve team.
He recouped a profit by selling him to Crystal Palace, where he played for four years before returning to France to join Montpellier. He now has moved to Georgian team Torpedo Kutaisi at the age of 34.
He retired in 2017 after a brief spell under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic. He went into coaching and served as manager of Wigan Athletic from the 2022 to 2023 season.
LB: Alberto Moreno (Adam Lallana, 72nd)
The flying Spaniard, formerly preferred as the first-choice left-back by Klopp, played for 72 minutes before being replaced, allowing Adam Lallana to take the field. However, Lallana's substitute appearance marked a turning point, as he failed to convert Liverpool's final spot-kick, providing the opportunity for the City team to seal the victory.
Moreno, still 32, plays under Cesc Fabregas at Como in Serie A as part of a really enjoyable team that also includes former Red Pepe Reina and notable players such as Sergi Roberto and Andrea Bellotti. Having started 17 times in the league, he has been a pivotal figure but injuries have hindered him in recent months.
Following his 2019 departure from Liverpool, he moved to Villarreal, where he emerged victorious against Manchester United in the 2019 Europa League final through a thrilling penalty shootout, successfully converting his spot-kick as Villarreal secured a historic triumph. Five years later, he took on his current position at Como.
At 36 years old, Lallana is still continuing his career, returning to the place where it all started, Southampton.
CM: Emre Can
The German midfielder was a key player under Klopp during that time and stands out as the only player out of four to successfully convert his penalty kick in the final. Currently, he serves as captain at Borussia Dortmund, and he played a crucial role in steering them to an unexpected appearance in the Champions League final last season.
The player, who operates primarily at centre-back and in defensive midfield, has participated in a total of 185 matches. This number surpasses his prior stint at Liverpool. He departed Liverpool after a four-season tenure in 2018 to join Juventus. At Juventus, he achieved victories in both Serie A and the Supercoppa Italiana, doing so alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
He initially moved on loan to Dortmund with the option to purchase, before completing a permanent transfer in 2020. Following this move, he achieved further success in Germany, winning the German Cup and remains a vital starting player at 31.
CM: Jordan Henderson
Henderson was an integral part of the Liverpool team during that period and went on to continue playing for the side, eventually leading them to victories in the Premier League and Champions League.
The 34-year-old has found himself at Ajax, having joined in January 2024, where he's taken part in 45 matches, mostly as captain. Prior to that, he was involved in the Saudi Pro League as part of a major football overhaul.
He teamed up with ex-Red Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq, playing 19 times before moving on six months later. Liverpool released him in the 2023 summer transfer period for 12 million pounds, marking the end of a lengthy and highly successful stint at Anfield, during which he accumulated an impressive 492 appearances.
LW: Philippe Coutinho
Quite surprisingly, his penalty kick was saved by Willy Caballero in the shootout, but he scored a late equalizer in the final, which led to extra time. As expected, his transfer to Barcelona in January 2018 is one of the most expensive deals in history, valued at a significant £
The acquisition granted Liverpool access to both Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, who have achieved legendary status and led the team to significant success since then. In contrast, Coutinho witnessed a decline in performance, exemplified by struggles in Spain, as well as loans at Bayern Munich and Aston Villa, before returning to England on a permanent deal.
He played under Gerrard briefly but after Emery took over, Coutinho found himself without a clear role, and went on loan to the Qatari club Al-Duhail before Brazil's Vasco da Gama, where he established himself as a young talent. Now 32, he remains contracted to Villa with still one year left on his current agreement.
RW: James Milner
He remained at the club for eight more years, contributing to the team's quest to win every available trophy except the Europa League.
Despite being 39 years old, he remains an important figure in the young Brighton squad. However, due to a recent injury, he has been sidelined for the past several months. When healthy, he is quickly approaching the Premier League appearance record set by Gareth Barry at 653, having made 637 appearances so far.
His contract expires at the end of the current season and it is highly likely that he will go after the record to successfully cap off his truly exceptional prolonged career.
CAM: Roberto Firmino
In 2016, Firmino was just beginning to gain momentum before the arrival of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane. Klopp looked to build his offense around him and Coutinho, and he went on to become a beloved figure at the club in the years that followed.
After dominating every aspect and making a vital impact for eight years, he departed in 2023 at the expiration of his contract. He had an additional milestone to his final league appearance against Villa by scoring an equalizer. He subsequently joined the Saudi Pro League, signing with Al Ahli, where he shares the field with notable players like Riyad Mahrez, and has taken on the captaincy while netting 18 goals from 58 appearances.
ST: Daniel Sturridge (Divock Origi, 80')
At that point, Sturridge led the team's attack line under Klopp before moving Firmino into the role of the sole striker. He scored 13 goals in 25 games that season, including a highlight-reel performance in the Europa League final loss to Sevilla, but then had to accept a substitute role in the following seasons before leaving in 2019.
He accumulated 68 goals and 20 assists in 160 matches before moving to Turkey's Trabzonspor for a season, and eventually concluding his career at Perth Glory in Australia, due to persistent injuries, at the age of 33.
A back-up, Origi, entered the game in the 80th minute during that cup final but failed to capitalize on the penalty attempts missed by three Liverpool players. Currently 29 years old and signed to AC Milan, he has played no minutes for the team in this season, following an unsuccessful loan to Nottingham Forest that tipped the table.