Jurgen Klopp revealed his desire to write another chapter in Liverpool's "wonderful book" before taking his leave at the end of the season, but this Carabao Cup final victory over Chelsea provided an unlikely story even by his own remarkable standards.
Klopp's line-up was stripped of some of its most precious assets going into a meeting with Chelsea's billion-pound project, the odds on a Liverpool victory lengthening with the arrival of the team-sheet before kick-off.
Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez were added to a list of casualties already containing keeper Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota and Curtis Jones.