Kavanagh named as referee for Carabao Cup final between Reds & Blues in move

Chris Kavanagh has been selected as the referee for the Carabao Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool.

Kavanagh will officiate the game at Wembley on February 25, but his appointment may not be too popular with Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.

Mark Scholes and James Mainwaring will be the assistant referees, with Tim Robinson named as the fourth official and John Brooks overseeing VAR.

Klopp was livid when Kavanagh failed to award Liverpool a penalty during their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield on December 23.

The Liverpool boss was adamant that his side should have been awarded a penalty for a handball from Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard.

After the game, Klopp said: 'The penalty situation is a weird situation, I don't know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I'm not sure how you can say it's not a penalty.'

Klopp was also critical of Kavanagh in his post-match press conference. He said: 'I didn't see it in the game, I saw it after and I think we all agree it was handball. But I always wait until Mr Dermot (Gallagher) explains it the next day (in his role as a TV analyst) what's really the case.

'He will find a way to explain to me why it was not handball. For me it's a clear handball. I have no idea if it would have influenced the result.'

In February 2021, Klopp was angry after Kavanagh gave Everton a penalty against Liverpool in the Merseyside derby. The incident related to Trent Alexander-Arnold fouling Dominic Calvert-Lewin the area.

Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the spot, with Everton proceeding to win 2-0.

Klopp said after the game: 'I really think it is unfair to ask me because everybody asks me that question, so it means everybody thinks it was not a penalty. But that is not really important because the referee thought it was a penalty.

'So I wanted to talk to him after the first few interviews I had but he left already. I just wanted to ask what did he see because when the VAR calls you over to the sideline then I think he is in doubt about the decision.

'But he needed only a second (to decide). So he went there, had a look and give a penalty, so he obviously saw something other people didn't see. I haven't seen it back yet but everyone who speaks to me tells me the same. How can it be a penalty?'.

Furthermore, in December 2021, Klopp was angry after Andy Robertson was sent off in a 2-2 draw against Tottenham.

Kavanagh was on VAR duty for the game, with Liverpool also feeling that then-Tottenham striker Harry Kane should have been sent off.

After the game Klopp commented on Robertson red card as he said: 'It's a clear, absolutely 100 per cent a red card,' Klopp said about Robertson's dismissal. 'If Andy Robertson's foot is on the ground his leg is broken. Luckily for both it was in the air, but it's still a red card. The ref saw it differently.'

Klopp was also hugely critical of Kavanagh's performance as VAR.

Klopp said: 'We saw it back and yes you can give a red card there [for Kane]. It's not the harshest ever but not the smartest as well and he knows that.

'He lost it a little bit. This red card you can give but this was proof that VAR was there today because before that we thought he might not be in his office. I think we all agree that Harry Kane should have seen a red card, and he didn't.'