The first major silverware of the domestic season will be up for grabs when Chelsea take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
With the attacking qualities of both sides, many people will look to the forward lines of both teams as to where they think this match will be won.
But it is also a battle between two of the best defences in world football and it could be the question of which backline is better on the day that will decide whether it is Jordan Henderson or Cesar Azpilicueta lifting the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
Both sides are incredibly tough to break down with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva enjoying fantastic seasons.
While Liverpool's full-backs are integral to the Reds' efficiency this season, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson bagging a sensational 28 assists between them in all competitions.
In Reece James, Chelsea have a full-back who can challenge the dynamic Liverpool duo in terms of his contribution towards goals.
Tuchel will be hoping that the England international will be fit to return to the fold on Sunday after being out of action since December.
Sportsmail analyses the defence of both sides ahead of Sunday's massive clash.
JAMES RETURN COULD PROVIDE MASSIVE BOOST
Chelsea have a number of injuries going into this weekend's fixture but the return of James would provide a massive boost to Tuchel's side.
The 22-year-old has been out of action since their 1-1 draw with Brighton on December 29 when he came off with a hamstring injury.
Up until his injury, James netted five times and provided six assists in all competitions, the closest which any full-back in the league has come to the goal contributions provided by Alexander-Arnold and Robertson.
It was a double blow for Chelsea, who were already missing the impact of Ben Chilwell who is out for the season with a ruptured cruciate ligament.
Since New Year's Day, Tuchel has played the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Malang Sarr and Marcos Alonso in the wide positions in James and Chilwell's place.
During that time Alonso has bagged two assists while both the Spaniard and captain Azpilicueta scored in their 2-1 FA Cup victory against Plymouth.
The assist numbers though are considerably down on Liverpool's main two options, with Robertson bagging six assists and Alexander-Arnold providing five in 2022.
The impact of James' absence though is shown particularly through his statistics compared to his team-mates this season.
In 23 appearances, James is averaging a goal or assist every 147 minutes - which is superior to Chilwell (211), Alonso (394) and Azpilicueta (631). In that respect it also favours considerably in his favour to Alexander-Arnold (151) and Robertson (190) - though both have played more games.
He is also averaging 2.1 chances per game, has a crossing accuracy of 25.5 per cent and passing accuracy of 89.3 per cent which is better than his team-mates.
James is often compared to his opposite number and England team-mate Alexander-Arnold - who has hit another level at Liverpool this season.
This is shown by his superior chances created per 90 minutes (2.7), crossing accuracy (26.9 per cent) and the standout figure of his stunning 16 assists in 30 games across all competitions.
Both Alexander-Arnold (43 in 152 games) and Robertson (48 in 208 games) are rapidly closing in on the Premier League record for most assists set by Leighton Baines (53 in 240 games).
If James doesn't recover in time or can only make the bench, then it's possible they could start with Alonso and Azpilicueta out wide.
Alonso, who would start on the left, has enough creativity to cause Liverpool problems as shown by his 1.7 chances created per 90 minutes and crossing accuracy of 19.4 per cent.
Azpilicueta, who could play on the right, is more of a defensive minded wing-back with just 0.8 chances created per 90 minutes. While this could help Chelsea keep Liverpool's forward quiet, they would lose some creativity on the other side of the pitch.
Chelsea could also opt to play Malang Sarr if they go for a back-four or Callum Hudson-Odoi who has sometimes operated as the left wing-back.
VAN DIJK BACK TO HIS BEST
Sunday's clash will see two of Europe's best defences take to the pitch in the Carabao Cup final.
Since Tuchel came into Chelsea just over a year ago, the Blues have been a much harder force to break down in main part to the quality of Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
This was proven at the start of the year when it took 11 games before a team could score in open play against them in their 1-1 draw with Burnley on November 6.
Since then, Chelsea have kept just four clean sheets in their 15 games in the league - in a period which saw them drop off the tails of Manchester City in the title race.
A big plus for Liverpool is the return to form of Van Dijk in recent weeks.
The Dutchman returned at a better level that what most would for an injury as serious as he sustained last season, but there still games earlier in the season, such as the 3-3 draw with Brentford, where he didn't look the same imposing figure as he did before.
Klopp said Van Dijk was back to his best following their 1-0 victory over Burnley and in recent weeks he has been back to his levels which got people talking him up as the best defender in the world.
The Dutchman makes games look easy, even against top forwards such as Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez in the Champions League.
Whether he's playing alongside Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate, the Reds have looked comfortable since the turn of the year, and are able to play with a risky high-line due to the quality of their players at the back.
Van Dijk is leading the centre-backs across both teams for clearances per game (3.5), aerial duels success (76 per cent) and has the least fouls conceded as his pace and strength means he rarely needs to give them away (0.2 per game).
Matip, who has often been plagued with injuries, has already played more games than he has in any season since 2018-19 and has been just as impressive.
The Cameroonian defender is averaging 5.4 aerial duels won per game which is even superior to Van Dijk, while along with Konate he has the best tackles rate per 90 minutes at 1.3.
Breaking down Chelsea this weekend though could be a mammoth task for the Reds.
When James was sent off at Anfield earlier in the season, the Reds struggled to break down the Chelsea defence consisting of Rudiger, Silva and Azpilicueta on the day despite having an extra man for more than a half of football.
In Rudiger and Silva, they have two of the best centre-backs in world football who like Van Dijk, make their roles look effortless at times.
One part of Silva's games which often goes underrated is his passing. He has a higher number of passes per 90 (81.3) than other defenders from both sides with superior accuracy (91.8 per cent). While he also wins possession 6.7 times per game, which is better than Van Dijk (6.3) and Matip (6.1).
Both games this season have ended in draws, though arguably Chelsea have been the more impressive out of the two.
But Liverpool are the top scorers in the Premier League this season with 70 goals - compared to Chelsea's 49 - so the Blues will likely need a similar massive effort to keep the Reds quiet if they are to lift the trophy on Sunday.