The first big silverware of the domestic season when Chelsea take on Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final.
With attacking qualities on both sides, many will look to the front lines of both teams to see where they think the match will be won.
But it is also a battle between two of the best defenses in world football and the question of which backline is better that day will decide whether Jordan Henderson or Cesar Azpilicueta lift the trophy on Sunday afternoon.
It is incredibly difficult to break both sides with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Antonio Rudiger and Thiago Silva enjoying a great season.
While Liverpool's full-backs have been integral to the Reds' efficiency this season, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson have 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 their contribution towards goals.
Tuchel will hope to be fit to return to the England international squad on Sunday after being out of action since December.
Sportsmail analyzes the defenses of both sides ahead of Sunday's big clash.
James returns could lead to huge growth
Chelsea have suffered multiple injuries in this weekend's match, but James' return will give Tuchel's team a big boost.
The 22-year-old has been out of action since a 1-1 draw with Brighton on 29 December due to a hamstring injury.
Until his injury, James netted five times and made six assists in all competitions, the closest any full-backs in the league have come to the goal contributions provided by Alexander-Arnold and Robertson.
It was a double blow for Chelsea, who are already missing the impact of Ben Chilwell who is out for the season with a torn cruciate ligament.
Since New Year's Day, Tuchel has replaced the likes of Cesar Azpilicueta, Malang Sir and Marcos Alonso in wide positions in place of James and Chilwell.
During that time Alonso scored two assists, while the Spaniard and captain Azpilicueta both scored in their 2–1 FA Cup win against Plymouth.
Assistance numbers are however much lower among Liverpool's main two options, with Robertson providing six assists and Alexander-Arnold providing five in 2022.
However, the impact of James' absence is particularly shown through his stats in comparison to his teammates this season.
In 23 matches, James is averaging or assisting a goal every 147 minutes - better than Chilwell (211), Alonso (394) and Azpilicueta (631). In that respect it is also quite favorable in favor of Alexander-Arnold (151) and Robertson (190) - although both have played more games.
He also averages 2.1 chances per game, has a crossing accuracy of 25.5 percent and a crossing accuracy of 89.3 percent which is better than his teammates.
James has often been compared to his opposite number and England teammate Alexander-Arnold - who has taken another level at Liverpool this season.
This is shown by his standout figures of an astonishing 16 assists per 90 minutes (2.7), his improved chances made for crossing accuracy (26.9 percent), and his astonishing 16 assists in 30 games across all competitions.
Alexander-Arnold (43 in 152 games) and Robertson (48 in 208 games) are both fast closing 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, it's possible he could start with Alonso and Azpilicueta.
Alonso, who will start from the left, has enough creativity to cause Liverpool problems as shown by his 1.7 chances per 90 minutes and 19.4 per cent crossing accuracy.
Azpilicueta, who could play on the right, is a defensive-minded wing-back with only 0.8 chances per 90 minutes. While this may help Chelsea keep the Liverpool forward calm, they will lose some creativity on the other side of the pitch.
Chelsea could opt to play Malang Sarr if they go for a back-four or Callum Hudson-Odoi, who sometimes acts as a left-back.
Van dijk back at his best
Two of Europe's best defenses will take to the pitch in the Carabao Cup final in Sunday's clash.
Since Tuchel arrived at Chelsea only a year ago, the Blues have been hard-pressed to break through in the main part thanks to the quality of Thiago Silva and Antonio Rudiger.
This was proved earlier that year when a team in their 1–1 draw with Burnley on 6 November could take 11 games before scoring in an open game against them.
Since then, Chelsea have kept just four clean sheets in their 15 games in the league - in a period that saw them drop Manchester City's tail in the title race.
A big plus for Liverpool is Van Dijk's return to form in recent weeks.
The Dutchman returned to a better level than what would most likely make up for an injury as he was serious last season, but there were still games earlier in the season, such as a 3–3 draw with Brentford, where he doesn't look as impressive. was the figure as he had done before.
Klopp said van Dijk was back at his best after a 1-0 win over Burnley and has returned to his level in recent weeks, making people talk about him as the best defender in the world .
The Dutchman takes the game easy in the Champions League even against top forwards like Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez.
Whether playing with Joel Matip or Ibrahima Konate, the Reds have looked comfortable since the end of the year, and have been able to play with a risky high-line due to the quality of their players.
Van Dijk is leading the center-back in both teams for clearance per game (3.5), aerial duels success (76 percent) and has the least number of fouls conceded as is his speed and strength, meaning that he rarely needs to overcome them (0.2 per game)
Matip, who is frequently plagued by injuries, has already played more games in any season since 2018-19 and has been just as impressive.
The Cameroonian defender averages 5.4 aerial doubles wins per game, even better than Van Dijk, while with Konate he has the best tackle rate per 90 minutes at 1.3.
Breaking Chelsea this weekend could be a big task for the Reds.
When James was sent to Anfield earlier in the season, the Reds struggled to break through to Chelsea's defense that day consisting of Rudiger, Silva and Azpilicueta, despite being a spare man for more than half a football.
In Rudiger and Silva, they have two of world football's best centre-backs, which, like Van Dijk, sometimes make their roles seem effortless.
One part of Silva's game that is often underestimated is his departure. He has a higher count per 90 (81.3) than the other defenders on both sides with better accuracy (91.8%). 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, although Chelsea have arguably been the more dominant of the two.
But Liverpool are the top scorer in the Premier League this season with 70 goals - compared to Chelsea's 49 - so the Blues will need a similarly big effort to keep the Reds calm as they lift the trophy on Sunday.