Although the merits of cup competitions in English soccer have been discussed in great detail this week, those Liverpool supporters making the trip to Wembley for the League Cup final won’t have to have their pilgrimage vindicated.

The Reds will face Manchester City under the iconic arch on Sunday, seeking to win a trophy for the first time in four seasons, their first under the tutelage of new manager Jurgen Klopp and this competition for a record ninth occasion.

And although the former Borussia Dortmund manager is still in the nascent stages of what many anticipate to be a long-term Liverpool career, a trophy would be a critical step forward for the club and him.

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Liverpool, after all, are synonymous with these occasions. The great teams in the 70s and 80s may have swept all before them, reaching the national stadium, affectionally known as “Anfield South” by the red half of Merseyside, for a plethora of showpieces. But even in the Premier League era, when the Reds have often toiled in the top flight, finals have been commonplace.

Klopp will be keen to ensure these jaunts down to the capital are frequent ones for the players and supporters. Under Brendan Rodgers, they only played at Wembley on one occasion, losing in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa. His predecessor, Kenny Dalglish took the Reds to two major finals, winning the League Cup and losing in the FA Cup.

That the Reds made it to this stage is in itself testament to the good work done by the German. In a spell of the season when injuries took a hold and the Reds had a congested calendar to negotiate, they were able to edge past Stoke City over two legs, holding their nerve in a tense penalty shootout.

It’s a steely focus that has allowed Liverpool the opportunity to clinch the first major honor of the domestic English season. For Klopp, the chance to etch his name into the club’s history books early on in his tenure is a chance he won’t relinquish without a battle.

Granted, the bookmakers will tell you that City are the favorites to lift this unique piece of silverware, with their old guard of serial winners hoping to spearhead one final hurrah for Manuel Pellegrini before he steps aside for Pep Guardiola at the Etihad Stadium.

There are various reasons for Liverpool to take encouragement coming into this one, though. Not only does a winning mentality coarse through the club when it comes to major finals, they’ve got the better of City already this season. In emphatic fashion too, as the Reds took apart Pellegrini’s crop of illustrious talent 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

It’s a result which should ensure these Liverpool players are emboldened in the face of the sky blue jerseys. City too will also be jaded in the wake of their trip to Dynamo Kiev in midweek.

And perhaps what’s most encouraging for the Reds is the hunger that’s bristling amongst all associated with the football club. While there’s an understanding that patience is required to retake their spot amongst the game’s elite teams, the ambition to win trophies is back and is noticeable, especially in direct comparison to a City team who are coming to the end of a cycle.

It’s a hunger which has stemmed from a festering belief engulfing the football club again since Klopp took charge. Last time the Reds headed to Wembley, for an FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa, there was a nervousness and apprehension about what might lie ahead. This time there’s genuine expectation and almost rampant positivity.

They’re traits which are vital at Liverpool, where winning silverware, any kind of silverware, is king. “I look at my League Cup medals and my European Cup ones—they’re no different,” said club legend Terry McDermott on a local radio station this week. “They’re winner’s ones. That’s what matters. That’s what we were brought up to do at Liverpool—win trophies.”

While the club has fallen on harder times in recent years, the supporters have continued to hold their players and managers to high standards, with memories of successes gone by still flickering. It’s a belief which, aside from the 2013-14 season, has waned as of late. Klopp, to his credit, has sought to reinstall it.

And while that’s a manifestation of his vibrant, uplifting managerial style, those personal qualities can only take a club so far; it needs to be mirrored by success on the field. Of course, it’s far too early to draw a permanent conclusion on the German, but giving the supporters something tangible in the form of silverware will add further credence to a cause that’s gathering momentum.