The referee Howard Webb later confirmed that both players were dismissed for violent conduct, the Spaniard having flung an elbow into Mullins' back and the West Ham midfielder reacting by raising his arms to push García to the ground. The offence carries a statutory three-match ban and ends both players' seasons.
García ended the night on the bench in tears. Mullins took his personal torment straight back to the dressing room. The players and their managers met the official in the aftermath in an attempt to plead for a reprieve. "By the letter of the law they should have been sent off but we're all in agreement that the FA should show some clemency if there is any common sense there," said Alan Pardew, who had sprinted on to the pitch to urge Webb to think through his decision. "I don't think we'll get any joy just appealing. The ref said he thought about it but he would have been punished himself if he'd not given the reds. I told him he should take it on the chin because a little tiny incident has cost them both a very special day."
Rafael Benítez had lauded García as the man for the "big occasion" in the build-up, a tribute to decisive goals against Juventus and Chelsea in last season's European Cup and Saturday's semi-final against the champions elect. "It's not easy for the referee," the Liverpool manager conceded afterwards. "The two players apologised to each other, it's not a serious incident, and in Spain you have the possibility of reducing a three-match ban to two instead. That is enough.
"I was also disappointed with Luis, but sometimes it's difficult when you're fighting for the ball out on the pitch. We'll just see what happens when we appeal."
Mullins, so impressive in his first season in the top flight, would be missed more and García's indiscretion may now be Djibril Cissé's gain. The Frenchman ran West Ham ragged here to swell his season's goal tally to 17 and secure Liverpool's first victory in the capital in eight attempts. His pace terrified the Hammers as a makeshift visiting side retaining only three players from Saturday's semi-final still offered enough zest to prevail.
The home goalkeeper James Walker should have denied Cissé both his goals, however. With Mohamed Sissoko's energy swamping the midfield, Cissé benefited from the Mali international's slipped pass 19 minutes in to skim a shot inside Walker's near post from 20 yards.
The striker-turned-winger had other opportunities to add to his tally before tearing on to Robbie Fowler's glorious first-time reverse pass nine minutes into the second period to gather, advance and squirm the winner through Walker's weak attempt to block his low shot.
Cissé might have had a hat-trick before the end only to dribble a shot into the side-netting having burst through Walker. Fernando Morientes also hit the bar, but West Ham would hardly have merited losing by two goals.
There was energy and drive to their play, the excellent Nigel Reo-Coker side-footing them level 56 seconds into the second period after an excellent link-up between Teddy Sheringham and Bobby Zamora. The captain might have added a second only to be frustrated by a linesman's flag. Yet, for both these teams, the exasperation was encapsulated instead in the late flash of red.