Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur 4-2 on penalties to book an EFL Cup final with Manchester City.Â
In a game played at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea was forced to go to penalties despite the 2-1 results on regulation time. The scoreline meant the two sides were level on aggregate which saw the match head to penalties. Erik Dier and Lucas Moura missed their penalties with Chelsea netting four of their penalties which were enough to send them through to the finals.Â
Maurizio Sarri demanded a response from his players after what he labeled an unacceptable performance at Arsenal on Saturday. Well, barely five minutes on the clock the Blues were all over the place, pressing Spurs to their own half.
Injury concern
There was an injury concern for the hosts as David Luiz was hacked down by Dier. It was late from the Spurs man and the Brazilian went flying, staying down and clutching his knee. It looked like he had twisted it as he went over. The medical team attended to him and was allowed to continue.
Chelsea goal
After a series of attacks, Chelsea got a corner which was well delivered by Eden Hazard. The ball was nodded away by a few Tottenham heads, however, it only got as far as Kante who had all the time and space to hit a fierce drive. It flashed through the area and three sets of legs before beating Gazzaniga. And the Blues went level on aggregate.
Davies’ injury
Spurs’ first-leg lead lasted for less than half an hour. And to make matter worse, it looked like they got another addition to a growing injury as Ben Davies hobbled off the field.
Hazard’s goal
In the 38th minute, Chelsea went ahead on aggregate thanks to Hazard’s strike. The Blues got a free kick, which Barkley took quickly and the hosts just overwhelmed Spurs from there. Hazard drove forward before finding Pedro on the right, who in turn slipped the ball into the path of Azpilicueta. The Chelsea captain then cut the ball back for the waiting Hazard in the middle of the area, who fired the ball into the back of the net with aplomb.
Llorente’s goal
Spurs saw much of the ball in the second half and their effort did not go unnoticed as they went level on aggregate. Winks picked out Rose down the left flank and he had absolutely no one near him. The wing-back then fired a great ball into the area, which Llorente met with a low head as he wrestles to get Luiz around. It worked too as he fired the ball past Kepa, who did not really pass his first big test of the evening.
Match facts
- Fernando Llorente has scored eight goals in his last five starts for Tottenham in all competitions.
- Since the start of last season, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard has been directly involved in seven goals in his eight League Cup games (4 goals, 3 assists).
- N’Golo Kante has scored four goals in 30 apps for Chelsea in all competitions this season – as many as he netted in his previous three seasons in England combined (4 in 129 apps).Â
- Chelsea has lost four of their last five penalty shoot-outs in the League Cup, winning only versus Fulham at Stamford Bridge in September 2011.
- After losing seven consecutive penalty shoot-outs in all competitions, Spurs have won their last two, both of which came in the League Cup.
- Chelsea have reached the League Cup final for the eighth time; the joint-most final appearances by a London club in the competition (also Spurs and Arsenal).
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