Chelsea
Quiz question: which football club played one match but won two trophies on the same afternoon? OK, let’s not completely rule out the possibility Chelsea might be overhauled in the Premier League but if there is a soft centre to this team they are doing pretty well at disguising it so far. The first trophy of José Mourinho’s second coming is on the board and it doesn’t feel presumptuous to think the second is starting to look like a fait accompli on the back of Manchester City’s latest act of generosity.
Mourinho and his players certainly had every right to milk those long celebrations at the end when the suspended Nemanja Matic appeared in full kit, emulating John Terry’s change of costume after the 2012 Champions League final, and Mourinho could be seen throwing himself on to a sodden pitch at the expense of another designer suit. The laundry bill won’t be cheap, but what are a few grass stains when the streets of west London should be preparing for another open-top bus parade?
Mourinho’s team had to withstand some concerted pressure before taking control of this final but once they were in charge they played with an expertise that made their opponents look callow. There is no better team when it comes to holding the lines, sizing up their opponents then gradually turning the screw. At times, it might not make for the most absorbing spectacle. Yet it is just one of the reasons why Mourinho hoards trophies in the way other people collect stamps. Chelsea have now won five League Cups, moving level with Aston Villa and putting them second only to Liverpool’s eight. Mourinho is responsible for three of them and it won’t bother him in the slightest that they did it with such a pair of scruffy goals.
For Spurs, this was the second competition they had exited in four days and the end housing their supporters was almost deserted by the time the beaten players went up to collect their medals. Mauricio Pochettino’s side started vibrantly but they had no response when Chelsea took the lead and, ultimately, the teams could be separated by the quality of their defending. John Terry and Gary Cahill, flanked by Branislav Ivanovic and César Azpilicueta, formed an impenetrable barrier in front of Petr Cech. Tottenham’s defence, in stark contrast, is still a work in progress.
The second goal was a particular ordeal for Kyle Walker because it did not need a sitting of the Dubious Goals Panel to realise that Diego Costa’s shot was heading across the six-yard area until the Spurs right-back jutted out his foot and inadvertently turned it into the gap between Hugo Lloris and the goalkeeper’s near post.
Yet it was the collective failure for the opening goal, one for the Dubious Defending Panel, that probably summed up the difference between the sides. There was a mistimed header, a couple of deflections and very little in the way of good luck, perhaps. Yet there was a degree of carelessness, too, and that is the point. John Terry made the decisive contact, lashing in the loose ball, then quickly went back to making sure his own defence was not so generous. His performance reminded us he is still the outstanding centre-half in the country, typified by that moment in the 87th minute when he, the oldest player on the pitch, could be seen throwing himself into a brilliant challenge to keep out Harry Kane.
Tottenham’s disappointment should be compounded by the fact they had actually been the better side until the first goal. Danny Rose was pushing forward from his left-back spot. Walker was doing the same on the right while Nabil Bentaleb and Ryan Mason both started encouragingly. Kane also looked determined to leave his mark on the occasion. The striker eluded three Chelsea players with one early run and when the fourth, Cesc Fàbregas, chopped him down Christian Eriksen smacked the free-kick against the crossbar.
Chelsea certainly took their time to get going. Mourinho paid Kurt Zouma the ultimate compliment afterwards, describing him as “our new Marcel Desailly” but early on he looked slightly lost in his experimental position filling in for the suspended Matic. Eden Hazard was lively and keen to run at Walker but Chelsea struggled at first to exert their usual control and their attacking moments were notable mostly for the number of occasions when Costa, their troublemaker extraordinaire, became locked in the usual niggling duals. Eric Dier was maybe a touch unfortunate to be booked for a challenge on the half-hour mark but, having been shown that yellow card, the centre-half was lucky his little kick on Costa at the end of the first half went unnoticed. Later, Dier jumped so high into the back of Azpilicueta his knee struck his opponent’s head and the Spaniard had to be bandaged for the rest of the match.
Everything started to unravel for Spurs a minute before half-time when Willian’s free-kick skimmed off Rose’s head, ricocheted off Dier and dropped invitingly for Terry. Dier did his best to make amends, desperately trying to charge down the shot, but the ball deflected off his instep and Terry had his sixth goal of the season.
Walker’s own goal arrived 11 minutes into the second half after Fàbregas’s pass had created the shooting opportunity for Costa, running through the left-hand channel. Spurs did briefly try to spirit a late comeback but there was not enough from Kane and Eriksen to threaten such a parsimonious defence and there was an air of inevitability for the last half an hour. “The perfect day”, Mourinho called it, with the mud still visible on his suit.
Man of the match John Terry (Chelsea)
Jose Mourinho claimed his first trophy since returning for his second spell as Chelsea manager with a comfortable Capital One Cup final victory over Tottenham at Wembley.
John Terry and Diego Costa did the damage - both with the aid of deflections - either side of the interval as Spurs' hopes of repeating their success over Chelsea in this competition seven years ago never got off the ground.
The win gave Mourinho his first silverware since La Liga success with Real Madrid in 2012 and Chelsea their first since the Europa League final victory against Benfica in Amsterdam a year later.
Despite a career laden with trophies, Mourinho claimed this was the most important final of his time in the game and Chelsea were never seriously troubled once Christian Eriksen's early free-kick rebounded to safety off the woodwork.
Mourinho's trophy haul at Chelsea | |
|---|---|
Premier League:
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2004-05, 2005-06
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FA Cup:
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2006-07
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League Cup:
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2004-05, 2006-07, 2014-15
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Community Shield:
|
2005
|
Mourinho's mastery of the big selection decision was also demonstrated once more by his deployment of Kurt Zouma, a central defender by trade, in midfield to fulfil the role left behind by the suspended Nemanja Matic to outstanding effect.
Spurs, for all their endeavour, never looked close to repeating that convincing victory over Chelsea on New Year's Day, when Mourinho's side were beaten 5-3 at White Hart Lane.
And with Chelsea's closest Premier League title rivals Manchester City losing 2-1 at Liverpool even before this final kicked off - leaving his side with a five-point advantage with a game in hand - this just about added up to Mourinho's perfect day.
Tottenham had the exertions of a Europa League tie - and painful exit - against Fiorentina in Italy on Thursday, and while this may have taken its toll, they never looked like rescuing the situation once Chelsea took the lead right on half-time.
Tottenham's usual suspects created early optimism for their fans as Eriksen bounced a 20-yard free-kick off the bar, although Petr Cech - preferred in goal to Thibaut Courtois - looked to have the situation under control, and Harry Kane ended a fine run with a low shot that was comfortably saved by Chelsea's keeper.
As usual, Costa was keeping Spurs fully occupied in the physical exchanges, angering Nabil Bentaleb with a hand-off, squaring up to Kyle Walker and getting involved in a running battle with Eric Dier that ended with the defender picking up a yellow card for a foul.
As the first 45 minutes looked to be drawing to a subdued conclusion, Chelsea pounced on a moment of defensive confusion to take the lead.
Willian's free-kick was deflected out of a cluster of bodies to the feet of Terry, whose shot took a crucial touch off Kane to defeat Hugo Lloris, who was given the nod by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino ahead of regular League Cup choice Michel Vorm.
And it was another deflection that was a key element as Chelsea doubled their lead 11 minutes after the break. Cesc Fabregas, who had seen an ambitious overhead kick well saved by Lloris, found Costa, whose shot was directed across the face of goal until it took a deflection off Walker to beat Lloris inside his near post.
This was effectively the end of the contest, with barely a blow traded between the sides before Chelsea captain Terry lifted the trophy.
LINEUP, BOOKINGS (5) & SUBSTITUTIONS (6)
Chelsea
- 01 Cech
- 02 Ivanovic
- 24 Cahill Booked
- 26 Terry
- 28 Azpilicueta
- 07 Ramires
- 05 Zouma
- 04 Fàbregas (Oscar - 88' )
- 22 Willian Booked (Cuadrado - 76' Booked )
- 19 Diego Costa (Drogba - 93' )
- 10 Hazard
Substitutes
- 03 Filipe Luis
- 06 Aké
- 08 Oscar
- 11 Drogba
- 13 Courtois
- 18 Remy
- 23 Cuadrado
Tottenham Hotspur
- 01 Lloris
- 02 Walker
- 15 Dier Booked
- 05 Vertonghen
- 03 Rose
- 42 Bentaleb Booked
- 38 Mason (Lamela - 71' )
- 17 Townsend (Dembélé - 62' )
- 23 Eriksen
- 22 Chadli (Soldado - 80' )
- 18 Kane
Substitutes
- 09 Soldado
- 11 Lamela
- 13 Vorm
- 19 Dembélé
- 21 Fazio
- 25 Stambouli
- 33 Davies
Ref: Anthony Taylor
Att: 89,294
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