Thomas Tuchel made the surprising decision to switch to a back four and it led to Chelsea’s utter dominance of the first half. They were well worthy of their two-goal lead at the break, but from a Tottenham perspective, both goals were entirely preventable.
Japhet Tanganga, one of Conte’s changes, was largely responsible for both. After five minutes his pass sold Emerson Royal woefully short, allowing Marcos Alonso to nip in and feed the ball into Havertz, who fired in the opener.
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Then after 34 minutes, Tanganga failed to properly deal with Hakim Ziyech’s inswinging free-kick, heading it right into the face of Davies as it flew off of him and past the helpless Hugo Lloris.Sharehttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.494.0_en.html#goog_373765831
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The video you are trying to watch cannot be viewed from your current country or locationBen Davies was the unlucky player to get his name on the scoresheet after this horror own goal against Chelsea
It showed how in control Chelsea were in the first half that Conte, himself also a master of the back five, switched Spurs to a back four to try and match up with Tuchel’s system.
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But it didn’t do much to the pattern of proceedings, and Chelsea still remained in charge. On 66 minutes they should have taken the tie almost beyond Tottenham as Hakim Ziyech’s stunning volleyed pass found the run in behind of substitute Timo Werner, but his lofted attempt failed to beat Hugo Lloris.
And Conte appeared to accept their first-leg fate as he withdrew Heung-Min Son and Lucas Moura late on, preserving their legs for the challenge ahead.
What the managers said…
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.494.0_en.html#goog_2014153145Play Video – Tuchel happy with Lukaku’s performanceThomas Tuchel was pleased with Chelsea’s fast start in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham, but says the tie is not over with the second leg still to come
Chelsea’s Thomas Tuchel: “It seems like a deserved win and it’s an excellent result as it reflects the game. We could’ve scored even more but this is football and it’s hard to score against a team like Tottenham, it’s hard to even create chances but we did create a lot in the second half – some huge chances so it could’ve been possible to score more so that’s the downside of it.
“It’s a tough match that’s not been decided yet so we’re going to have to work for 90 minutes with the same quality and same level of commitment again.”
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.494.0_en.html#goog_1075515309Play Video – Conte: Chelsea much better than usAfter Chelsea’s 2-0 win over Tottenham, Antonio Conte says people will need to have patience if Tottenham are going to reach the same levels as the Blues.
Tottenham’s Antonio Conte: “It was a difficult game, from the start. Chelsea showed they were much better than us. In the first half, we struggled a lot but we know that we’re talking about one of the best teams in Europe and in the world.
“Last year, they won the Champions League and if you compare the two teams I think there’s not a comparison. We’re talking about a team that’s ready to win and they’ve played an important part over many years. Today, we have seen the difference between the two teams.”
Analysis: Low-key Lukaku returns
Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:
All eyes were on Romelu Lukaku beforehand and he almost marked the occasion with a goal within moments, unselfishly opting to find a team-mate instead. He was not the game’s central figure thereafter, having only 26 touches and completing nine passes in the 90 minutes.
But the threat was obvious throughout. He still had twice as many touches inside the opposition penalty box as anyone else. This was not his evening but it was an important step. Assimilated back in the squad after the furore, he and Chelsea can now move on.
“It would have been nice for him to score tonight,” Ashley Cole told Sky Sports. “I don’t think it was one of his top games. He could have done more but ultimately he has affected the game, he got others involved, and you saw the fans at the end. They still love him.”
Man of the Match: Hakim Ziyech
https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.494.0_en.html#goog_2107958954Play Video – Ziyech: We must get the job doneReaction from man of the match Hakim Ziyech after Chelsea’s 2-0 Carabao Cup semi-final first leg victory over Tottenham
Sky Sports’ Andy Hinchcliffe at Stamford Bridge:
“Hakim Ziyech is my man of the match. It’s been a very lively performance from him. He’s been so impressive, out wide on the right and drifting in-field when he got on the ball.”
The Moroccan also would have provided one of the assists of the season with a stunning pass for Werner midway through the second half. Unfortunately for him, his team-mate couldn’t take the chance.
Carabao Cup schedule
- Second leg to take place at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday, January 12.
- Winner will face Arsenal or Liverpool in the final at Wembley on Sunday, February 27.
Tottenham Hotspur
Chelsea
Wednesday 12th January 7:00pmKick off 7:45pm
What’s next?
Both sides kick off their FA Cup campaigns at the weekend in the third round. Chelsea host non-League Chesterfield on Saturday (5.30pm), while Tottenham welcome League One side Morecambe on Sunday (2pm)Popular in the CommunityAdChoicesSponsored
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