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Chelsea FC vs Tottenham: Capital One Cup Final Thoughts And Prediction

By Lou Flavius

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Cup Final day is almost upon us. The road to Wembley will have run its course by Sunday, but not before pitting two fierce London rivals against each other in what could be an epic Capital One Cup final.

A wounded Chelsea FC side will face Tottenham Hotspur, a team which dealt them an embarrassing blow in the Premier League title race by beating them 5-3, only last month.

Chelsea FC Flags – Credit: Elle S’Apelle… (Flickr Creative Commons)

Tottenham — led by young Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen — could inflict further damage with a victory. A win for the Spurs would go a long way in giving them the push they need in the Premier League, while shattering the Blues’ confidence. Plus they would get to leave with a shiny new toy, now who doesn’t want that?

The Capital One Cup presents the first opportunity for garnering silverware, to English clubs. Should Chelsea take the cup home, the winning mentality will surely spill over into other competitions.

Victory will provide them with the necessary momentum to keep going in the Premier League till the end, but a loss would almost certainly hand Manchester City an advantage.

Jose Mourinho is not one for losing finals; the Chelsea manager has won nine out of 11 showpieces, only losing to Benfica — whilst at Porto — in the 2003 Taca de Portugal, and to Atletico Madrid in the 2013 Copa del Rey final.

During his first stint with the Blues, he set his eyes upon that very same trophy (known as the Carling Cup back then), and he delivered. Chelsea would go on to lift the cup, also winning their first Barclays Premier League trophy a few months later.

Now, another opportunity presents itself. It would be remiss of Mourinho and Chelsea to let it slip away. Mourinho, having gone two seasons without a trophy haul, will do all in his power to ensure a victory.

Tottenham haven’t won silverware since 2008, but it so happens that their last final win came in the form of a 2-1 victory against the Blues. Managed by Juande Ramos, the Spurs would come back from a goal down to beat Chelsea.

Tottenham Hotspur – Credit: Keving1889

Now led by Mauricio Pochettino, Tottenham will try to repeat the feat. Their victory at White Hart Lane should have already instilled confidence, and they will not be pushed around.

Both teams boast prolific front men, Diego Costa is having a fine first season in England, while Kane can’t stop scoring for Tottenham. Costa — while excelling in the Premier League with 17 goals in 20 outings — has not scored in any other competition; now would probably be a good time for him to start.

Kane, on the other hand, has been on fire all over. The Englishman is having a breakout season, having scored 23 goals across all competitions. He scored a brace against the Blues in their last meeting, so they will be wary of his presence up front.

Prediction

Being knocked out of the Europa League by Fiorentina today can either make or break the Spurs. The negativity could carry on into Sunday, or they could use the defeat as motivation.

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Chelsea have had the entire week to rest and prepare, so they will have a bit of an advantage. But they will also be without a key and irreplaceable player in Nemanja Matic.

Maybe this will prompt a formation change, as John Obi Mikel — the only like-for-like substitute — is injured, but Ramires could probably fill that spot.

Despite their loss to the Spurs, the Blues have the stronger team. The result is definitely a hard one to call, but you do feel that Mourinho knows just what to do.

Final score: Chelsea FC- 2, Tottenham – 1

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