EFL Cup: Tottenham fail from the spot after David Luiz sends Chelsea to Wembley
The Last leg of the semifinals in the Carabao Cup was played out exactly as expected between Chelsea and Tottenham, as the game had to be decided by penalties.
A trophy both teams were in need of, as they slip far behind the Premier League title race held by Liverpool and Man City. Out of the London derbies that took place in the weeks preceding to this one, this fixture delivered the cake.
The best contested London duel to date as Stamford Bridge brought the hurt for Mauricio Pochettino and his Spurs side. Sarri’s words between last week’s derby against Tottenham’s noisy neighbours and now seemed to have added spring in the Chelsea squad’s gameplay.
From the first to the final whistle it was mostly the home side. Chelsea fired in 21 shots at goal compared to Spurs weak figure of five. The possession wasn’t weighing heavily on one side but had a team finding more joy with theirs, that obviously being the Stamford Bridge boys.
They made sure of firing the first shot and did so in Kante style. The smallest man popping up in the biggest moments once again. N’Golo Kante revealed the way for the Blues in the first 27 minutes of the opening half.
Give the home side another 10 minutes and they were flying high with two goals and no return from Tottenham. Then came the last spur and Pochettino’s men fired one back to level things, bringing forward a penalty shootout.
The shootout for Spurs went a bit like this; bang; bang… Miss!
Christian Eriksen was the first for Spurs, with them also being the first to step up to the spot of the two London outfits. Eriksen and Erik Lamela were the only Tottenham players to score from 12 yards out, even though four of them tested their might.
The two who followed was one of the strangest choices, Eric Dier and disappointing last, Lucas Moura. They singlehandedly cost the Lilywhites another shot at silverware. They now can only play for the Champions League and the FA Cup.
Chelsea’s men who tried out from the penalty spot were to equal to the asking. Willian, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Jorginho were all on target, with David Luiz delivering the decisive strike. The man on the other end of the spot who goes by the name of Kepa was superb for Sarri. A great display on the bounce back for Chelsea.
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Now they must gear up for a troublesome Carabao Cup final when they face Man City. Chelsea will try to return the EFL Cup to London and let it finally take leave from Manchester, a Place it’s called home for a long time now.
Scheduled final
Chelsea vs. Man City
Time: 17:30
Venue: Wembley Stadium