That's all for tonight
Well, things escalated there, didn’t they! Man City are the League Cup winners, but we’ll all have an opinion on what happened at the end there. Thanks for sending so many of yours in, throughout the afternoon, and sorry I couldn’t get through them all. Thanks for your company – and stay close to the site over the next few hours as we’ll have all the best reaction from Wembley.
SARRI IS HERE:
“I think we have to talk about football because we played a very good match. In that situation it was a misunderstanding, I heard there was a problem and we needed to change it. I realised the situation only when the doctor arrived on the bench after some minutes. It was a misunderstanding, I understood the goalkeeper had cramp and would be unable to go to the penalties.
“I needed only to return, to be quiet I think [on his near-walkout]. As I say, I asked for a change for this physical problem and he said he hadn’t a physical problem. So he was right I think. I have to talk with [Kepa] but only to clarify because now I have understood very well the situation.
“I am very happy here. I think in the last three matches we have improved a lot. Today we showed we could become a very solid team. We conceded nothing to the opponents and against Man City that is not easy. I am very proud of my players.”
He’s played it down a treat there – whatever the truth ...
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Agnello Figueiredo writes: “It was all simple, really. Sarri had to just call Kepa over to the sidelines and talk to him. That way we wouldn’t be here debating whether Kepa knew, or knew not, what the bench really meant. But I guess it’s easy to talk when you’re not in the heat and dust of battle.”
I think your last sentence may be the key there. Things were moving quickly and – this is important I think – Moss was also pressing Sarri for a resolution.
Ah, some very nice clarity from Ben Mabley on that Les Sealey incident:
“Les Sealey did get a massive gash on his leg in the 1991 Rumbelows Cup final against Sheffield Wednesday – so bad, in fact, that he collapsed at Heathrow later due an infection in the wound. He was told that had he made the flight as planned, he could well have lost his leg.
“He angrily (and famously) remonstrated with the physio Jim McGregor at the suggestion he should be subbed off, justifying this later with the point that there were no substitute goalkeepers at the time (they only came in just over a year later, from 1992/93) so an outfield player would have had to go in goal. He wanted to stay on, avoid that situation, and help Manchester United win. United lost the game 1-0.”
Azpilicueta speaks: “We knew we had to fight very hard to have a chance to win the trophy. We are obviously disappointed, we were a few centimetres from being the champions, but it was not the case so now we have to recover.”
On Kepa/Sarri: “Honestly I don’t know, I was on the other side of the pitch so I cannot comment.”
Spoken like a true pro.
Another question: what else could Sarri have done, in those circumstances?
Matthew Pearson sends in his – laudably nuanced – take:
“Kepa thought it was all about whether he was injured or not. Sarri didn’t, and made his decision. Kepa kept doing the thumbs up – universal footballer language for ‘I’m fine, move on’. Sarri, sensing it had gone on too long, backed down. Headlines will mention his price tag and say he was acting too big for his gloves. But he’s a young man who is used to gesturing to the bench and saying he’s fine and that being enough. I feel sorry for Sarri, but Kepa was awake during a nightmare situation and him holding his nerve isn’t a show of disrespect. Sarri backing down isn’t a sign of weakness.”
Just seen replays of Sarri’s furious reaction when it was clear he wasn’t going to get his way. He was apoplectic ...
Don’t miss this – it’s Daniel Taylor’s match report from Wembley!
I've seen many incidents where a player is injured and asked from the sidelines if he is OK. Though Sarri assumed Kepa was unfit to carry but his 'keeper indicated he was fit to carry on. There it should end unless the change is tactical, as in the World Cup
— MalSimon (@opheliasbrother) February 24, 2019
That’s the generous interpretation and it might end up being the right one – but everyone’s body language suggested there was more to it.
“Bomb Kepa out in the summer and sign a replacem ... oh,” writes Ian Sargeant, in some very nifty transfer embargo banter.
“Sarri wasn’t on his own. His staff including Zola, who was in the dugout, was just as angry/shocked as he,” says Ruth Purdue.
I’m sure you’re right, it was hard to catch everything that was going on. Can’t wait to hear what he has to say ...
Colm writes: “Easy to be critical of Kepa, and clearly his behaviour is appalling, but as a Chelsea fan I’m much more disappointed with the senior players/dressing room leaders – David Luiz, Rudiger and Azpi should have all been over, marching him off the pitch. Disrespect from the entire team.”
Jill O’Donnell wrote in with a similar point. Sarri did seem to be all on his own there. Telling?
Guardiola speaks: “I’m happy. Chelsea did an incredible performance. In the penalties anything could happen and we’re lucky. I’m happy to win back to back in this competition. I don’t know if you realise the quality of the players Chelsea have. We knew it’d be more difficult, a final. Many players are injured – Laporte, Fernandinho – but it’s better to win the game. We’ll see how far we can go.”
Did Kepa think Sarri just thought he was injured? Had Sarri just decided to bring on Caballero regardless for the penalties? We don’t know the answers yet.
Sally Officer writes: “Kepa should be told to pack his gloves and go. Player power gone mad!”
Sam Trenery says: “Utterly despicable behaviour from Kepa. I’m no Chelsea fan, or Sarri fan really, but if he’s sacked now I have a lot of sympathy. Utterly pathetic for a player, any player, to put his own glory before that of the team – especially the goalkeeper going into a penalty shootout!”
My mailbag is bursting at the moment and I’d say the weight of sympathy is heavily in Sarri’s favour.
David Wall writes: “On the radio they’re talking about how this would never have happened to a more authoritative manager such as Clough or Ferguson, but didn’t Les Sealey refuse to be substituted in a cup final after getting a huge gash in his knee (was it the Rumbelows Cup final that they lost to Sheffield Wednesday?”
Hmmm, rings a bell but I was very small then. Anybody remember clearly? Player power lives long!
City lift the trophy, in the meantime, and cavort accordingly. They’ve now won it four times in six years and, while they really didn’t play that well today, they’re thrilled to have this under their belt.
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Ruth Purdue writes: “Kepa is a disgrace. No excuses should be given to him. If Sarri gets sacked after this, he can keep his head high.”
Sarri can be famously blunt so you’d assume that, a little later, he will tell those assembled in the press conference exactly how he perceives the Kepa incident. What do we think on that, by the way? Could Sarri have done anything more? Was it a bad reflection on his management, the player, both? Is it another big step towards the exit door?
Sterling speaks: “[Pep] said he didn’t watch [the penalty[ and said where did it go. I said top bins. We kept focused and did the job. One trophy down, we just need to keep winning games and that’s it.”
Well, well ... errr ... well. City retain a major trophy for the first time and the celebrations are really kicking in out there. What of Chelsea? You’d have to say they were very good for most of that, the game went as Sarri planned. That is until the final moments of extra-time, when Kepa appeared to humiliate him by plain refusing to go off. He saved a penalty after that, but did it cost them?
Sterling scores and Man City win the Carabao Cup!
Bang! Into the top corner and they win 4-3 on penalties!
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HAZARD ... SCORES! Blimey, he floats a Panenka! 3-3. Sterling to win it ...
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Bernardo Silva ... SCORES! Down the middle. 3-2 City after four apiece. They’re close. Hazard must score ...
David Luiz ... HITS THE POST! 2-2.
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Sane ... MISSES! Kepa parries to his right and perhaps he’s about to be vindicated, sort of! 2-2 after three apiece.
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Emerson ... SCORES! Well taken, with power, via Ederson’s hand. 2-2.
Aguero ... SCORES! It squirms under Kepa, who really should save it after getting there. My word. 2-1 City after two apiece.
Azpilicueta ... SCORES! Nicely into the top corner. 1-1.
Gundogan ... SCORES! Kepa is sent the wrong way. 1-0 City after one apiece.
Jorginho ... MISSES! Ederson saves a weak, low penalty after a weird skip and jump from the Chelsea man.
The penalties will begin imminently. Kepa will keep goal for Chelsea. We shoot towards the Chelsea end, and Chelsea go first.
Kepa might well have felt better but did he not consider that ... hey ... Caballero might just be better at saving penalties and that this is a team game? He needs to be the hero now. A penny for Sarri’s thoughts ... at one point he seemed set to walk out of the stadium!
Full-time: Chelsea 0-0 Man City. We have penalties!
Extraordinary scenes at the end there. Kepa would not budge! That is humiliating for Sarri, surely.
120+3 min: We will be hearing a lot more about what we’ve just seen, I can guarantee that. Absolutely surreal. Caballero is sitting down shaking his head. Sarri looks lost. It’s as if a whole afternoon’s restorative work might be undone.
120+1 min: Moss is talking to Sarri. Is this change happening or not? Kepa has overruled his own manager and will stay on the pitch – this is absolutely ridiculous. Sarri has walked out away from the bench and looks utterly perplexed. I have no idea what we are watching. Who is in control, exactly?
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120 min: Kepa wants to stay on. Caballero wants to come on. Sarri wants to bring Caballero on. Kepa is yelling at Sarri, he doesn’t want to go anywhere. What on earth is going on here? Kepa is basically standing his ground here, he wants to be the hero! This is crazy.
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118 min: From that, Kepa is down with cramp. I wonder if this is a perfect juncture to bring on Caballero, who likes a shoot-out – as we saw in the 2016 final ...
117 min: A dangerous Hudson-Odoi run and cross causes brief trouble ... but City break and Rudiger makes a rare stumble, almost allowing Sane through! He recovers but the ball is still worked to Aguero, who cracks in a shot that Kepa gathers at the second attempt!
116 min: Think we’d all like penalties now just for the sight of a net (presumably) rippling, wouldn’t we?
114 min: Now Chelsea have some nice possession, and City let them build, but Azpilicueta is less effective here and his cross floats behind.
110 min: Close, and probably as close as City have come! Sterling zooms electrically to the line, right next to the posts, and squares for Aguero to tap in, surely. But Azpilicueta defends brilliantly, getting enough of a touch to divert the ball onto Kepa rather than into the net. The ball stays alive but Chelsea, eventually, survive!
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108 min: Zinchenko’s cross is blocked for a City corner. Gundogan’s delivery is overhit and awful. It’s been a theme today.
Peeeep! Second half of extra time begins
Can someone, anyone, score ... a goal?
🚭 #Wembley is a no smoking venue. Smoking is not allowed in any part of the stadium. 🚭 pic.twitter.com/m21qzrQbgs
— Wembley Stadium (@wembleystadium) February 24, 2019
Worth a reminder with the stress upon Sarri likely to be high at this stage.
This, incidentally, is one of the best games I’ve seen Rudiger play for Chelsea. He’s been an absolute rock.
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Half-time in extra-time: Chelsea 0-0 Man City
As you were. And as you will be in a quarter of an hour, unless something surprising comes to pass.
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103 min: Hazard now goes high, wide and fairly hideous from similar range.
101 min: Jorginho, in the meantime, wafts an effort wide from 25 yards and Chelsea continue to look slightly the more likely.
101 min: I genuinely don’t think Manchester City have had a decent chance to score in this game. Can you remember one?
98 min: Chelsea have a corner, won by Hudson-Odoi, after a nice run and switch from Higuain. He’s added some presence for them in a key area. Hazard’s cross is dealt with but Chelsea keep up the pressure and Hazard gets another chance, this time on the volley, to serve up some trouble. Ederson gathers, though, with Rudiger lurking.
96 min: Now then – here comes Higuain, in place of Willian. Chelsea have some real firepower on there now!
94 min: Gundogan takes aim from 25 yards and everybody, bar Chelsea’s players, staff and fans, wishes he hadn’t.
93 min: Will this be one of those ultra-cagey extra time periods or will tired legs tell and chances flow? Nothing has happened yet, if you wanted an early steer.
Peeeeep! Extra-time begins
Chelsea have as good a chance of winning this as City.
Another City change – Danilo for Fernandinho.
Full-time: Chelsea 0-0 Man City ... we have extra-time!
Fair play, that was a very good second half from Chelsea in all departments and they might even have sneaked it. We get another 30!
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90+4 min: Loftus-Cheek brings the ball down *beautifully* and sends Hazard scampering clear! But he’s ... oooh ... a fraction offside. I think he was level with Zinchenko – that would have been a clear chance to win it!
90+3 min: City get that away, via good defending from Zinchenko and Kompany.
90+2 min: Otamendi is the latest to decide a yellow card is better than being left on his own backside, scything Hazard down on the left. David Luiz gees the Chelsea fans up as they await another well-placed set piece. Willian whips it under the bar, and Ederson has to touch it behind for a corner!
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90+1 min: Four added minutes to avoid extra time ...
88 min: City, though, weather the mini-storm and tear upfield, Jorginho taking a booking with a very necessary foul on Sterling. Loftus-Cheek now replaces Barkley for Chelsea.
87 min: That’s some lovely skill from Hudson-Odoi on the touchline and a very unlovely foul from Zinchenko to stop him making ground. Chelsea have free-kick, from which they manage a fair spell of pressure, ending with a Hudson-Odoi centre that is desperately cleared away.
86 min: Here comes Leroy Sane – replacing De Bruyne, who just hasn’t got going today. Can Sane turn this for City at the death, as he did at Schalke on Wednesday?
85 min: Hudson-Odoi looks lively so far, but hasn’t managed to get away into any space yet. Chelsea are giving as good as they get as we enter the last five minutes of normal time.
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83 min: Kante has, along with Hazard, had a fine second half. Might have scored though!
81 min: The fire of five, ten minutes ago has dulled a bit. I’d be very surprised if we don’t get an extra 30.
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79 min: Gundogan replaces the quiet David Silva. And Hudson-Odoi, to huge cheers, replaces Pedro. Can he produce something magical?
76 min: Another Chelsea chance! Hazard, who has been brilliant since half-time, lays Pedro into space on the right of the area, but instead of going for goal – as he’d have been entitled to do – he looks to square back to the Belgian, only for Zinchenko to intervene just in time. A corner results but City clear. It feels like a final now, this.
73 min: ... and it’s wasted badly. The shot flies way off. De Bruyne is yet to fire today.
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73 min: A blistering City counter, of the kind they’ve rarely been afforded, sees Chelsea resort to desperate measures. Willian bundles De Bruyne over but advantage is played – until Rudiger, who is booked, desperately fouls Bernardo Silva 22 yards out. It’s a chance for De Bruyne to shoot ...
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71 min: Now Barkley, teed up by Willian, floats one over. I’d go as far as saying that Chelsea, when they do attack, look the more dangerous team.
69 min: Walker makes inroads into the box but can’t get a shot off. A bit of a raised-stakes feel to this now – it’s got a little frantic, hopefully in a good way.
67 min: Closest yet – and it’s a big chance for Chelsea! Hazard makes another of those runs into space down the left, a bit wider this time, and beats Kompany with an ease that will encourage Chelsea greatly. He gets to the byline, lays back, and Kante is running in 12 yards out ... but smashes over! It could, perhaps should, be 1-0 to Sarri’s men.
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64 min: City passing, passing, passing but doing little, little, little to suggest we aren’t heading for extra time.
Mourinho commentating on the match for DAZN Spain (via @efabascalUK): "Hazard has the talent & personality to wear the Real Madrid shirt." Adds he wants to return to management this summer #cfc
— Liam Twomey (@liam_twomey) February 24, 2019
Hello Jose.
61 min: Some lovely, waifish play from Bernardo Silva down the right brings a cross, but Rudiger heads away. Still no real sign of a big chance, even if the game has a little more to it now.
59 min: Fernandinho is booked for a foul and it’s a nice, central set-piece for Chelsea, who might just have arrived at this game now. It’s ludicrously far out for a shot ... but that doesn’t deter David Luiz, whose powerful-sidefoot schtick goes wrong here and sees the ball fly way, way behind.
57 min: Corner to City. It’s a better start to this half. It bounces around the area and falls to Aguero, who controls a mishit Otamendi shot and finishes coolly! But he’s half a foot offside – a decision confirmed after a lengthy VAR delay in which you wondered, for a split second, whether the goal might actually be given.
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53 min: Oooh, Hazard has open grass to run into down the left – there’s one of those spaces! At his best he might just streak away, jink into the box and finish ... but, after he gets inside the area, he seems to lose some confidence and stalls, checking back and allowing Otamendi to rob him.
@NickAmes82 I think the first half by Sarri was purposefully cautious - and as City continue to dominate possession and go for a goal in this second half, spaces will open up and Chelsea may look to take advantage of that (as they are never going to dominate possession here)
— Röhit (@rokugang) February 24, 2019
Not an unreasonable reading.
50 min: Kepa fumbles a fairly standard De Bruyne cross and is lucky that Aguero has already run ahead of the ball.
48 min: “I hope John Terry has his kit on just in case Chelsea win this,” quips Ally. He’s in the Sky studio and has already slipped a few “we” in. Meanwhile De Bruyne delivers a dangerous ball from the right and, eventually, Fernandinho fires well over from range.
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47 min: Pedro immediately makes a nice run down the right, is felled, and wins Chelsea a chance to load the box. Willian delivers into what is actually a very good area in the Corridor Of Uncertainty, but they clear didn’t load the box well enough because nobody attacks it.
Peeeep! The second half has commenced
A goal? A chance? Something?
Manchester City substitution: Kompany for Laporte (hamstring).
Shouldn’t change much ... should it?
Don’t forget that if it’s still like this in around 50 minutes’ time, we will have extra-time. If that’s to be the case, let’s hope it has at least opened up a bit by then.
Chucky writes: “How many 0-0s is that from the top clubs this week across comps? Too many defensive coaches! Boring as.”
I think Jonathan Wilson had a point here. The pendulum always swings.
Regarding that question on London clubs at Wembley, Phil West has crunched some of the numbers so the rest of us didn’t have to:
“Since 1900 (according to Wiki) London clubs playing non-London clubs in the FA Cup final are 28-14 ahead. There are also a few occasions where two London teams were involved, but I ignored them. I’m not sure if this means anything though – as years ago it was quite common for less successful teams to have a cup run only to lose in the final. Comparing results since the year 2007 gives a 6-2 score in favour of London teams.”
Half-time: Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City
Nobody would say this has been much good. But, in fairness to Chelsea, it’s probably gone as Sarri intended. They have kept City at arm’s length and limited them to half-chances at best.
45+2 min: Almost severe embarrassment for Otamendi as he heads a Chelsea free-kick towards his own goal, with no opposition player near, and sees it fly only narrowly wide as Ederson dives desperately! So Chelsea have a corner with the half’s last action, but it causes no danger.
45 min: First real bit of spark from Hazard, who does well to outdo Laporte but then, with men arriving very late in support, tries to do a bit too much in a tight space and sees City eventually block his attempt on goal.
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43 min: Another City corner, now, and they’re applying some real pressure again. David Luiz beats Laporte to it, but that’s not the end of the story. Zinchenko plays the ball in again and Otamendi – ghosting in at the back post as a minute previously – gets a toe to the ball but not with enough power to beat Kepa.
42 min: Willian concedes a free-kick on the right after Chelsea lose the ball in their own half three times in quick succession while passing out aimlessly in pursuit of nothing. It’s another very dangerous area. De Bruyne’s cross again goes beyond everybody but Sterling, delivering from the left, sees his ball kept alive acrobatically by Otemendi at the far post. It looks good, but Chelsea clear.
39 min: De Bruyne, with a smart touch past David Luiz, reaches the byline but overhits his cross. Sterling, on the other side, twists Azpilicueta about sublimely at first but eventually runs out of space and Chelsea earn a goal kick.
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37 min: It really has been low on excitement so far, let’s be honest. Sarri has gone for Get A Result And Save My Job tactics, and I’ve seen nothing to suggest they don’t have a chance of squeaking it out that way. City aren’t moving the ball as they can and chances aren’t really coming.
34 min: It’s not much but we are seeing a bit more from Chelsea now. Kante tries to get away down the right but can’t reach it. City still have the initiative though and force an awkward hack away from Rudiger just outside the six-yard box.
32 min: Chelsea enjoy a little play around the City box, now, and Fernandinho has to be well positioned to stop Hazard latching onto a floated Jorginho ball into the area.
31 min: ... which is delivered by De Bruyne, who has been quiet so far, but Chelsea cope just fine.
30 min: That’s a deserved yellow card for David Luiz, who agriculturally dumps Bernardo Silva over as the City man wriggles deftly away from him near the right byline. Dangerous free-kick here ...
28 min: A shot on target from Aguero, who links with David Silva before firing one from 20 yards, slightly deflected, that Kepa dives onto and holds.
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25 - As of the 25th minute there has been just one shot and zero goals - at this exact stage of the league meeting between these sides two weeks ago Manchester City were winning 4-0. Quiet. pic.twitter.com/8daYkh7B10
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) February 24, 2019
So, in fairness, it’s going as Sarri probably hoped.
26 min: But now Chelsea do have an attack, sweeping upfield adroitly, and earn a free-kick midway inside the City half, a little to the right. It’s their first real chance to put some pressure on. Willian arrows it to the back stick, Pedro heads down but nobody is poised to latch onto it.
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25 min: If you were Hazard you’d probably rather be in Madrid than chasing waste paper like this.
22 min: Best bit of action so far – Bernardo Silva floats a lovely right-to-left ball over Azpilicueta and Aguero, deep inside the box, chests down and sets himself before lashing over from an awkward angle.
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21 min: Little comes of it. But it’s only City doing any attacking. We’ve not seen Hazard at all yet!
20 min: Maybe possession from the back will die and football will evolve to the extent that, in five years’ time, everyone is playing percentage football and the real heroes are a generation of miniature Dave Bassetts. While we ponder that, Rudiger defends well from a dangerous Bernardo Silva ball and it’s another City corner.
18 min: Some fairly heavy City pressure, now, but Luiz clears two crosses from the left. Chelsea are sitting off until City get 15 yards into their half.
17 min: Kepa looks dodgy with the ball at his feet so far, which doesn’t help the previous point.
16 min: The thing is that Chelsea *insist* on passing the ball around from the back even though there are no options to progress the move and City keep pressing them aggressively. So the ball gets given away every single time. I know it’s the way everyone has to play now but it so often becomes frayed and useless. You’re probably not going to score the perfect goal from there, guys, so why not do it as and when?
13 min: Laporte feeds David Silva in a nice little pocket of space but his touch uncharacteristically lets him down. It’s been a reasonably drab start, overall.
12 min: JR in Illinois is frothing –
“Have you re-watched what Jorginho did to Aguero in the first second of the game? It was not a ‘stray arm’ by Jorginho. It was a deliberate elbow aimed squarely at Aguero’s face. He didn’t make a clean connection, just a glancing blow, but it was as clear a red card offence as you’d want to see. And Moss was standing five feet away. Unbelievable.”
I’ll have to watch again at half-time. It would – and seemingly should – have been pretty much the quickest red card in history!
10 min: Fairly clear, now, that Chelsea are taking the conservative approach. But they cause a flutter now as a long switch from Emerson beats a badly positioned Laporte and almost sends Kante running clear. He is blocked off, legally, by Zinchenko but there were some brief howls of anguish from their fans.
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8 min: The referee is Jonathan Moss, by the way. City keep pressing but Chelsea are offering up some spicy challenges and don’t look like giving up chances easily just now. Rudiger has stepped in well a couple of times already.
5 min: Yes, it’s a good start from City and now Aguero benefits from a ricochet and surges down the right, claiming a handball after a defender blocks his cross. Nothing is given.
3 min: City keeping the ball well early on. Has Sarri gone for the template that beat them in December?
1 min: Blimey – literally straight from kick-off Aguero tries to run past Jorginho and is sent flying by a stray arm. Looks very painful but he gets up, City take the free kick and then win an early corner .... which is cleared by Barkley.
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Peeeeeep! Chelsea start us off!
The death of Sarriball or the birth of something beautiful?
@NickAmes82 do London clubs historically have an advantage at wembely, being it in London and all?
— max bertfield (@maxlbertfield) February 24, 2019
It’s an interesting question, to be fair. I doubt if I can find the answers in the next four minutes, but if anyone has stats to hand then do whack them over.
The teams are striding out at Wembley right now – there’ll be meeting, greeting, pleasantries, anthems, and then we’ll be away!
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@NickAmes82 “Don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s another game on at the moment”
— SophieJ (@supergoonybird) February 24, 2019
*waves from The Emirates
Oh gosh, yes, and shame on me because I’m writing this a mere hop, skip, jump from Arsenal’s home. They beat Southampton 2-0 with early Lacazette and Mkhitaryan goals!
Joe Pearson writes: “Perversely, with respect to Europa League qualification, it doesn’t matter who wins this final (presuming the standings hold). If Chelsea wins, they qualify automatically. If City wins, the qualification falls to ... Chelsea.”
That is true and a good point. The stakes for Chelsea and Sarri are even higher than that though, I think.
So does Pep, briefly!
“[The 6-0] was an incredibly important result for us but today is a final, a different competition, and hopefully we can play the game like a final deserves to be played.”
Sarri speaks!
“We have played every three days [since the 6-0] so it’s difficult to work on the pitch. We have talked a lot to try and improve. Two months ago we played [City] and won with a match of very great application. We know we can do better and better.
“I cannot understand why you ask me [about his future] because you know very well I can only give my opinion. You have to ask the club.”
We were not regaled with his opinion.
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“Chelsea playing the same frontline that beat City 2-0 late last year,” notes Neil Bailey, and he has a point. Strange game, that was, because Chelsea got a grip of it after reverting very much to Plan B – ceding possession, basically.
It finished goalless at Old Trafford, and was rather a slog. Half an hour til this one now ...
Very nice from Paul Wilson, this, on how Chelsea could learn from City’s example:
The quality in United v Liverpool has been ... lacking, shall we say. We’ll get better at Wembley, surely. Chelsea fans: right call to leave Higuain on the bench?
Don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s another game on at the moment. Simon Burnton will take you through the delicately-poised last knockings of Manchester United v Liverpool and then I’ll have much more from this one. Get your thoughts and predictions in to me, in the meantime!
Team news
Chelsea: Kepa, Azpilicueta, Rüdiger, David Luiz, Emerson, Kanté, Jorginho, Barkley, Willian, Hazard, Pedro. Subs: Caballero, Christiansen, Kovacic, Loftus-Cheek, Hudson-Odoi, Giroud, Higuain.
Manchester City: Ederson, Zinchenko, Laporte, Otamendi, Walker, Fernandinho, Silva, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Sterling, Aguero. Subs: Muric, Danilo, Kompany, Gundogan, Sane, Mahrez, Foden.
Strong from City, with Ederson in goal rather than Muric, who would usually expect to play in this competition. Guardiola is clearly desperate for the win. No Hudson-Odoi from the start for Chelsea despite his goal against Malmo on Thursday, but Jorginho and Hazard are among those to return – and Barkley starts. Higuain is on the bench. Presumably we will see Hazard as false nine, which tends to work well against lesser teams but not against good ones.
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Hello!
The sun’s out in north London, Wembley looks resplendent, you’d almost think it is May. But this is the League Cup final, rather than the FA Cup final, and the storylines around this one might well keep us going until the latter. Manchester City will be gagging to tick off the first of a potential four trophies, and retain this one in the process, make no mistake about that. If they lose today then the chance to achieve something historic, if not massively likely, is gone. But for Chelsea there is something quite different at play.
Chelsea last won this competition four years ago and would love to again. Should they fall short then you’d fancy that Maurizio Sarri is done for; that Chelsea’s revamp is over before it really began and that an exhausting cycle of upheaval starts over again? It was a 6-0 defeat at City a mere fortnight ago that suggested the goose was cooked – anything close to that would surely seal the deal today although I, for one, suspect we’re in for something much chancier because that is how football tends to go.
Players want to win stuff, that’s the bottom line, and Chelsea’s team of seasoned internationals will be desperate to do that today. There’s no way City are six goals better than Chelsea on a normal day; this isn’t a normal day but it’s a cup final and that’s usually a great leveller. Will it be enough?
My view: whatever happens today you can’t ditch Sarri, because it was obvious *before they even got him in* that he wasn’t simply an instant-results guy, that this would take a year or two to develop and if they go away from that now then, under the current ownership, Chelsea are just going to confirm themselves as a basket case. Do what City did with Pep and let things grow over a quiet-ish first campaign! Has Sarri been hoist by the petard of such a fantastic start to the season, which even saw Chelsea being breathlessly suggested as title contenders in those early weeks? I think that, too. The football in recent weeks really hasn’t been good but he needs longer to get his own people, and ideas, in – not just Jorginho, whose new status as the fans’ fall guy seems entirely unreasonable and simply a deflection.
Anyway. Will today be the day it all turns for Chelsea and Sarri? Is this all just a jaunty diversion from the inevitable either way? Is it the start of something quiet fabulous for a City side who haven’t always reached last season’s heights? So much to ponder, so little time: we’re off, off and away at 4.30pm UK time. So get your thoughts in via email and/or Twitter right now!
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