Chelsea edge out Bournemouth to reach Carabao Cup semis
An 84th-minute Eden Hazard goal, that spun into the net after a heavy deflection, earned Chelsea a place in the League Cup semi-finals after a 1-0 win over Bournemouth in an entertaining tie on Wednesday.
Chelsea had buzzed round the Bournemouth goal for much of the game but it was not until substitute Hazard came on with half an hour to go that they looked creative and decisive enough to break through.
Chelsea had piled on the pressure from the start and there were good chances for Olivier Giroud, Ross Barkley, who forced a diving save from Artur Boruc and Willian, who surged forward from the halfway line after 30 minutes only for Boruc to block his rising shot.
Bournemouth looked dangerous on the break and Callum Wilson ran through on goal in the 17th minute but pulled his shot wide.
A scampering run from Jordon Ibe opened up the Chelsea defence 20 minutes later and Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had to fly to his left to keep out Lys Mousset's curling shot.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek, playing in a forward role, looked certain to break the deadlock early in the second half after rounding two players but his shot flew inches past Boruc's post.
Chelsea brought on first Pedro then Hazard and it was a combination of the Spaniard and Belgium's Hazard that made the goal.
It was the first home game since alleged racist taunts against Manchester City's Raheem Sterling prompted an outcry and Chelsea banned four fans.
Chelsea Chairman Bruce Buck took a page in the programme to condemn racism and the atmosphere in the ground was lively but appeared good humoured with no added security in evidence.
Welcome along to live coverage of Arsenal vs Tottenham and Chelsea vs Bournemouth in the League Cup quarter-finals. We've got full team news coming up, in the meantime here's the latest on Mauricio Pochettino's future:
At Stamford Bridge, Maurizio Sarri has made six changes to the Chelsea side that won at Brighton last weekend. Eden Hazard is fit enough for a place on the bench.
Wilson and Brooks come back in for Bournemouth, who have also made six changes. Despite their poor recent form, it looks like they're sticking with a back three.
What does this say about Mesut Ozil's future with the Gunners? The German is not even in the match day squad for Arsenal this evening.
Ozil has fallen out of favour under Unai Emery in recent weeks and it looks like he's facing a real battle to force his way back into the reckoning.
You'd expect a cup tie like this one to be the ideal chance for him to impress, but it's been confirmed that he's been left out for 'tactical reasons' this evening.
You can't say that Arsenal didn't deserve their recent north London derby victory, but Spurs will have felt a bit hard done by having led at half-time.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have enjoyed their best ever start to a Premier League season and are currently two places and five points ahead of Arsenal in the table.
Both sides will feel that the Carabao Cup is a really good opportunity to secure some silverware this season, so don't expect this derby to be any less fiery than usual.
Chelsea will be relieved to have avoided the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Spurs in the quarter-final draw, but tonight's clash with Bournemouth will be far from straightforward.
Eddie Howe's side have struggled for form in the league of late and will be desperate to get a positive result.
Chelsea assistant Gianfranco Zola confirmed the club's interest in Bournemouth forward Callum Wilson on Tuesday, so don't be surprised if he's playing with a point to prove this evening.
"I think we try to win this competition. We are going to try and compete in our best condition. All of our players that will be on the pitch feel 100% recovered after the Burnley game," the Spurs boss told Sky Sports.
"That's why we're going to play with this team and we have until Sunday to recover these players before another game.
"I think this competition is a very good opportunity to play different players and who is going to win? We'll see."
A big early chance for Arsenal. Mkhitaryan wins a corner and then flicks on the ball in at the near post. Monreal stretches but can't quite get on the end of it.
Chelsea are in control in the early stages after capitalising on a mistake from Jordon Ibe. More of that and it could be a long night for the Cherries.
Spurs right-back Kieran Trippier looks to have recovered from an early knock and has just pulled off a brilliant nutmeg on Alex Iwobi right in front of the away supporters. They enjoyed that.
Chance for Chelsea, who are dominant here. Loftus-Cheek plays in Barkley after some excellent work down the right. Barkley hits it from 20 yards out and Bournemouth keeper Boruc pulls off a great stop to deny him.
The match will be shown live on TV or online in the UK but Independent Sport will keep you up to date with all the goals as they fly in via our live blog.
Giroud scored twice last week against Vidi in the Europa League (Getty)
Player to watch…
Olivier Giroud: The French World Cup-winner went on a run of four goals in three Europa League games, but has rarely seen minutes in the Premier League this season. However, with injuries to Alvaro Morata and Eden Hazard, it's likely that the Frenchman will be called up for the match of Maurizio Sarri is intent on taking the competition seriously.
Form guide…
Chelsea: WLWDW
Bournemouth: LLWLL
Odds…
Chelsea to win: 1/3
Bournemouth to win: 8/1
Draw: 4/1
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