Antonio Conte speaks!
Barney Ronay on Chelsea's superiority
Match report: Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea (Agg: 0-3)
Carabao Cup: Chelsea booked their place in the final with a minimum of fuss, despite Tottenham being denied two penalties and a goal correctly ruled out VAR. David Hytner reports from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Thomas Tuchel speaks: “We’re happy with the result,” he tells BBC Radio. “In the first half we were the better team and we deserved to be up.
“But we lost concentration and lost focus in the last 15 minutes of the first half and again in the second half. We were almost punished for lack of focus.
“We played at 90% and that’s not our style - we shouldn’t do this. We had to work hard and it was not our best performance - we were better in the first leg.”
In a subsequent interview with Sky Sports he admits he was a little bit unhappy with the performance and that Chelsea could have “controlled the match better” and “made fewer mistakes”.
Meanwhile in the Premier League: West Ham have consigned Norwich City to yet another defeat, with reported Liverpool transfer target Jarrod Bowen bagging both goals for the Hammers.
Antonio Rudiger: “Over the two legs, yes definitely,” he says, when asked by Sky Sports if the 3-0 scoreline was a fair reflection of Chelsea’s dominance across the tie. “The home game we were in total control of the game although in the second half, like today, they came a little bit back. Today they were a bit more dangerous but that was because of our lack of focus.”
Chelsea through to another cup final under Tuchel. Complete non-event of a semi-final - Spurs poor in both legs, only got going when the tie was over. Every goal they conceded was abysmal. Boos from the few Spurs fans who've stayed until the end.
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) January 12, 2022
Spurs have a great manager, but Conte has inherited such an average squad. Kane looks off the pace too. Spurs are so far behind the best at the moment, needs major investment.
— Jacob Steinberg (@JacobSteinberg) January 12, 2022
A quick recap: A difficult job for Tottenham got even harder when Antonio Rudiger gave Chelsea the lead on a night when they dominated almost throughout apart from a brief spell of second half defiance from their hosts.
Tottenham were awarded two penalties, only to have both correctly overturned after VAR consultations, then had a Harry Kane strike ruled out for offside on the correct advice of video assistant referee Mike Dean in Stockley Park. He’ll be expecting to take home the match ball after that hat-trick of fun-spoiling interventions.
Full-time: Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea (Agg: 0-3)
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeeeeeeep! It’s all over at the Tottenham HOtspur Stadium, where Chelsea have booked their place in the Carabao Cup final. They’ll face Liverpool or Arsenal at Wembley on Sunday 27 February.
90+8 min: Kepa keeps out Ryan Sessegnon’s shot from a Harry Kane pull-back.
90+7 min: With tens of thousands of Tottenham fans already halfway up the Seven Sisters Road, the game meanders towards a conclusion many believed to be inevitable: a Chelsea win.
90+3 min: Play resumes with a Chelsea throw-in in the Tottenham half. We still don’t know what happened in the stand but about 12-15 stewards seem to be congregated in a group in the seating area some way back from Kepa’s goal and hopefully have a handle on whatever the situation is if the players have been cleared to continue.
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90+1 min: Harry Kane is in animated discussion with Andre Marriner and seems to be riffing on the subject of some of the VAR decisions that went against Spurs.
88 min: The players remain out on the pitch but play has yet to resume. Andre Marriner is at the touchline speaking to somebody who looks quite important, presumably trying to find out what exactly is going on in the stand before deciding what to do next.
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87 min: Play is paused as several people in high viz jackets attend to some sort of incident, possibly a medical emergency, in one of the stands.
84 min: Marcos Alonso hammers the ball out of play off Bryan Gil for a Chelsea throw-in down by the corner flag. Like that referee who was nominally in charge of the game between Tunisia and Mali at the Africa Cup of Nations today, Andre Marriner should do everyone a favour and blow for full-time after 85 minutes.
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80 min: Japhet Tanganga brings down Callum Hudson-Odoi to concede a free-kick wide on the left not too far from the corner flag. Hakim Ziyech tries to send the ball into the mixer but fails to beat Lucas Moura, the first man.
Tottenham substitution: Oliver Skipp on for Harry Winks. Chelsea substitution: Ruben Loftus-Cheek on for Jorginho.
78 min: Emerson Royal sends a cross towards the near post following a rare error by Kante. Kepa gathers comfortably before Kane can get across him.
77 min: Mateo Kovacic makes way for Kante.
75 min: N’Golo Kante, like Thiago Silva and indeed myself recently recovered from a bout of Covid, is about to come on. I think Thomas Tuchel could even give me a run out for these final 15 minutes without the consequences being too disastrous for Chelsea. Other opinions are available.
74 min: Chelsea defender Malang Sarr deals comfortably with a crossfield pass aimed for Bryan Gil, taking the ball down, turning his man and sending it back upfield.
Harry Kane’s goal ruled out for offside #TOTCHE pic.twitter.com/JC11XP9M1H
— talkSPORT (@talkSPORT) January 12, 2022
70 min: Tottenham substitution: Bryan Gil on for Giovani Lo Celso. Chelsea have switched to five at the back, while Tottenham have gone to a four.
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67 min: Chelsea triple substitution: Thiago Silva, Hakim Ziyech and Marcos Alonso on for Andreas Christensen, Mason Mount and Timo Werner. Tottenham susbtitution: Ryan Sessegnon on for Matt Doherty, who’s had a torrid evening. The Irishman’s days at Tottenham must surely be numbered. His move there from Wolves has been little short of disastrous.
Tottenham's "goal" is ruled out
65 min: It’s as you were with Chelsea leading 1-0 on the night and 3-0 on aggregate. And as the song doesn’t quite go, if Tottenham didn’t have bad luck they’d have no luck at all.
Kane had a foot offside as he received a through ball before finishing deftly into the far corner but once again VAR has ruled correctly in Chelsea’s favour.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-1 Chelsea (Agg: 1-3)
Harry Kane draws Spurs level on the night. But ... it looks like it might be chalked off for offside by VAR.
61 min: Somebody has flicked the Spurs switch and they’ve shown more fighting spirit in the past five minutes than the previous 146 of the tie.
60 min: Emerson Royal has a powerful header from a Ben Davies cross well saved by Kepa, who scampers across his line to keep out the goalbound effort.
59 min: Tottenham corner. Giovani Lo Celso’s inswinger is half-cleared by Kepa at the far post.
NO PENALTY FOR TOTTENHAM!
57 min: After consulting his pitchside monitor on the advice of his video assistant referee Mike Dean, Andre Marriner overturns his decision. A fine save by Kepa is adjudged not to have been a foul after all. He won the ball cleanly with a lower leg and Lucas Moura simply fell over.
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PENALTY FOR TOTTENHAM!
56 min: Kepa is penalised for rushing off his line and bringing down Lucas Moura. He made clean contact with the ball and I suspect this decision will be overturned too.
54 min: Chelsea continue to dominate possession on what is turning out to be a remarkably easy night at the office for them. Assorted Tottenham are now lumping hopeful long balls forward, gifting the ball back to their visitors on the rare occasions they lose it.
52 min: Chelsea free-kick, wide on the left. Mason Mount’s delivery into the Spurs penalty area, where Antonio Rudiger barges into Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Free-kick for Tottenham.
49 min: Chelsea face Manchester City at the weekend, while Tottenham have an appointment with Arsenal. Which of the two managers will decide the outcome of tonight’s game is a formality and empty his bench first?
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48 min: Chelsea win a corner. Rudiger gets on the end of that one too, outjumping Tanganga and shouldering the ball over the bar.
Second half: Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea (Agg: 0-3)
46 min: Play resumes with no changes in personnel on either side.
That Chelsea goal: Watching a replay, it must be said that Antonio Rudiger’s header wasn’t the most clean of contacts. The ball actually hit his shoulder or back and went in although I might need top UK civil servant Sue Grey to confirm that following an enquiry.
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Half-time: Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Chelsea (Agg: 0-3)
Peep! Andre Marriner draws the first half to a close and the players of Spurs traipse off with an Everest to climb. Antonio Rudiger’s goal from a corner means they trail by three goals and have just 45 minutes to save themselves against a team that completely bossed them for long periods of that first half.
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45+2 min: Chelsea are playing keep-ball in the closing stages of this first half. Much like in its opening stages, Spurs can’t get a touch.
45+1 min: A Ben Davies shot from distance sails wide of the Chelsea goal.
44 min: Lo Celso tries to send an up-and-down effort into the top right-hand corner but his effort is blocked by the defensive wall.
44 min: Hojbjerg and Lo Celso stand over the ball, a couple of yards right of the D ...
NO PENALTY FOR SPURS!
42 min: After a lengthy VAR consultation, the decision is overturned. Tottenham have to settle for a free-kick just outside the penalty area.
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PENALTY FOR SPURS!
40 min: Rudiger appears to foul Hojbjerg outside the Chelsea box and the Spurs midfielder trips over his own feet inside it. Andre Marriner points to the spot but there’s a VAR consultation. I think this decision will be overturned. For my money it should be.
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39 min: Antonio Rudiger dispossesses Harry Kane in the Chelsea penalty and the Spurs skipper goes to ground. There are appeals for a penalty from the stands but Kane himself doesn’t join the fans in asking for one.
36 min: Emerson Royal shoots tamely at Kepa Arrizabalaga after doing well to get back and force the Tottenham right wing-back wide as he bore down on goal. Tottenham are finally showing some signs of life but they seem too little too late.
34 min: Romelu Lukaku outjumps Ben Davies and connects with a Timo Werner cross from the left. He sends his header wide and chides himself in frustration. If he’d got it on target he almost certainly would have scored.
33 min: Tottenham go close from the ensuing corner, with Davinson Sanchez’s downward flick bouncing wide of the far post. Harry Kane flung himself towards the ball in a bid to poke it home but came up a couple of inches short.
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31 min: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg sends a deflected shot narrowly wide of the Chelsea goal after Tottenham’s best move of the game so far came to an abrupt end when the ball clanked off Harry Kane’s knee as he tried to control a pass in the Chelsea penalty area.
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30 min: A mistake at the back from Ben Davies allows Andreas Christensen to stand the ball up at the far post trying to pick out Timo Werner. Pierluigi Gollini is quick off his line to claim.
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28 min: Chelsea have had 76% of the possession in the past 10 minutes. Tottenham need three goals but they’ll struggle to score any if they don’t have the ball. This is men against boys – Chelsea are several classes above their hosts.
26 min: Tanganga is penalised for grappling with Werner between the left side of the Spurs penalty area and the touchline. Free-kick for Chelsea. Lucas Moura heads Mason Mount’s poor delivery into the box clear.
25 min: Timo Werner picks out Callum Hudson-Odoi in the Tottenham penalty area but Chelsea’s No20 gets the ball caught under his feet and falls over. Spurs clear again.
24 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi cuts in from the left and curls a bouncing effort towards the far post. Gollina gets down to put the ball out for a corner. Mason Mount’s delivery is unceremoniously booted clear.
22 min: Harry Winks is penalised for a trip on Mateo Kovacic in the centre-circle as Chelsea continue to control the game.
19 min: Antonio Conte will be furious with the soft goal that has almost certainly put this tie beyond his team. Remember, however, that the away goals rule isn’t applied in the Carabao Cup semi-finals so things could be considerably worse for his side.
GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Chelsea (Agg: 0-3)
Chelsea extend their lead. Antonio Rudiger gives Harry Kane the slip and heads home from a corner after Pierluigi Gollini came for the ball and didn’t get it.
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16 min: Callum Hudson-Odoi fails to connect with a Timo Werner pull-back from the byline, then Gio Lo Celso does well to block Malang Sarr’s shot as the ball fizzes through the penalty area. Lo Celso gives Sarr a volley of verbals, prompting the Chelsea man to burst out laughing.
14 min: Spurs concede a throw-in deep inside their own half as Tottenham try to play out from the back under pressure. A poor touch from Davinson Sanchez does the damage.
13 min: Tottenham attack and Lucas Moura drives forward with the ball at his feet before dragging a low drive from distance well wide of the right post.
11 min: Pierluigi Gollini saves brilliantly with his legs from Romelu Lukaku, who looked a good thing to score after he had outmuscled Ben Davies to run on to a long ball from deep. With just the goalkeeper to beat from about seven or eight yards out, he failed to hit the net.
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9 min: Tottenham’s supporters are in fine voice as they try to encourage their team. A poor defensive header from Davinson Sanchez ball drops kindly for Timo Werner but his attempt to lob Pierluigi Gollini is high and wide of the Spurs goal.
6 min: Andreas Christensen goes through Gio Lo Celso to concede a free-kick a few yards outside his own penalty area, a little left of centre. It was a daft challenge but he gets away with it – Harry Kane drives the dead ball into the defensive wall.
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6 min: Harry Kane tries to get a cross into the Chelsea penalty area from the right but his effort is blocked.
3 min: Correction: Chelsea appear to be playing a back four, with Malang Sarr at left-back and Callum Hudson-Odoi further up the pitch. If only they’d all stop running around it would be so much easier to tell for sure ...
2 min: Spurs haven’t a touch of the ball in the opening 90 seconds but Emerson Royal gets his head to a long ball to rectify that particular state of affairs. Throw-in for Chelsea.
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Chelsea (Agg: 0-2)
1 min: Romelu Lukaku gets the ball rolling for Chelsea, who appear to be lining up in a 3-5-2 with Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek playing as wing-backs.
Not long now: The pre-match light show is over and fans at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be fervently hoping it isn’t the most entertaining spectacle they witness tonight.
Harry Kane and Cesar Azpilicueta lead their respective teams out on to the pitch for the last of the pre-match formalities and kick-off is just a few minutes away.
Some pre-match listening
Max Rushden asked the taxing questions as Troy Townsend, Ed Aarons and yours truly banged the football world to rights in this morning’s recording of our Football Weekly podcast. If you’re not already a subscriber, you can listen on the website or download our thrice-weekly, award-winning podcast on all the usual platforms.
Antonio Conte: In a pre-match interview with Sky Sports, the Tottenham manager says Giovani Lo Celso will play as a No10 tonight. “He has the right characteristics as a No10,” he says. “He is an offensive midfielder and I decided to take this option. I had two options in that role: Giovani and Bryan Gil and I thought for this game it was better to start Giovani.”
A penny for the thoughts of Dele Alli when he hears about this pre-match chat before going out to kick his heels on the bench. How the mighty have fallen and securing a move away from Spurs and a manager who clearly doesn’t rate him in a bid to try to kickstart a career that has stalled in alarming fashion must be uppermost on his mind.
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Away goals: They don’t count for extra in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, so it Tottenham can pull off a 2-0 win in 90 minutes we’ll have extra time and then penalties if required.
Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea line-ups
Tottenham Hotspur: Gollini, Emerson, Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies, Doherty, Hojbjerg, Winks, Moura, Lo Celso, Kane
Subs: Lloris, Paskotsi, Sessegnon, Rodon, Skipp, White, Dele, Gil, Scarlett
Chelsea: Kepa, Christensen, Sarr, Rudiger, Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kovacic, Hudson-Odoi, Mount, Lukaku, Werner
Subs: Bettinelli, Alonso, Silva, Loftus-Cheek, Saul, Havertz, Pulisic, Ziyech
Team news
Tottenham leave Tanguy Ndombele out of their matchday squad for this evening’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, while captain Hugo Lloris is named on the bench.
Ndombele was booed off by home supporters during the FA Cup game with Morecambe at the weekend as he trudged slowly off the pitch when substituted and iss not named in the matchday 18. Pierluigi Gollini starts in goal ahead of Lloris for the second successive game after his weekend outing in the FA Cup.
Chelsea make five changes from the game at Stamford Bridge, with Timo Werner joining Romelu Lukaku in attack.
Our team to face Chelsea this evening! 👇 pic.twitter.com/Nk58WEr584
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 12, 2022
Your Chelsea team news for tonight! 🔵@ParimatchGlobal | #TotChe pic.twitter.com/2oTHoZqRup
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 12, 2022
Tonight’s match officials
- Referee: Andre Marriner
- Assistant Referees: Edward Smart and Scott Ledger
- Fourth Official: Robert Jones
- VAR: Mike Dean
2 - Tottenham are looking to become just the second team to reach the League Cup final having lost the semi-final first leg by more than one goal, after Aston Villa in the 1993-94 campaign. Underdogs. #TOTCHE
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 12, 2022
Thomas Tuchel: “We are Chelsea,” he said, when asked if he’ll be sticking with the 4-4-2 formation that served his side so well in the first leg. “We have our style, we have our positions, and we have enough possibilities. We can play with two strikers, we can play 5-3-2, we’ve played this many times with the ball and off the ball.
“We have the same possibility to play with a formation with three strikers. Maybe even a 4-4-2, like in the match against Tottenham in the first leg, so we have some options.
“The players need this, it is very easy. Players need to show they are good enough to step up. When they start, they need to show they should be on the pitch. It is very easy, we are not inventing new stuff to make players happy or better. They have all it takes. It is on them to show us.”
Antonio Conte: “It’s sad,” said Tottenham’s manager when asked if Tottenham could overturn their two-goal deficit from the first leg. “It’s sad because we know very well we’re facing a top team who last season won the Champions League and in the summer they invested much money to improve the squad. In this moment we’re playing against the best in Europe.
“For sure, when you play against this type of team, it’s hard. At the same time, despite our problems with injuries, we have to try to give everything tomorrow. To show great desire, great will to fight, great personality to play against this type of team and to show also that compared to the first game, we can improve and try to fight tomorrow in the best way, compared to the first game.”
Early team news ...
Heung-min Son remains out for Tottenham Hotspur after injuring himself during the first leg, while Sterve Bergwijn and Cristian Romero are both edging back towards fitness but unlikely to feature tonight. Eric Dier is also expected to miss tonight’s game after missing Tottenham’s unimpressive FA Cup win over Morecambe on Sunday.
Chelsea are without goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who is away at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal but missed their tournament opener after testing positive for Covid-19. Marcus Bettinelli will almost certainly deputise between the sticks. Thiago Silve and N’Golo Kante are also recovering from the virus and will miss out tonight.
Chelsea defenders Reece James and Trevoh Chalobah are both sidelined with thigh injuries, while Ben Chilwell looks likely to miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery for a knee ligament injury.
Semi-final second leg: Tottenham v Chelsea (0-2)
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the setting for the second leg of a cup semi-final Chelsea will feel they should have already put beyond their hosts, following an extremely dominant display at Stamford Bridge last week.
The failure of Thomas Tuchel’s men to convert more of their chances means Tottenham aren’t entirely without hope going in tonight’s game but they have a mountain to climb if they are to reach consecutive League Cup finals.
This evening’s game kicks off at 7.45pm (GMT) and Chelsea start with a two-goal cushion courtesy of a Kai Havertz strike and a slightly comical Ben Davies own goal. Stay tuned in the meantime for team news and build-up.
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