Carabao Cup

CHELSEA are firmly in control of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Tottenham after winning the first leg 2-0.The Blues – with Romelu Lukaku back in the starting XI – took an early lead after Kai Havertz’s strike was deflected in off Davinson Sanchez.
And it got even worse for returning boss Antonio Conte in the 34th minute, after a mix-up involving Japhet Tanganga and Ben Davies saw the Welshman knock it in for an own goal to double Chelsea’s lead.
Meanwhile, the other Carabao Cup semi-final which was due to take place tomorrow night – between Arsenal and Liverpool – has been postponed after Liverpool requested the tie be postponed because of a Covid outbreak at the club.

Kick-off time: 7.45pm
TV/ live stream: Sky Sports Main Event/ Football
Chelsea XI: Kepa; Azpilicueta, Sarr, Rudiger, Alonso; Jorginho, Mount, Saul; Havertz, Ziyech, Lukaku
Spurs XI: Lloris; Emerson, Tanganga, Sanchez, Davies, Doherty; Hojbjerg, Skipp, Moura; Son, Kane
Kante and Thiago Silva OUT after positive Covid tests

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Hard truths
Conte adds: “It is not simple to say we go to the transfer market, it wil not be easy in January. We need to be focused and work and continue to improve.
“I am always honest with my players and today their team was much better than ours so we have to clap.
“I like to tell the truth, lies don’t get you anywhere.
“They were much better than us but we have to change the situation slowly slowly, it cannot be done in one or two transfer markets.
“I say again; we need time and patience.”
Where to start?
“In this moment there is an important gap and we need to fight to stay in a good position in the league.
“But if we think we are close then we are not in the right way.
“It is not a problem for the transfer market or new players, there are a lot of jobs to do.
“It is hard to know which part you have to improve first, there is lots to do, we need time and patience.”
No comparison
Conte says: “It was a difficult game from the start. I think Chelsea showed to be much better than us. In the first half we struggled a lot.
“We know we are talking about one of the best teams in the world in Chelsea, they won the Champions League and you cannot compare our two teams.
“Today we have seen the difference between the two teams.”
Honest Harry
Striker Kane confirms his side was not at the races in the opening 45 minutes.
But he believes they can turn it around in the second leg at home
The England hero tweeted: “Paid the price for a poor first half.
“But the tie isn’t over yet.
“Great noise from the away end.”
Luk no further
Thomas Tuchel was happy with his star striker after his bizarre interview last week.
He said: “(Lukaku was) Good, I’m absolutely happy.
“I was pretty sure he was not affected by it.
“He has seemed relaxed and fine with the situation and moved on mentally.
“Romelu can handle pressure and adversity and it was a good performance where he contributed a lot.”
Missed chances
Tuchel said: “It seems like a deserved win, it reflects the game.
“We could have scored even more but it is not easy.
“We did create a lot, some huge changces, we should have scored more and that is the downside.
“But we know we have to work for 90 minutes in the second game.”
Cole hard facts
“Sky pundit Ashley Cole was not impressed with Spurs’ defending, especially for the second goal.
“(Tanganga) Chesting it down and clearing it with his left foot would not have been worse than what he did.
“You need to show bravery and composure on the ball.
“But I felt there were many times Tottenham did not show that and I think that cost them.”
MOTM
Ziyech adds: “We forgot to finish the game off.
“We had a lot of chances but we have another game to get the job done.”
Sky decide not to ask the midfielder if Lukaku has apologised to his team-mates.”
MOTM
Ziyech says: “I think it was a good performance from the team, a strong first half and the second went a bit up and down.
“But we got the job done.
“We put pressure on them and did not give them space and time, in the first half especially.
“In the second we could have killed the game but didn’t.”
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
94. Lukaku sums up his evening with another missed chance.
Werner does something vaguely impressive with a little dinked pass into the Inter-loving striker but his shot is right at Lloris.
Chelsea have been wasteful and Spurs, most of the time, were a waste of time.
All over here. Explain that one please Antonio.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
90. Azpilicueta limps off with a hammy problem, replaced with teenage forward Harvey Vale.
Rudiger does his best to gift Spurs a late chance with some terrible dribbling but the Tottenham attack is too blunt to punish his errors.
‘Oles’ echo around Stamford Bridge every time Chelsea complete a pass.
It’s been a very satisfying night for fans of the West London side over their bitter rivals.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
86. Marcos Alonso should have done more with a well placed free-kick but he cracks it into the wall.
Azpilicueta is struggling with his hamstring but Spurs have the ball and are mounting an attack.
The Blues clear but Tottenham get the ball back and build another chance that needs to be punched away by Kepa.
Chelsea race up the other end where Lukaku creates an opportunity but Sanchez covers the danger.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
84. This one is fizzling out.
Chelsea made a ferocious start and then chilled out once two goals ahead.
Spurs enjoyed a brief spike after a half-time rollocking from Conte.
But the visitors never really showed the skill or desire to score two away from home against the European champions.
Lukaku has not repaid disgruntled Chelsea fans with anything of substance yet.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
80. Another change for the Blues as Ziyech is hooked for Christian Pulisic.
Spurs swap Moura or Gil and Son for Lo Celso.
Hardly inspiring subs so Conte seems to be just preserving his first-teamers for the final few minutes.
Tanganga heads over a good chance when he gets ahead of Rudiger at a free-kick.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
77. Ziyech blows another fine chance miles over the bar after Tottenham decide against marking him – or even recognising his existence.
A deep cross from the left finds the former Ajax man with loads of space and he takes the chance first time on the volley.
But his strike rockets off the edge of his foot and into the stand.
Tottenham are lucky this has not turned into a rout.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
71. Chelsea make a double substitution.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic enter to replace Mason Mount and Saul Niguez.
Tottenham make one change with Harry Winks on for Oliver Skipp.
New-look midfields for both sides for the last 20 minutes.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
70. Moura gets a chance with a volley after Royal whips in a cross but it loops over.
Tottenham are like a different side this half but they still don’t really look like scoring a goal.
A sharper Lukaku or more credible Werner would have helped Chelsea leave this Spurs side for dust.
But they remain a faint threat if they can somehow muster up a goal against the run of play.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
65.Timo Werner miss – yes that’s right, the pseudo-striker misses another sitter.
A brilliant pass disects the Spurs defence and leaves the hapless forward with a prime chance.
He decides to lob Lloris but his tame effort is grabbed by the outstretched Frenchman.
It almost seems a form of torture to keep playing Werner as a central striker.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
66. Another half chance for Tottenham as Moura and Ryal combine down the right.
That comes to nothing but Ben Davies then keeps up the pressure over the other side.
Moura is having a much bigger influence.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
62. Werner almost scores a goal – yes, Timo Werner.
Spurs insists on backtracking away from the German striker so he fires a sht that fizzes just wide.
Then Sarr gets a yellow for catching Kane with a wayward arm. The right call as it didn’t seem a malicious elbow attack.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
Poor Timo Werner gets his first sign of action but is called offside as soon as his fifth touch gets the ball under control.
This looked the perfect game to build up his confidence after the first 45 but Tottenham seem to have toughned up over the break so he will not find it as fun as Kai Havertz did.
Chelsea are knocking it about, getting touches and probing.
And then Tanganga does his best to gift Chelsea a chance with a clueless attempt at dribbling into midfield.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
55. Harry Kane’s heat map looks like a cry for help as he has failed to tough the ball in Chelsea’s penalty box.
Lukaku tees up a dreamy chance for Ziyech but he makes his left-foot effort so obvious that Lloris catches it almost sarcastically.
Moura then creates an opening for Ndombele at the other end but he blazes wide.
Exciting start to the half with Spurs showing some fight.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
51. Spurs look like a side that has left the half-time hair dryer.
They launch another attack until Son is masterfully tackled by Saul.
The Blues get back in the drving seat with Alonso crossing and Lukaku connecting with a volley that dribbles into Lloris’ hands.
Chelsea 2 Spurs 0
48. Ndombele gets stuck straight in by winning a free-kick right on the edge of the box for a foul from Sarr.
Son and Ndombele like the look of the angle.
But it’s the Englishman that hits it and Kepa has to make a standard save to his right.
All change here
Timo Werner has come on for Kai Havertz, wonder how many chances Timo can miss in 45 minutes instead of 90.
And Conte has shuffled around his defence with midfielder Ndombele entering the disaster zone for Matt Doherty.
Spurs’ back five has now become a four – who on earth knows if that can help.
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