“If you compare the two teams there is not a comparison. We are talking about a team ready to win – today we have seen the difference between the two teams. We are a team in the middle. This game confirmed what I thought about the difference between the teams” said Spurs boss Antonio Conte after the game. But it was not after tonight’s game, he actually said this after the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, when his former club won comfortably 2-0 at Stamford Bridge. And his statement can be pretty much the same after tonight’s second leg too since Chelsea had another strong showing against the Spurs and are thought to the Carabao Cup final at Wembley: Tottenham – Chelsea 0-1. 4 – Chelsea have been responsible for 24% of Spurs’ defeats suffered at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since they moved to the ground (4/17). Indeed, Spurs are winless in all five of their meetings with the Blues at the venue (D1 L4). Dominant. pic.twitter.com/fS7zTaJyvM— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 12, 2022 Seven days after the first match, the same thing happened: The Blues dominated and won the match with ease. After winning against Chelsea in 2019, Spurs managed to defeat the Blues only once in the next 11 games in all competition, and the streak continues. The Champions League winner is just too strong for the Spurs right now, even with Conte as a coach, and these two games will be a perfect opportunity for the Italian to demand more money to spend in January in order to be more competitive. In this match, Tottenham were denied two penalties and a goal, but unlike in some other cases, VAR was 100% correct each time. 1 – Just 350 days after his first game in charge of Chelsea, Thomas Tuchel has become the first manager in the club’s history to guide the Blues to the final of each of the League Cup, FA Cup and Champions League/European Cup. Imposing. pic.twitter.com/STkUKoMffl— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 12, 2022 Chelsea decided to ‘kill’ the game as early as possible and started to attack from the first minute. Tottenham just couldn’t create any sort of play in the first 20 minutes. Lukaku got the long ball in the 11th minute and smashed a ball from 12 meters which Gollini blocked away. But after a corner in the 18th minute, Gollini has undone his good work minutes before. He didn’t clear the ball and allowed Rudiger to beat him for the lead: 0-1. Chelsea didn’t stop there and it took Spurs another 15 minutes to get to Chelsea’s penalty area. Sanchez’s header went across the goal and Kane was sliding in at the back post but missed by inches. Spurs were awarded a penalty in the 42nd minute, but VAR showed that Rudiger made the first challenge just outside the penalty area and Lo Celso only managed to hit the wall. Tottenham were awarded another penalty, this time in the second half, but this one was overturned by VAR too, and rightfully so, as the replay showed that Chelsea keeper Kepa made it the ball before Moura. Kepa made a great save in the 60th minute after an Emerson header but finally capitulated after Kane’s shot in the 64th minute. But, it was not Spurs night really, as this one was denied by VAR due to offside, and again, the VAR room was right. Tottenham huffed and puffed until the end, but the Blues simply denied any possibility of a goal, and are waiting for the winner of the other semi-final between Arsenal and Liverpool.
