Chelsea in Control of Capital One Cup Semi-Final with Liverpool
Ignore the post-match statistics; they don't tell the story.
The amount of possession Liverpool had compared to Chelsea in the first leg of this Capital One Cup semi-final is meaningless, their number of shots on goal even more so.
What matters above all else is that Chelsea came away from Anfield on Tuesday night with the result they went there for—a draw.
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It would have been even better had Raheem Sterling not cancelled out Eden Hazard's first-half penalty to make it finish all square at 1-1, but this is now Chelsea's cup tie to lose.
After their high-octane approach and enthused crowd that contributed to making this a classic Capital One Cup semi-final, Liverpool will have to face the cold reality of it all when they come down tomorrow.
They blew it.
With home advantage for the second leg, Jose Mourinho always knew this tie wouldn't be won in the first 90 minutes. It could be lost, though, and Chelsea just needed to ensure they remained in touch with their opponents come the final whistle, which they did.
Brendan Rodgers had his team pumped. They were up and at them from the off.
Liverpool impressed at times, too, yet peel back the layers and it was tactics born more out of necessity than a philosophy.
It was all a facade.
Will Liverpool play the same way at Stamford Bridge in seven days? No, and now they're going to need to find a bus all of their own to bring with them if they are to stop Chelsea marching all the way to Wembley.
Mourinho knows it. It's why he cut such a serene figure in the immediate aftermath when speaking with Sky Sports.
"The important thing for us is that this semi-final was two legs, and now it's only one leg at Stamford Bridge," he told the TV cameras.
"I'm not saying we are the favourites. I'm saying now the semi-final is one leg because this was a draw and because of that, we have to win at Stamford Bridge; Liverpool have to win at Stamford Bridge."
He didn't spell it out, but it was clear. The Chelsea boss got exactly what he wanted—his team are halfway there.
After witnessing the pressure Chelsea were put under, were this a Premier League fixture—or indeed the second leg of the semi-final—it would have been a different Mourinho we saw.
He would have been frustrated with how deep his team had played, upset that Diego Costa had to live off scraps in attack.
But no, the game plan dictated that would happen. Chelsea were on the next page they had read Liverpool so early.
Mourinho very consciously deployed John Obi Mikel alongside Nemanja Matic in central midfield. The pair were also joined by Cesc Fabregas and Willian to congest the central areas, leaving Eden Hazard on the left to break free when given the opportunity.
They weren't worried about possession stats or shots on goal. It was about keeping the scoreboard weighted in their favour.
This was pragmatism at its finest.
To win trophies, teams have to face their nemesis somewhere along the way. The Capital One Cup draw had been kind to Chelsea until tonight, pitting them against lower-league sides they should always defeat given their vast reserves.
An away trip to Liverpool, beneath those famed Anfield lights, is a challenge, though. And instead of getting caught up in the moment, Chelsea have made it work for them.
That's where Mourinho earns his corn as a manager. He's never labelled it as such, but his approach is all about the same marginal gains that have made Sir Dave Brailsford the godfather of British cycling.
The gains are somewhat different, but the principle is the same. In this instance, Chelsea's gain was to make this cup tie come down to one thing: a face-off at Stamford Bridge.
That they did.
He's a wise old head, is the Chelsea manager. He's been here before, experiencing how his Chelsea side suffered a similar fate to Liverpool in the 2005 Champions League semi-final.
Ultimately, that game was decided by Luis Garcia's controversial goal at Anfield, yet Chelsea had blown their best chance at Stamford Bridge the week previous when they couldn't find a way through and the game ended goalless.
They had dominated, had looked like the better team, but in reality, one manager's game plan of 180 minutes outdid the other.
This was a role reversal, and Chelsea have set themselves up perfectly. They didn't lose and are now in control heading into what promises to be a thrilling encounter in west London next week.
It's game on for Mourinho and his men.
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.
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