Chelsea vs. Liverpool: Winners and Losers from Capital One Cup Game
Chelsea will contest the final of the Capital One Cup after beating Liverpool, 1-0, on Tuesday and 2-1 on aggregate.
The only goal of the match came in the fourth minute of extra time when Branislav Ivanovic rose to meet Willian's free-kick and headed the ball into the back of the net.
But what the showdown lacked in goals, it more than made up for in intensity, as both sides engaged in an end-to-end extravaganza that both entertained and delivered no shortage of talking points. We'll examine some of them in the following slideshow.
Here are the winners and losers from the encounter.
Winner: Thibaut Courtois, Who Was Vital for Chelsea Once Again
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Thibaut Courtois stood on his head at times as Chelsea earned a 1-1 draw at Anfield in the first leg of this Capital One Cup semi-final, and he reprised the performance Tuesday at Stamford Bridge.
With Liverpool on the front foot for extended stretches, he was called upon to make a handful of important saves—the best of which kept Philippe Coutinho from scoring in the 30th minute after the Brazilian had danced through the Blues defense.
Then, midway through the second half, the Belgium international slid to his right-hand post to prevent Alberto Moreno from slipping the ball into the back of the net.
"What a save from Courtois to deny Moreno," tweeted Press Association journalist Simon Peach. "Lovely Gerrard ball to put him through, strong save from the [Chelsea] goalkeeper."
Loser: Michael Oliver, Whose Refereeing Performance Was Poor
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Referee Michael Oliver had little control over Tuesday's match, and while there was some decent entertainment as a result, his oversights will have no doubt infuriated both managers.
Indeed, Chelsea's Jose Mourinho, in particular, could often be seen remonstrating in the technical area.
But it was Blues striker Diego Costa whom Oliver should have sent off in the 12th minute after the Spain international stomped on Emre Can's ankle, and he might have at least been sanctioned for a similar offense on Martin Skrtel in the second half.
Incidentally, Costa should have won a penalty from Skrtel in the 22nd minute, but once again, Oliver made the wrong decision.
Additionally, Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson should have been sent off in the 66th minute for handling the ball. He was already on a yellow card.
"Pen for me," tweeted The Independent's Jack Pitt-Brooke after Costa was brought to ground by Skrtel.
"Two managers clashing on the touchline after Mourinho signals ref needs glasses," added The Guardian's Daniel Taylor.
Winner: Philippe Coutinho, Who Didn't Stop Working Until the Final Whistle
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Philippe Coutinho put in a good shift on Tuesday—on both sides of the ball.
In the 26th minute, he reminded viewers just how competent he is in his defensive duties when he rushed Cesc Fabregas into misplacing a pass and then moved to his left to dispossess Willian.
Although he didn't find the back of the net at Stamford Bridge, the Brazilian was Liverpool's best attacker, and over the course of the 120 minutes, he won 10 dribbles, contributed three tackles and touched the ball 76 times, according to WhoScored.com.
Loser: Diego Costa, Who Could Have Been Sent Off Twice
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Diego Costa put himself about from the opening whistle on Tuesday night.
In the 12th minute, he should have been ejected for stepping on Emre Can's ankle, and midway through the second half, referee Michael Oliver had another chance to send off the Chelsea striker following a stamp on Martin Skrtel.
Costa also jousted with Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard throughout the match and somehow managed to stay on the pitch for the full 120 minutes.
"Ugly from Diego Costa on Can," tweeted The Independent's Ian Herbert.
"Off-the-ball stamp from Costa there on Can. Disgraceful. Fortunate not to be sent off," opined The Times' Matt Hughes.
Dave Hytner of the Guardian quoted Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers as saying, "He [Costa] is an outstanding player—he obviously has this edge to him."
Rodgers added, "We see the TV incidents, the two that he had. The one with Emre Can, that was poor, I felt. He could easily hurdle over the young player but he directs his studs right on to his ankle, which could have been nasty. And the one with Martin Skrtel—again, there’s no need to do it. That’s the sad thing."
Rodgers continued, "He’s a top-class player and he’s clever enough that the officials don’t see it. But it’s poor by him because he’s an outstanding player and he doesn’t need to do it."
Winners: Manchester City, Who Will Get a Fatigued Opponent on Saturday
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One of the most anticipated matches of the Premier League season will be played on Saturday, when Chelsea host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues will go into the match five points clear of the champions in the table, but after Tuesday's exhausting match, City could well fancy a season-altering win at the weekend.
Not only did the Chelsea-Liverpool semi-final second leg go the distance, but it was also played at top speed from start to finish.
Both Cesc Fabregas and Filipe Luis came off injured, and key contributors, including Oscar and Eden Hazard, played the full 120 minutes.
"Willian, Diego Costa receiving extensive massages/manipulation. Manchester City, visitors here on Saturday, will be enjoying this extra time," remarked The Telegraph's Henry Winter via Twitter.
Loser: The Capital One Cup's Away-Goals Rule
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As if the away-goals rule in modern football weren't ridiculous enough, the Capital One Cup has managed to take it to a whole new level of absurdity.
The rule doesn't go into effect until the end of the 120 minutes in the competition, which means that Chelsea would have gone through even if they'd failed to score in the extra periods.
"Away goals not counting at 90 minutes is one of the most bizarre and unfathomable rules of English football," tweeted ESPN FC's Dale Johnson.
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