Chelsea vs. Tottenham: Score, Grades, Reaction from Capital One Cup Final

WEMBLEY STADIUM, London — Chelsea clinched the first trophy of Jose Mourinho’s second tenure in charge on Sunday when they beat Tottenham 2-0 in the final of the Capital One Cup at Wembley.

Goals either side of half-time from John Terry and Diego Costa proved the difference for Mourinho’s side—with both goals coming via the aid of slight deflections as Spurs, full of effort and desire but lacking in a cutting edge, were denied the little slices of luck you often need on occasions like this.

Mauricio Pochettino’s team started brightly—Christian Eriksen hitting the bar with the first real shot of note—but could not summon a real response after Terry’s opener moments before the break, which came after a number of Spurs defenders had failed to clear their lines.

Costa then doubled the advantage 10 minutes after the break, as the ball deflected off Kyle Walker for an own goal. Spurs pushed forward gamely but always seemed to lack a certain conviction in their play, as Chelsea saw out the match in the clinical manner we have become accustomed to seeing from Mourinho teams.

Ten years ago, the Portuguese’s first trophy in his first spell at the club also came in the Capital One Cup, a victory that would prove the precursor to clinching the Premier League title later in the same season. Considering their nearest league challengers this season, Manchester City, lost to Liverpool earlier on Sunday, this was a hugely significant day for the club in a number of ways.

Spurs made just one change from the side that beat Chelsea 5-3 in the league at the turn of the year, with Eric Dier continuing in central defence ahead of Federico Fazio. Hugo Lloris started in goal—despite Michel Vorm playing in all previous rounds—as Andros Townsend and Nacer Chadli supported Eriksen and Harry Kane in attack.

Mourinho, hampered by the absence of Nemanja Matic (suspension) and John Obi Mikel (injury), had just two real selection surprises: Kurt Zouma played in a holding role ahead of the defence, while Petr Cech edged out Thibaut Courtois for the spot between the sticks.

Zouma’s selection forced a slight change of system, with Chelsea’s midfield looking flatter than it has for much of the season, as both Eden Hazard and Willian frequently tucked in. As a result, the Blues lacked their usual attacking threat for much of the first half, although they looked resolute against many of Spurs’ attempted forays forward.

After a couple of early sighters from Chelsea, it was Eriksen who had the first real chance of the game, as his powerful free-kick cannoned away off the crossbar. Kane, who had won the free-kick for Eriksen’s chance, then shot straight at Cech.

At the other end, the flashpoints were of a more physical nature. Costa put himself about in a way only he can, earning the ire of both Nabil Bentaleb and Eric Dier for some dubious off-ball challenges. Referee Anthony Taylor opted to keep his cards in his pocket, although Dier would subsequently go into the book for an unfortunate tangle with the Blues’ lone striker.

A tepid first half seemed destined to end goalless, but a set-piece opportunity finally allowed the Blues to move ahead. Chadli needlessly fouled Branislav Ivanovic, and from the subsequent chance Willian’s delivery was not cleared by the Spurs defence. Terry then stepped in and thrashed home to give Mourinho’s side the lead.

It could even have been 2-0 before the break, but Cahill could not direct his close-range header beyond Lloris after another set piece had been nodded back across goal by Ivanovic.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Undoubtedly buoyed by that finish, Chelsea came out strongly for the second period, with Hazard’s dangerous cross flashing across the Spurs goalmouth and Cesc Fabregas forcing a save from Lloris after an acrobatic effort.

The writing appeared to be on the wall, and within 10 minutes, the lead would be doubled. For the first time in the match the Blues passed the ball around with precision and awareness, getting the little bit of luck they also needed to turn that into a goal. Fabregas and Hazard combined, and the ball fell to Costa, whose low shot from an acute angle was deflected beyond the unfortunate Lloris by Kyle Walker’s boot.

Pochettino responded quickly, withdrawing Andros Townsend for Moussa Dembele—perhaps reasoning that his side needed to recycle possession better if they were going to get Eriksen and Kane more involved in the match.

That change did little to curb Chelsea’s threat, however, as they continued to grow in confidence and expertly preyed on Spurs’ need to push forward. Hazard nearly made it three with a curling effort that just flashed beyond Lloris’ far post, before Fabregas failed to find the target with a header after being left unmarked inside the box.

Spurs continued to drive forward—with Pochettino throwing on Erik Lamela—but Chelsea continued to defend resolutely, even if they sometimes had to resort to the darker arts to prevent attacking opportunities. Both Willian and Cahill picked up quick bookings for cynical fouls, breaks in play that halted Spurs’ momentum.

Much of the final 20 minutes were spent in and around the Chelsea box, with Costa and substitute Juan Cuadrado occasionally launching attacks on the break. This was the defence’s time to shine, however, as the likes of Terry, Zouma and Cahill put in tackle after tackle, clearance after clearance to keep Spurs from finding a way back into the match.

Spurs pushed until the final whistle, but in the end Chelsea’s formidable organisation did the job, allowing Mourinho, his players and the fans to add yet another trophy to the collection. Considering other results on Sunday, there might be at least one more still to come this season.

Clive Rose/Getty Images

Post-Match Reaction

Player Ratings

Player	Rating
Petr Cech	6
Branislav Ivanovic	6
Gary Cahill	7
John Terry	7
Cesar Azpilicueta	8
Kurt Zouma	6
Ramires	6
Willian	7
Cesc Fabregas	6
Eden Hazard	7
Diego Costa	7
Substitutions
Juan Cuadrado

Player	Rating
Hugo Lloris	6
Kyle Walker	5
Eric Dier	6
Jan Vertonghen	6
Danny Rose	6
Nabil Bentaleb	7
Ryan Mason	6
Nacer Chadli	6
Christian Eriksen	6
Andros Townsend	5
Harry Kane	5
Substitutions
Moussa Dembele
Erik Lamela
Roberto Soldado