Eden Hazard Leads Chelsea to PK Win vs. Tottenham to Advance in 2019 League Cup

Chelsea will face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley Stadium in February after beating Tottenham on penalties on Thursday.

Spurs led 1-0 from the first leg at Wembley, but N'Golo Kante levelled the tie on 27 minutes. The midfielder latched on to a loose ball, and his deflected shot flew through goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga legs.

The Blues were dominant and went ahead on aggregate 10 minutes later. Pedro and Cesar Azpilicueta combined down the right to find Eden Hazard, who fired home first time.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino switched to a back three at half-time, and it proved effective as Spurs levelled just five minutes into the second half. Danny Rose sent in a superb cross from the left, and Fernando Llorente managed to head home and make it 2-2 on aggregate.

The equaliser set up a frantic second half, with both sides having chances but being unable to find the crucial winner, leaving the tie to be decided on penalties.

David Luiz was the hero for Chelsea, scoring the winning penalty after misses from Eric Dier and Lucas Moura to spark wild celebrations at Stamford Bridge.

Hazard Answers Sarri's Leadership Call

Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri made his feelings clear about talisman Hazard ahead of Thursday night's clash.

"He's very important for us, of course, because he's a great player," he said, per BBC Sport. "He always can win the match in two minutes, sometimes in one minute, but at the moment he's not a leader."

His words had the desired effect, as Hazard looked back to his best with an eye-catching performance against Tottenham.

The Belgium international has featured as a false nine in recent weeks but was restored to his favoured position on the left behind striker Olivier Giroud.

Hazard looked liberated by the change in position, running at the Tottenham defence at will and causing all sorts of problems with his dribbling ability:

He also produced a superb finish to score Chelsea's second of the night to continue his excellent record in the competition:

Spurs struggled to contain him throughout the 90 minutes, such was his desire to drop into space to pick up possession.

He was a little unfortunate not to add to his tally too. A clever run into the box saw him crowded out, while another shot curled just wide of Gazzaniga's post.

It was exactly the response Sarri will have been hoping for from his star man, and he will be relishing the prospect of the Belgian linking up with Gonzalo Higuain after his arrival from Juventus.

Too Many Injuries Means Tottenham's Season Is Over

Tottenham were without the injured Harry Kane and Dele Alli against Chelsea, while Heung-Min Son was again absent because of his involvement at the Asian Cup, and it showed. The visitors were outclassed in the first half and struggled to cope with the Blues.

There was also more injury woe for Spurs during the match. Ben Davies was forced off in the first half and replaced by Rose:

Moussa Sissoko also picked up a problem and was substituted, while Rose wanted to come off but was forced to stay on:

Despite the injuries, Tottenham showed great character to take the game to penalties, although Chelsea will feel they ought to have won it in normal time—Olivier Giroud was guilty of missing a glorious chance in stoppage time from close range.

The defeat and the injury situation means Tottenham face a tough end to the season. Their next fixture is against Crystal Palace on Sunday in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The Eagles will have had a week to prepare for the match and have shone against the top teams this season, beating Manchester City and drawing against Manchester United and Arsenal.

Tottenham will then return to Premier League action, where they face a fight to hold on to third place. Chelsea are just four points behind, while Arsenal and Manchester United—both seven points behind—have not quite given up hope of sealing a UEFA Champions League spot.

Spurs' only other chance of glory is in Europe, where they face a last-16 tie against Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund. 

Both Kane and Alli are expected to miss the first leg of that clash at Wembley and could also miss the return in Germany, according to Sam Dean at the Telegraph.

The injuries to key players have come at the worst possible time for Spurs, meaning Pochettino's search for a first trophy with Spurs looks set to continue.

What's Next?

Both teams play in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. Chelsea take on Championship side Sheffield Wednesday at Stamford Bridge, while Spurs face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.