Chelsea FC vs Tottenham - Competition: Capital One Cup Final
Chelsea FC team
aim for their first trophy since Jose Mourinho returned to take over
the reigns once again.The Blues drew some favorable draws in their run
to the semi-finals before taking on Liverpool, where they dispatched the
Reds in extra time of the 2nd leg 1:0 (2:1 on aggregate) behind an
Ivanovic goal. Now they have a shot at not only the trophy but also
revenge against the Spurs, who beat Chelsea FC in a wild affair at White
Hart Lane in their last meeting (5:3). Harry Kane had 2 goals and an
assist in that match and the Zouma-Terry centre-back partnership must be
wise to his sly movements. Jose Mourinho will be demanding a more
assured defensive performance this time around, though his troops have
admittedly struggled a bit recently with just 2 wins over their last 5
competitive fixtures. Furthermore, Nemanja Matic will be out suspended
after his rash response to Ashley Barnes’ tackle last week, and things
could be tough here on the favorites. However, they have earned the
“favorites” label and have the stronger side on paper even in the
absence of the Serbian, and the first major trophy of the English season
should ultimately end up in Chelsea’s hands.
Tottenham crashed out of the Europa
League on Thursday clearly with an eye set for Sunday’s title clash at
Wembley Stadium. While they certainly had their chances against
Fiorentina, key moments like Roberto Soldado’s completely botched 1-on-1
with the goalkeeper marred their day and ultimately cost them their
European hopes. They have now failed to win any of their last 4
competitive fixtures, conceding 8 goals over this stretch for an average
of 2 allowed per game. However, form typically goes out the window in a
derby match and especially a title match, and the Harry Kane-led Tottenham
shouldn’t be counted out. They have demonstrated their quality this
season with wins over Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton, and Southampton, and
manager Mauricio Pochettino is clearly an intelligent manager. But the
major cause for concern this weekend may not necessarily be their
ability to pull off the upset but rather their inexperience. Tottenham
haven’t been to a title match at Wembley since 2008 (League Cup), and
none of the anticipated players in their lineup for this Sunday were in
that traveling squad. They are very young and could allow nerves to get
to them a bit here, and even a moment of hesitation in a game of this
magnitude can cost you dearly.
Probable lineups:
Chelsea: Courtois – Ivanovic, Zouma, Terry, Azpilicueta – Ramires, Fabregas – Willian, Oscar, Hazard – Diego Costa.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris – Walker, Dier, Vertonghen, Rose – Bentaleb, Mason – Lamela, Dembele, Eriksen – Kane.
Match date: 1 March 2015
Kick Off Time: 16:00 GMT
Venue: Wembley National Stadium (London, England)
