Chelsea took control of their EFL Cup semi-final after beating Tottenham 2-0 at Stamford Bridge in the first leg on Wednesday. Kai Havertz scored an opening opener for the Blues, benefiting from a string of defensive errors by his visitors from the start, culminating in a devastating goal by Ben Davies.
Spurs certainly set the tone for their worst performance under Antonio Conte against a home rival who looked like he would be back at Stamford Bridge rather than elsewhere. His players seemed completely incapable of dealing with the Chelsea press, Japhet Tanganga's undercooked pass was stolen in the fifth minute by Marcos Alonso.
The Spaniard's through ball was deemed correct for darting to Havertz's back, from where he swung the ball towards the far post. Davinson Sanchez may have kept the underhit shot outside but could only lift the ball to the ceiling of the net. It set the tone for a terrible first half for the visitors, who failed to register a shot at Chelsea's end.
However, he found the trap on the other. Once again Tanganga was at the center of error, attempting to lead a Hakim Ziyech free kick to safety. Instead he directed it straight at Davies, the ball overtaking the Welshman and Hugo Lloris.
It may be overkill, Romelu Lukaku was filled with intensity as he tried to make amends for his Chelsea teammates, but without the goal he would have crept in. Meanwhile, Spurs failed to score a shot on target from open play until the 88th minute, with substitute Brian Gill leaving Christian Pulisic behind, but Kepa Arrizabalaga looking to save well when his cutback came to Harry Kane.
Conte's team will now have to overcome the two-goal deficit in the home field in the second leg within a week or so to see their trophy drought go past the 14-year mark.
Chelsea excel in new system
After almost a year under Tuchel, you could forgive Chelsea players if they forgot how to play in the back four. No matter when their line-up was suggesting otherwise or when players didn't seem available, the Blues would deploy the back three that have brought them so much success.
not today. There were certainly (irregular) occasions when Tottenham had a dangerous possession and Ziyech would come back to make a back five, matching Spurs' system. Yet for the most part when Chelsea had the ball they had a back four. After that things got a little more fluid and a lot more fun.
On Tuesday, Tuchel had said how easy it was to position Lukaku. "He's a striker, it's very easy. Just put him at number nine". It was as if the Chelsea boss had done it, with Jorginho defining his back five to save the defenders and leaving the rest to work it out. For the most part it worked extremely effectively.
Kai Havertz loves a big game goal.
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 5, 2022
Chelsea lead Spurs in the semifinal! 💪 pic.twitter.com/BDdMN1CVdz
Of course it helps when you have a positionally clever player in the form of Mason Mount, always watching where his teammates and opponents dart and adjusting his position accordingly. Even when the ball didn't come his way, he was instrumental in the moves.
He was not the only one to excel in this new setup. This may be Saul's best game in a Chelsea shirt, a classic of the box-to-box style filled with energetic tackles and late runs to the box. Wherever the ball came to Ziyech, and wherever he might have been on the pitch, he looked for a pass to cut through the defence. Timo Werner went into danger in a second-half cameo, even though his teammates were disappointed that he could not bring a Ziyech pass over Lloris.
Inspires architects to their downfall
If Tottenham ends their trophy drought in early February it is going to be something really special. Based on the first leg, the Spurs have a long way to go to become a team that can beat the Blues with two clear goals, not least because they were able to concede more than they did.
Tanganga's mistakes made headlines but he was far from alone in his defensive disqualification. There were parts of the game where Pierre-mile Hojberg seemed to chase the ball without discipline, not knowing where his opponent might be. Sanchez could have done more to block Havertz's shot for the opener.
No passage of the game better summed up a formidable defensive performance than one just after the second goal. A moment when the Spurs' intensity should have been on the rise, instead they were hardly ready for a fight. Matt Doherty allowed Ziyech up the pitch, cutting his strong left foot and clipping a cross into the box without any pressure. Sanchez fought most of the way to prevent Lukaku from winning a header.
Not the team goal Antonio Conte was looking for 😅
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) January 5, 2022
(📽️ @ESPNFC) pic.twitter.com/xhTmjxztV8
The forward three offered nothing defensively, although they were getting precious short serve from the midfield of Hodgebjerg and Oliver Schepp. The former often looks like a progressive force in a Denmark shirt but he can barely get out of his half against Chelsea.
It eventually got so bad that Conte's only route to defensive stability was to give up one of his last five, Doherty, and bring in Tanguy Ndombele, to worry his former side with a midfielder, Which could really get the spurs into the dangerous parts. Pitch. This at least stopped the bleeding with the French, which included almost all the shots the visitors got in the second period.
Yet it was not as if the Spurs were the best team in the game in the second half. They will leave the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium dressing room in seven days' time, lucky they are still in this tie, followed entirely by one of the worst nights of Conte's reign to date.