"We
played how we always need to play in a final. I feel proud of my
players because I think they played very well, but in the same way
disappointed for our supporters and for our players because we made a
big big effort.
Unlike
Chelsea, Spurs were involved in European competition in midweek, losing
the second leg of their Europa League tie with Fiorentina in Italy, and
Pochettino felt that was a factor.
Asked about tiredness possibly having an effect on his team in the final, the Spurs boss said: "It's always difficult because in preparing for this final we played on Thursday in Florence. That is not an excuse, but it is the reality.
"But we have to improve. This was the first final for a lot of the players and we are proud.
"This is the first step for this group, because this group is strong, and we showed character and personality."
18.50 More quotes from the aftermatch of the match.
Mourinho heaped praise on his players after winning the 21st trophy of his managerial career, above all on those who did not even play in the final but had played a big part in getting the Blues there, such as Thibaut Courtois and Filipe Luis.
However, with another London derby against West Ham coming up in the Premier League in midweek, the Portuguese also said Sunday's celebrations would be kept to a minimum - 20 minutes to be precise.
In lauding his entire squad, rather than just those who featured on Sunday, Mourinho said: "We took the competition seriously. Everyone was fantastic in this run.
"All these guys are men of the match for me, maybe more than John (Terry) and maybe more than the lucky ones to play this final.
"I feel really sorry for the other ones who didn't play, so for me they are the man of the match because this is a team."
He added: "I'm really proud of the guys, but celebrations in 20 minutes, (then) over, goodbye, train tomorrow, we have another game on Wednesday."
Mourinho was quick to praise Tottenham and their manager Mauricio Pochettino after the match as well.
He said: "I'm really happy. I think I should start by talking about Tottenham and about Mauricio, because they are a fantastic team.
"He's building a great team, they gave us a very difficult match and I feel sorry for them. He (Pochettino) is doing a fantastic work and is having a great evolution in his career."
18.40 Jonathan Liew agrees that John Terry should have been the man of the match. But how did Jonny think everyone else did? And, just as importantly, do you agree?
18.22 Here's John Terry talking to Sky Sports about the day's events:
"That's the first one, it's massive. It meant an awful lot to us (to win the League Cup) in 2004/05 in Jose's first year here.
"That (Sunday's win) could be the start of something very good but we have to kick on and we have the league to focus on, but it's a great day and a great win today.
"The pressure was there before the game, obviously, but that's what cup finals do to you. I thought we played very well, handled the game very well and delighted with the win.
"I think it was fairly even first half, second half I thought we controlled it a little bit better and deserved winners."
It
was the 2005 League Cup triumph that really launched Jose Mourinho’s
first successful spell at Chelsea and he’s at it again a decade on,
winning the same trophy with goals from John Terry and Diego Costa.
Mourinho may even have taken a huge step towards a second trophy on the
same day, following Manchester City’s hugely damaging Premier League
loss at Liverpool.
Down at Wembley, as the heavens wept for Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea enjoyed a victory scripted by Mourinho. He set the mood of defiance, stirring up the dressing-room belief about a campaign against them. Nonsense, of course, but it certainly fired up his players. There was even a feeling of “doing it for Matic” after the midfielder’s ban.
Mourinho’s tactics and team selection were spectacularly rewarded.
18.11 As I said in-play, Spurs probably had the better of the half. They played quite well, but didn't have much luck. If Eriksen's freekick had gone in rather than hitting the bar... Element of fortune for both the Chelsea goals. But Spurs gave a good account of themselves.
<noframe>Twitter: Charlie Parrish - Chins up, Spurs. Bested by the best team in the country. Dier-Bentaleb-Eriksen-Kane is a helluva young spine to build around. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23COYS" target="_blank">#COYS</a></noframe>
18.10 Not a bad day for Chelsea. That defeat for Man City an absolute hammer blow to the Citizens' title hopes. A trophy secured.
<noframe>Twitter: Matt Law - Courtois full kit and gloves....</noframe>
18.03 Matic is up on the balcony. He's gone full kit! John Terry: leader. Legend. Inspiration. Let the memes begin.
18.02 John Terry, hashtag nice touch, shares the Cup-lifting duties with Drogba. One handle each.
<noframe>Twitter: Daniel Storey - John Terry immense yet again. Captained Chelsea to Mourinho's first trophy in both spells. Most consistent defender in the country at 34.</noframe>
18.01 John Terry has been named man of the match. This is getting better and better for Spurs. Their players have been up to collect their runners-up medals, and have got the hell out of there, as you would.
17.56 So what did we learn from the match? Take it away, Matt Law:
This can be the start of a new era of success for Chelsea. Roman Abramovich was in the Wembley stands to watch a number of his club’s players win their first piece of major silverware for Chelsea.
The only question mark that has hung over the heads of Eden Hazard, Willian and Diego Costa is whether or not they can carry Chelsea over the winners’ line and that was answered at Wembley.
The 2005 League Cup proved to be the catalyst for Mourinho’s first Chelsea team and, 10 years on, the competition could be the start of things to come for his latest Blues side.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 2 TOTTENHAM 0 Well, they might not be the most loveable team, but my goodness they are effective. Mourinho had a plan and he had the players to pull it off. They had some luck with both goals - I think that second one will probably be chalked up as an OG by Kyle Walker - but once they got their noses in front, Tottenham never looked likely. Stick around for a few minutes and we'll bring you the reaction.
<noframe>Twitter: Miguel Delaney - Mourinho to end longest trophy drought of career, two years and 10 months.</noframe>
90+ mins: As the four minutes of injury time run down, Diego Costa is withdrawn, Costa comes off very slowly, and DIDIER DROGBA comes on for a minute or so's work. Walker has won a corner from Azpilicueta, but even if they do score, it won't matter. And they don't. We're now just waiting for the final whistle, big hugs between Mourinho and Rui Faria,they are already celebrating, and now so is everyone else in Blue.
90+ mins: Kane runs at the Chelsea defence, wins a corner, but nobody can get on it.
90 mins: Some fans are leaving. Spurs have given it a good shot but Chelsea highly efficient and they are excellent front runners. Lucky with both goals. Lamela tries to run at the defence, but gets himself in trouble.
88 mins: Spurs corner, Soldado dangerous, but Chelsea clear. They're in thou shalt not pass mode now.
87 mins: Fabregas comes off. Slowly. Butch Oscar comes on. Good work from Martin Tyler: "Oscar has lost a final on this ground - the 2012 Olympics for Brazil v Mexico."
86 mins: Dangerous corner fizzes past everyone.
85 mins: Handy spell for Spurs as Eriksen probes and pokes. Kane has danced through, but there is John Terry with a magnifcent sliding tackle to save the day. Played, John.
84 mins: Cuadrado has clattered Broadway Danny Rose, for no particular reason. Booked. But Chelsea clear the freekick with some ease.
81 mins: This is all over. Spurs game but look highly unlikely to break down that solid Chelsea defence. Azpilicueta, back on, has been shoved by Kane. Shane O'Leary with a savage and unprovoked attack on England's rose, Wor Sir Alan Shearer:
As
a Chelsea supporter, I'm pretty nervous because I remember what
happened last time out, but as a Costa fan, I'll just offer this for
consideration; I'm old enough to remember the cynical, manipulative
(professional) way that the plucky Geordie, Alan Shearer dived to
conquer, season after season.
78 mins: Chadli, disappointing, taken off. Soldado on.
77 mins: Spurs get down the right, raking centre across the area. Ivanovic completely misses it! Sadly, Chadli cannot apply the finish. Lamela has given Costa a sly poke in the kisser. Ref seemingly hasn't seen. Mourinho will be having a moment.
76 mins: Cuadrado does his job, using his pace on the break, and drawing a foul out of Bentaleb, who is booked.
75 mins: Ivanovic is kindly helping Kane off with his shirt but the referee, who is no doubt involved in A CONSPIRACY AGAINST CHELSEA, gives nothing. Kane cannot get a header on the ball but it drops for Lamela who cannot get a touch at the far post. The ball skids off the turf. Close.
74 mins: Spurs take a quick freekick, they're looking to crack on while Chelsea are down to ten. Spurs win a corner. Azpi is being patched up. Meanwhile, Cuadrado has been brought on in favour of Willian.
72 mins: Cahill drags Kane to the floor. Booked. Handy ball in but Dier is miles off. He has not had an afternoon to remember. Oh, and he's also whacked Azpilicueta in the bonce, drawing blood.
<noframe>Twitter: Phil McNulty - Chelsea fans groaning as the ball is passed back in an attacking position. They sense more goals here but Mourinho is the great pragmatist.</noframe>
70 mins: Willian with a tactical foul. On Rose I think it was. Lamela comes on, Mason comes off.
69 mins: Eriksen gets something going, useful run, Dembele involved but they cannot fashion a shooting chance.
67 mins: Poch pictured burying his face in a towel. Hopefully not a wally-with-a-brolly moment.
66 mins: Fabregas and Willian have started playing; Hazard is, as ever, a threat. The three of them looking really dangerous and, as the rain tips down, Willian has won a freekick down the right. Freekick played to the unmarked Hazard at the back of the box, he in turn spots Fabregas with a late run to the back post... header... ooh just wide. Third goal for Chelsea looks much more likely than a score for Spurs.
<noframe>Twitter: Steve Busfield - Doing chores & overseeing homework & watching <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23CapitalOneCupFinal" target="_blank">#CapitalOneCupFinal</a> . When I'm watching Spurs look great. When I'm not watching Chelsea score</noframe>
63 mins: Chelsea corner. Willian receives the ball, judges it perfectly, and slides the ball to Hazard, whose stabbed shot floats just a couple of feet wide.
60 mins: Spurs fans singing loudly, but it feels like defiance rather than inspiration. Townsend off, Dembele on. Dembele to play in centre.
59 mins: Chadli busy down the left, ball comes back to Bentaleb for a terrible, contemptible shot over the bar.
<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hirst - Just seen Gallas in the crowd here at Wembley - in the Chelsea end....</noframe>
58 mins: Poor Spurs. If you were scoring this on percentages I reckon you'd have them at abut 55 to 45 but, as yoy may be aware, that is not how the game is scored.
GOAL! Fabregas,
coming more into the game, and he's picked out a clever ball for Costa.
Costa powers down the inside left channel and fires a hard shot at
goal. BIG deflection off Kyle Walker. Indeed, very possibly an own goal.
It gives Lloris no chance, and one has to say, that will probably be
enough for Chelsea. CHELSEA 2 TOTTENHAM 0 (Costa 56)
55 mins: A long period of play for Chelsea. This is starting to bode ill for Spurs.
54 mins: Hmm. Well, it's probably pretty exciting for the players and the fans in the ground but it's not doing a massive amount for me. Raining now.
52 mins: Scrappy period, Spurs have a freekick 40 yards out, play it short. Here are Mason and Rose trying to get something going, but without success.
<noframe>Twitter: Michael Hogan - Pochettino looks like a shaved koala. Or an Alaskan oil rigger with a dark secret <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23CapitalOneCupFinal" target="_blank">#CapitalOneCupFinal</a></noframe>
50 mins: Ha. Mourinho has just squirted water at a cameraman!
49 mins: Fabregas has been a bit quiet but he's suddenly in the action with a marvellous bicycle kick, decent save from Lloris.
48 mins: Hazard's suddenly in ACRES down the left, God knows what has happened there, but he has fizzed a ball across the six yard box and Dier is not far away from turning it into his own net.
46 mins: Right then. Spurs kick off, bright start, here's Danny Rose down the left and he has crossed hard and low. Cech gathers. No changes.
16.57 Not too sure what Spurs should do differently. I am more or less convinced that Dier is going to get that second yellow, so if Poch DOES have to take Walker off, he might not want to move Dier to right backv Hazard...
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 1 TOTTENHAM 0 Plenty of energy but far from a classic. Chelsea have been unconvincing with Zouma in central midfield, Fabregas quiet and Willian notably off his game. But, as always, they are a formidable team from set pieces and a cheaply-given Chadli foul on Ivanovic allowed Terry to score. Time for a few emails? William Kalua kicks us off:
This
Costa guy is a nuisance of a player, I don't like his bullies or
attitude. Spurs will win this regardless. Enjoying your blog from the
warm heart of Africa (Malawi)
Joseph Quarcoo has summed up football fandom in a nutshell!
Despite
the British press and commentators not liking D Costa describing him as
a bully, a cheat and more, he will not change and chelsea love him
Yanwakanma sounds like a touchy article. He or she writes:
Chelsea is playing to instruction from technical crew,and you think they don't deserve the lead? We deserve it
45 mins: And in injury time, Chelsea have another corner, they sling it deep to Ivanovic. Good header back across, and there's Cahill, shaping his body well to get a very solid header in on goal. Lloris leaps to save. Diego Costa now tries to get onto a long ball, Costa has nipped ahead of Dier, who has brought him down! Well then! That could well have been given as a foul - and remember, Dier has already been booked. Last action of the half.
GOAL!
John Terry! Ball into the box, it rebounds off a Tottenham defender. It
drops for John Terry, who swings a leg at it. It takes a large
deflection off Dier, no chance Lloris, and Chelsea have a lead they
probably don't deserve. CHELSEA 1 TOTTENHAM 0 (Terry 44)
43 mins: But a handy place for a freekick nevertheless..
42 mins: Willian breaks, plenty of space, but a dreadful touch plays himself into trouble and he's fortunate to get a throw in. Spurs clear Ivanovic's long throw.. it comes right back. Chadli has dragged Ivanovic back, cynical. Should have been a booking IMHO. Should also have done better with that high ball forward rather than just standing watching it and then fouling the opponent.
41 mins: Walker hobbles back on. Not sure that's the best plan for all sorts of reasons.
39 mins: Chelsea allowing Tottenham plenty of space at the moment. There's an injury to Walker. Right shin. Poch takes the opportunity to pass some instructions to Mason - hasn't he come on as a player this year? Walker walks gingerly to the touchline.
38 mins: All that said, a Costa goal set up by Hazard to be the only score of the game feels the most likely outcome.
37 mins: Going pretty well for Spurs so far, they've largely had the better of it, but few chances to tell you about. Townsend (?) breaks with the ball, Chadli hoofs a shot into row Z. Chelsea meanwhile are playing with an unfamiliar method and it shows. Zouma has done well against Eriksen but has upset the ballance of the midfield otherwise.
35 mins: Nice work Bentaleb and Rose, fashioning a chance for Eriksen but his scuffy, scruffy effort does not frighten the horses.
33 mins: Walker's battling persistence has won a corner off Willian. Awful corner from Spurs and they are soon facing a dangerous counter... but that too is not terribly well played.
32 mins: Bentaleb feeds Eriksen, who breaks, but his personal supervisor Zouma is there to hunt him down. Stop Eriksen, stop Spurs? Certainly Mourinho is taking no chances with the Dane.
29 mins: Chadli down the left, handy ball in. Mason cannot quite get there. Dier booked for sliding in on Costa. Diego will see one of these Spurs backs sent off today, I fancy.
28 mins: Costa an aboslute master of the wind-up, a bully, a cheat, a faker and a sneaky dealer of kicks and stamps and digs. Marvellous. I expect he's a smashing lad off the pitch.
27 mins: You'll never guess, Costa involved in a bust-up, for an arm in the face of Bentaleb. He makes the best of it. He's the fouled by vengeful Tottenham defender Walker, and the freekick into the area give Lloris a few moments anxiety.
<noframe>Twitter: Stan Collymore - Chelsea pedestrian in CM areas, missing Matic dynamism and direct running. Hence long balls to Costa in channels.The Final <a href="http://www.twitter.com/talkSPORT" target="_blank">@talkSPORT</a> LIVE</noframe>
26 mins: Chelsea have a freekick, deep, looking for Hazard but finding only Sllow Lloris.
25 mins: A busy, if unlovely period of play...
22 mins: Long ball for Hazard, control is mint, takes a shot that's charged down. Better bet might have been to utlise support, inc. Costa?
21 mins: Spurs the more vocal fans at the moment, I would say.
19 mins: Yet more action for Broadway Danny Rose, who breaks with the ball at pace but wastes a useful situation with a nothing shot.
18 mins: Ball is thumped into the wall, balloons up in the air, Cahill clatters Rose as they go for the reound. No malice intended, but it looked sore.
17 mins: 24 yards out, on the right hand side, just level with the D.
16 mins: Hazard needs a bit of running repairs and is taken off. Freekick in a very handy position.
15 mins: Breathless stuff, everyone running around at 100mph. Ramires with a late tackle on Broadway Danny Rose but spared a booking. But Rose himself has been lured into a late challenge on Hazard, stretching for it, and he has upended the oft-fouled Belgian.
13 mins: Rapier counter-attack from Chelsea, Azpi with the ball, Costa holds it up well, crosses for Hazard who flashes a shot not far off. At the other end, there was an ambitious shout for handball against Ramires, but there was no reasonable way that he could have got his mitt out the way of that.
11 mins: Kane runs at the defence, Townsend draws Terry away with a clever run, Kane has a low effort from distance but it was going to need something exceptional to beat Cech from that range and this... wasn't. Doesn't.
9 mins: Good position for Eriksen from the freekick, 23 yards or so out... Smacks it against the bar! Excellent freekick. Questions to be asked about the Chelsea wall...
8 mins: Kane! Amazing run, beats three or four, and is eventually brought down by about five Chelsea players in a mob.
7 mins: Ivanovic sends a loopy ball into the box and Lloris has to look lively to palm that over for a corner. From said corner, Ivanovic himself peels off, and given his goalscoring feats of late, he might have done better than plant that free header wide.
5 mins: Costa with a neat layoff, Ramires surges into the box but his shot is blocked at source. Now Costa and Dier go for the ball, really good tackle from Dier, tiny bit of afters. Costa involved in some early mini aggro.
3 mins: Tottenham with a chance to play it around now, Chelsea pressing, Spurs keeping it well. Townsend tries to deliver in. Chelsea clear. Willian a little sluggish in possession there.
2 mins: Chelsea have an early freekick, Willian sends it in. The big men are up. Terry's header over.
1 mins: It's Zouma who plays in the defensive midfield role. Cahill and Terry at centre back.
16.00 National anthem, hoopla over, and we are off!
15.58 Same Spurs XI that hammered Chelsea on New Years Day; bar Dier coming in for Fazio. That was a brilliant game. I watched it in a bar in New York with the New York Spurs.
15.57 Ramires back in, then. Azpi gets his game for Felipe Luis. And Cech preferred to Courtois. That's a nice selection dilemma to have.
15.54 The players are out on the pitch. Intrigued to see how the Blues set up.
<noframe>Twitter: Phil McNulty - She's now hanging upside down while handing the trophy over to a member of the Armed Forces. Amazed she's not been violently ill.</noframe>
15.50 Jonathan Liew on Christian Eriksen. "How hard work, Football Manager and Dennis Bergkamp turned the Dane into one of the Premier League's most feared midfielders." Excellent read.
<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hayward - I see the flamethrowers were out at Wembley. They're everywhere. Has sport just discovered the miracle of fire? Next - the wheel.</noframe>
15.48 Considerable amounts of effort and expense on all these fireworks and such. Hope the dangled lady is doing well.
<noframe>Twitter: Iain Macintosh - They’ve tied a woman to a balloon and they’re dragging her around the stadium, trying to catch her with flamethrowers. This is appalling.</noframe>
15.44 Lady arriving on a giant balloon now! She's floating slowly down from the sky and she has grabbed the Capital One Cup off a podium. We haven't seen this much trophy scene-stealing by someone not playing since John Terry's legendary efforts.
<noframe>Twitter: Matt Law - Chelsea twitter feed seems to put Cahill in midfield. Theory in press box was Zouma would play the holding role next to Fabregas <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23cfc" target="_blank">#cfc</a></noframe>
15.40 As far as we can tell, Gary Cahill is going to play in centre mid. Or is Jose going for a back five? Why has he got Zouma, Terry and Cahill in the same XI?
15.35 Harry Kane! Everyone loves a bit of Harry Kane. Here he is, saying that he's gonna be a Spurs man for as long as they'll have him. Good lad Harry.
“I’m just enjoying it at the moment, I’m full of confidence and just want to be out there playing,” Kane says. “Sometimes you need a player to step up when it matters but it’s about the team and as a team we’ve managed to play well in the big games – Chelsea [beaten 5-3 in the league], Arsenal. Tough games. But we have probably managed to play the best games we’ve played all season. So, as a team, we are really confident playing the bigger teams now.”
Kane is still only 21 but he is no overnight sensation. Indeed he was released by Arsenal, then Watford and also by Spurs themselves, who initially let him go after a trial, before, finally, the latter put their faith in him. But it was not easy.
“I think I had set-backs but I still always had that belief that I was going to play for Tottenham Hotspur,” Kane says. “Even when I went out on loan to clubs, it was always to come back and be a Spurs player. I had good loans at [Leyton] Orient and Millwall and I had probably not so good loans at Norwich and Leicester.
Asked about tiredness possibly having an effect on his team in the final, the Spurs boss said: "It's always difficult because in preparing for this final we played on Thursday in Florence. That is not an excuse, but it is the reality.
"But we have to improve. This was the first final for a lot of the players and we are proud.
"This is the first step for this group, because this group is strong, and we showed character and personality."
18.50 More quotes from the aftermatch of the match.
Mourinho heaped praise on his players after winning the 21st trophy of his managerial career, above all on those who did not even play in the final but had played a big part in getting the Blues there, such as Thibaut Courtois and Filipe Luis.
However, with another London derby against West Ham coming up in the Premier League in midweek, the Portuguese also said Sunday's celebrations would be kept to a minimum - 20 minutes to be precise.
In lauding his entire squad, rather than just those who featured on Sunday, Mourinho said: "We took the competition seriously. Everyone was fantastic in this run.
"All these guys are men of the match for me, maybe more than John (Terry) and maybe more than the lucky ones to play this final.
"I feel really sorry for the other ones who didn't play, so for me they are the man of the match because this is a team."
He added: "I'm really proud of the guys, but celebrations in 20 minutes, (then) over, goodbye, train tomorrow, we have another game on Wednesday."
Mourinho was quick to praise Tottenham and their manager Mauricio Pochettino after the match as well.
He said: "I'm really happy. I think I should start by talking about Tottenham and about Mauricio, because they are a fantastic team.
"He's building a great team, they gave us a very difficult match and I feel sorry for them. He (Pochettino) is doing a fantastic work and is having a great evolution in his career."
18.40 Jonathan Liew agrees that John Terry should have been the man of the match. But how did Jonny think everyone else did? And, just as importantly, do you agree?
18.22 Here's John Terry talking to Sky Sports about the day's events:
"That's the first one, it's massive. It meant an awful lot to us (to win the League Cup) in 2004/05 in Jose's first year here. "That (Sunday's win) could be the start of something very good but we have to kick on and we have the league to focus on, but it's a great day and a great win today.
"The pressure was there before the game, obviously, but that's what cup finals do to you. I thought we played very well, handled the game very well and delighted with the win.
"I think it was fairly even first half, second half I thought we controlled it a little bit better and deserved winners."
It
was the 2005 League Cup triumph that really launched Jose Mourinho’s
first successful spell at Chelsea and he’s at it again a decade on,
winning the same trophy with goals from John Terry and Diego Costa.
Mourinho may even have taken a huge step towards a second trophy on the
same day, following Manchester City’s hugely damaging Premier League
loss at Liverpool. Down at Wembley, as the heavens wept for Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea enjoyed a victory scripted by Mourinho. He set the mood of defiance, stirring up the dressing-room belief about a campaign against them. Nonsense, of course, but it certainly fired up his players. There was even a feeling of “doing it for Matic” after the midfielder’s ban.
Mourinho’s tactics and team selection were spectacularly rewarded.
18.11 As I said in-play, Spurs probably had the better of the half. They played quite well, but didn't have much luck. If Eriksen's freekick had gone in rather than hitting the bar... Element of fortune for both the Chelsea goals. But Spurs gave a good account of themselves.
<noframe>Twitter: Charlie Parrish - Chins up, Spurs. Bested by the best team in the country. Dier-Bentaleb-Eriksen-Kane is a helluva young spine to build around. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23COYS" target="_blank">#COYS</a></noframe>
18.10 Not a bad day for Chelsea. That defeat for Man City an absolute hammer blow to the Citizens' title hopes. A trophy secured.
<noframe>Twitter: Matt Law - Courtois full kit and gloves....</noframe>
18.03 Matic is up on the balcony. He's gone full kit! John Terry: leader. Legend. Inspiration. Let the memes begin.
18.02 John Terry, hashtag nice touch, shares the Cup-lifting duties with Drogba. One handle each.
<noframe>Twitter: Daniel Storey - John Terry immense yet again. Captained Chelsea to Mourinho's first trophy in both spells. Most consistent defender in the country at 34.</noframe>
18.01 John Terry has been named man of the match. This is getting better and better for Spurs. Their players have been up to collect their runners-up medals, and have got the hell out of there, as you would.
17.56 So what did we learn from the match? Take it away, Matt Law:
This can be the start of a new era of success for Chelsea. Roman Abramovich was in the Wembley stands to watch a number of his club’s players win their first piece of major silverware for Chelsea.
The only question mark that has hung over the heads of Eden Hazard, Willian and Diego Costa is whether or not they can carry Chelsea over the winners’ line and that was answered at Wembley.
The 2005 League Cup proved to be the catalyst for Mourinho’s first Chelsea team and, 10 years on, the competition could be the start of things to come for his latest Blues side.
FULL TIME: CHELSEA 2 TOTTENHAM 0 Well, they might not be the most loveable team, but my goodness they are effective. Mourinho had a plan and he had the players to pull it off. They had some luck with both goals - I think that second one will probably be chalked up as an OG by Kyle Walker - but once they got their noses in front, Tottenham never looked likely. Stick around for a few minutes and we'll bring you the reaction.
<noframe>Twitter: Miguel Delaney - Mourinho to end longest trophy drought of career, two years and 10 months.</noframe>
90+ mins: As the four minutes of injury time run down, Diego Costa is withdrawn, Costa comes off very slowly, and DIDIER DROGBA comes on for a minute or so's work. Walker has won a corner from Azpilicueta, but even if they do score, it won't matter. And they don't. We're now just waiting for the final whistle, big hugs between Mourinho and Rui Faria,they are already celebrating, and now so is everyone else in Blue.
90+ mins: Kane runs at the Chelsea defence, wins a corner, but nobody can get on it.
90 mins: Some fans are leaving. Spurs have given it a good shot but Chelsea highly efficient and they are excellent front runners. Lucky with both goals. Lamela tries to run at the defence, but gets himself in trouble.
88 mins: Spurs corner, Soldado dangerous, but Chelsea clear. They're in thou shalt not pass mode now.
87 mins: Fabregas comes off. Slowly. Butch Oscar comes on. Good work from Martin Tyler: "Oscar has lost a final on this ground - the 2012 Olympics for Brazil v Mexico."
86 mins: Dangerous corner fizzes past everyone.
85 mins: Handy spell for Spurs as Eriksen probes and pokes. Kane has danced through, but there is John Terry with a magnifcent sliding tackle to save the day. Played, John.
84 mins: Cuadrado has clattered Broadway Danny Rose, for no particular reason. Booked. But Chelsea clear the freekick with some ease.
81 mins: This is all over. Spurs game but look highly unlikely to break down that solid Chelsea defence. Azpilicueta, back on, has been shoved by Kane. Shane O'Leary with a savage and unprovoked attack on England's rose, Wor Sir Alan Shearer:
As
a Chelsea supporter, I'm pretty nervous because I remember what
happened last time out, but as a Costa fan, I'll just offer this for
consideration; I'm old enough to remember the cynical, manipulative
(professional) way that the plucky Geordie, Alan Shearer dived to
conquer, season after season. 78 mins: Chadli, disappointing, taken off. Soldado on.
77 mins: Spurs get down the right, raking centre across the area. Ivanovic completely misses it! Sadly, Chadli cannot apply the finish. Lamela has given Costa a sly poke in the kisser. Ref seemingly hasn't seen. Mourinho will be having a moment.
76 mins: Cuadrado does his job, using his pace on the break, and drawing a foul out of Bentaleb, who is booked.
75 mins: Ivanovic is kindly helping Kane off with his shirt but the referee, who is no doubt involved in A CONSPIRACY AGAINST CHELSEA, gives nothing. Kane cannot get a header on the ball but it drops for Lamela who cannot get a touch at the far post. The ball skids off the turf. Close.
74 mins: Spurs take a quick freekick, they're looking to crack on while Chelsea are down to ten. Spurs win a corner. Azpi is being patched up. Meanwhile, Cuadrado has been brought on in favour of Willian.
72 mins: Cahill drags Kane to the floor. Booked. Handy ball in but Dier is miles off. He has not had an afternoon to remember. Oh, and he's also whacked Azpilicueta in the bonce, drawing blood.
<noframe>Twitter: Phil McNulty - Chelsea fans groaning as the ball is passed back in an attacking position. They sense more goals here but Mourinho is the great pragmatist.</noframe>
70 mins: Willian with a tactical foul. On Rose I think it was. Lamela comes on, Mason comes off.
69 mins: Eriksen gets something going, useful run, Dembele involved but they cannot fashion a shooting chance.
67 mins: Poch pictured burying his face in a towel. Hopefully not a wally-with-a-brolly moment.
66 mins: Fabregas and Willian have started playing; Hazard is, as ever, a threat. The three of them looking really dangerous and, as the rain tips down, Willian has won a freekick down the right. Freekick played to the unmarked Hazard at the back of the box, he in turn spots Fabregas with a late run to the back post... header... ooh just wide. Third goal for Chelsea looks much more likely than a score for Spurs.
<noframe>Twitter: Steve Busfield - Doing chores & overseeing homework & watching <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23CapitalOneCupFinal" target="_blank">#CapitalOneCupFinal</a> . When I'm watching Spurs look great. When I'm not watching Chelsea score</noframe>
63 mins: Chelsea corner. Willian receives the ball, judges it perfectly, and slides the ball to Hazard, whose stabbed shot floats just a couple of feet wide.
60 mins: Spurs fans singing loudly, but it feels like defiance rather than inspiration. Townsend off, Dembele on. Dembele to play in centre.
59 mins: Chadli busy down the left, ball comes back to Bentaleb for a terrible, contemptible shot over the bar.
<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hirst - Just seen Gallas in the crowd here at Wembley - in the Chelsea end....</noframe>
58 mins: Poor Spurs. If you were scoring this on percentages I reckon you'd have them at abut 55 to 45 but, as yoy may be aware, that is not how the game is scored.
GOAL! Fabregas,
coming more into the game, and he's picked out a clever ball for Costa.
Costa powers down the inside left channel and fires a hard shot at
goal. BIG deflection off Kyle Walker. Indeed, very possibly an own goal.
It gives Lloris no chance, and one has to say, that will probably be
enough for Chelsea. CHELSEA 2 TOTTENHAM 0 (Costa 56) 55 mins: A long period of play for Chelsea. This is starting to bode ill for Spurs.
54 mins: Hmm. Well, it's probably pretty exciting for the players and the fans in the ground but it's not doing a massive amount for me. Raining now.
52 mins: Scrappy period, Spurs have a freekick 40 yards out, play it short. Here are Mason and Rose trying to get something going, but without success.
<noframe>Twitter: Michael Hogan - Pochettino looks like a shaved koala. Or an Alaskan oil rigger with a dark secret <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23CapitalOneCupFinal" target="_blank">#CapitalOneCupFinal</a></noframe>
50 mins: Ha. Mourinho has just squirted water at a cameraman!
49 mins: Fabregas has been a bit quiet but he's suddenly in the action with a marvellous bicycle kick, decent save from Lloris.
48 mins: Hazard's suddenly in ACRES down the left, God knows what has happened there, but he has fizzed a ball across the six yard box and Dier is not far away from turning it into his own net.
46 mins: Right then. Spurs kick off, bright start, here's Danny Rose down the left and he has crossed hard and low. Cech gathers. No changes.
16.57 Not too sure what Spurs should do differently. I am more or less convinced that Dier is going to get that second yellow, so if Poch DOES have to take Walker off, he might not want to move Dier to right backv Hazard...
HALF TIME: CHELSEA 1 TOTTENHAM 0 Plenty of energy but far from a classic. Chelsea have been unconvincing with Zouma in central midfield, Fabregas quiet and Willian notably off his game. But, as always, they are a formidable team from set pieces and a cheaply-given Chadli foul on Ivanovic allowed Terry to score. Time for a few emails? William Kalua kicks us off:
This
Costa guy is a nuisance of a player, I don't like his bullies or
attitude. Spurs will win this regardless. Enjoying your blog from the
warm heart of Africa (Malawi) Joseph Quarcoo has summed up football fandom in a nutshell!
Despite
the British press and commentators not liking D Costa describing him as
a bully, a cheat and more, he will not change and chelsea love him Yanwakanma sounds like a touchy article. He or she writes:
Chelsea is playing to instruction from technical crew,and you think they don't deserve the lead? We deserve it 45 mins: And in injury time, Chelsea have another corner, they sling it deep to Ivanovic. Good header back across, and there's Cahill, shaping his body well to get a very solid header in on goal. Lloris leaps to save. Diego Costa now tries to get onto a long ball, Costa has nipped ahead of Dier, who has brought him down! Well then! That could well have been given as a foul - and remember, Dier has already been booked. Last action of the half.
GOAL!
John Terry! Ball into the box, it rebounds off a Tottenham defender. It
drops for John Terry, who swings a leg at it. It takes a large
deflection off Dier, no chance Lloris, and Chelsea have a lead they
probably don't deserve. CHELSEA 1 TOTTENHAM 0 (Terry 44) 43 mins: But a handy place for a freekick nevertheless..
42 mins: Willian breaks, plenty of space, but a dreadful touch plays himself into trouble and he's fortunate to get a throw in. Spurs clear Ivanovic's long throw.. it comes right back. Chadli has dragged Ivanovic back, cynical. Should have been a booking IMHO. Should also have done better with that high ball forward rather than just standing watching it and then fouling the opponent.
41 mins: Walker hobbles back on. Not sure that's the best plan for all sorts of reasons.
39 mins: Chelsea allowing Tottenham plenty of space at the moment. There's an injury to Walker. Right shin. Poch takes the opportunity to pass some instructions to Mason - hasn't he come on as a player this year? Walker walks gingerly to the touchline.
38 mins: All that said, a Costa goal set up by Hazard to be the only score of the game feels the most likely outcome.
37 mins: Going pretty well for Spurs so far, they've largely had the better of it, but few chances to tell you about. Townsend (?) breaks with the ball, Chadli hoofs a shot into row Z. Chelsea meanwhile are playing with an unfamiliar method and it shows. Zouma has done well against Eriksen but has upset the ballance of the midfield otherwise.
35 mins: Nice work Bentaleb and Rose, fashioning a chance for Eriksen but his scuffy, scruffy effort does not frighten the horses.
33 mins: Walker's battling persistence has won a corner off Willian. Awful corner from Spurs and they are soon facing a dangerous counter... but that too is not terribly well played.
32 mins: Bentaleb feeds Eriksen, who breaks, but his personal supervisor Zouma is there to hunt him down. Stop Eriksen, stop Spurs? Certainly Mourinho is taking no chances with the Dane.
29 mins: Chadli down the left, handy ball in. Mason cannot quite get there. Dier booked for sliding in on Costa. Diego will see one of these Spurs backs sent off today, I fancy.
28 mins: Costa an aboslute master of the wind-up, a bully, a cheat, a faker and a sneaky dealer of kicks and stamps and digs. Marvellous. I expect he's a smashing lad off the pitch.
27 mins: You'll never guess, Costa involved in a bust-up, for an arm in the face of Bentaleb. He makes the best of it. He's the fouled by vengeful Tottenham defender Walker, and the freekick into the area give Lloris a few moments anxiety.
<noframe>Twitter: Stan Collymore - Chelsea pedestrian in CM areas, missing Matic dynamism and direct running. Hence long balls to Costa in channels.The Final <a href="http://www.twitter.com/talkSPORT" target="_blank">@talkSPORT</a> LIVE</noframe>
26 mins: Chelsea have a freekick, deep, looking for Hazard but finding only Sllow Lloris.
25 mins: A busy, if unlovely period of play...
22 mins: Long ball for Hazard, control is mint, takes a shot that's charged down. Better bet might have been to utlise support, inc. Costa?
21 mins: Spurs the more vocal fans at the moment, I would say.
19 mins: Yet more action for Broadway Danny Rose, who breaks with the ball at pace but wastes a useful situation with a nothing shot.
18 mins: Ball is thumped into the wall, balloons up in the air, Cahill clatters Rose as they go for the reound. No malice intended, but it looked sore.
17 mins: 24 yards out, on the right hand side, just level with the D.
16 mins: Hazard needs a bit of running repairs and is taken off. Freekick in a very handy position.
15 mins: Breathless stuff, everyone running around at 100mph. Ramires with a late tackle on Broadway Danny Rose but spared a booking. But Rose himself has been lured into a late challenge on Hazard, stretching for it, and he has upended the oft-fouled Belgian.
13 mins: Rapier counter-attack from Chelsea, Azpi with the ball, Costa holds it up well, crosses for Hazard who flashes a shot not far off. At the other end, there was an ambitious shout for handball against Ramires, but there was no reasonable way that he could have got his mitt out the way of that.
11 mins: Kane runs at the defence, Townsend draws Terry away with a clever run, Kane has a low effort from distance but it was going to need something exceptional to beat Cech from that range and this... wasn't. Doesn't.
9 mins: Good position for Eriksen from the freekick, 23 yards or so out... Smacks it against the bar! Excellent freekick. Questions to be asked about the Chelsea wall...
8 mins: Kane! Amazing run, beats three or four, and is eventually brought down by about five Chelsea players in a mob.
7 mins: Ivanovic sends a loopy ball into the box and Lloris has to look lively to palm that over for a corner. From said corner, Ivanovic himself peels off, and given his goalscoring feats of late, he might have done better than plant that free header wide.
5 mins: Costa with a neat layoff, Ramires surges into the box but his shot is blocked at source. Now Costa and Dier go for the ball, really good tackle from Dier, tiny bit of afters. Costa involved in some early mini aggro.
3 mins: Tottenham with a chance to play it around now, Chelsea pressing, Spurs keeping it well. Townsend tries to deliver in. Chelsea clear. Willian a little sluggish in possession there.
2 mins: Chelsea have an early freekick, Willian sends it in. The big men are up. Terry's header over.
1 mins: It's Zouma who plays in the defensive midfield role. Cahill and Terry at centre back.
16.00 National anthem, hoopla over, and we are off!
15.58 Same Spurs XI that hammered Chelsea on New Years Day; bar Dier coming in for Fazio. That was a brilliant game. I watched it in a bar in New York with the New York Spurs.
15.57 Ramires back in, then. Azpi gets his game for Felipe Luis. And Cech preferred to Courtois. That's a nice selection dilemma to have.
15.54 The players are out on the pitch. Intrigued to see how the Blues set up.
<noframe>Twitter: Phil McNulty - She's now hanging upside down while handing the trophy over to a member of the Armed Forces. Amazed she's not been violently ill.</noframe>
15.50 Jonathan Liew on Christian Eriksen. "How hard work, Football Manager and Dennis Bergkamp turned the Dane into one of the Premier League's most feared midfielders." Excellent read.
<noframe>Twitter: Paul Hayward - I see the flamethrowers were out at Wembley. They're everywhere. Has sport just discovered the miracle of fire? Next - the wheel.</noframe>
15.48 Considerable amounts of effort and expense on all these fireworks and such. Hope the dangled lady is doing well.
<noframe>Twitter: Iain Macintosh - They’ve tied a woman to a balloon and they’re dragging her around the stadium, trying to catch her with flamethrowers. This is appalling.</noframe>
15.44 Lady arriving on a giant balloon now! She's floating slowly down from the sky and she has grabbed the Capital One Cup off a podium. We haven't seen this much trophy scene-stealing by someone not playing since John Terry's legendary efforts.
<noframe>Twitter: Matt Law - Chelsea twitter feed seems to put Cahill in midfield. Theory in press box was Zouma would play the holding role next to Fabregas <a href="https://twitter.com/search?src=hash&q=%23cfc" target="_blank">#cfc</a></noframe>
15.40 As far as we can tell, Gary Cahill is going to play in centre mid. Or is Jose going for a back five? Why has he got Zouma, Terry and Cahill in the same XI?
15.35 Harry Kane! Everyone loves a bit of Harry Kane. Here he is, saying that he's gonna be a Spurs man for as long as they'll have him. Good lad Harry.
“I’m just enjoying it at the moment, I’m full of confidence and just want to be out there playing,” Kane says. “Sometimes you need a player to step up when it matters but it’s about the team and as a team we’ve managed to play well in the big games – Chelsea [beaten 5-3 in the league], Arsenal. Tough games. But we have probably managed to play the best games we’ve played all season. So, as a team, we are really confident playing the bigger teams now.”
Kane is still only 21 but he is no overnight sensation. Indeed he was released by Arsenal, then Watford and also by Spurs themselves, who initially let him go after a trial, before, finally, the latter put their faith in him. But it was not easy.
“I think I had set-backs but I still always had that belief that I was going to play for Tottenham Hotspur,” Kane says. “Even when I went out on loan to clubs, it was always to come back and be a Spurs player. I had good loans at [Leyton] Orient and Millwall and I had probably not so good loans at Norwich and Leicester.
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