Reluctantly perhaps, Tottenham Hotspur find themselves in the last eight. This was the trophy with which Jose Mourinho opened his English account. He has won it four times and may yet be grateful for a fifth.
A contest that neither team seemed keen to win inevitably went to penalties. Chelsea’s dominant first half petered out to bring Tottenham into the piece. Timo Werner’s first goal for Chelsea was answered late by Erik Lamela’s 35th for Spurs. And so to spot-kicks and a chance for Chelsea’s new goalkeeper, Édouard Mendy, to be a hero.
Mendy went the wrong way for Tottenham’s first four kicks, all scored in the bottom left corner. For their fifth, Harry Kane went right, Mendy went left. He would not be required a sixth time after Mason Mount missed the target with Chelsea’s fifth to send Spurs into the quarter-finals.
Nine changes for Spurs, eight for Chelsea but neither selection felt like a second string. Dele Alli’s continued absence drew a typically barbed response from Mourinho, who did not want to talk about the player everyone wants to talk about. “Are you going to ask Frank [Lampard], no Thiago Silva?” the coach said. “Is it because of the mistake he made or another reason?” Mourinho can dissemble all he likes, his silence merely fuels speculation about the nature of Alli’s continued absence.
Lampard treats interviews like a visit to the dentist without anaesthetic. Questions draw a furrowed brow atop a pinched face. Any who saw significance in the debut of Mendy were mistaken, according to Lampard. He is a goalkeeper, part of the squad, fit and selected. Nothing more than that. Righto, Frank.
This was a big night for Callum Hudson-Odoi, who seems to carry the can for many of the manager’s frustrations. Hudson-Odoi is an old-fashioned winger who likes to drop a shoulder and take on his man. And thank goodness for that. So much of today’s patterns on perfect surfaces see the ball go back and forth without an obvious purpose; full-back to wide midfielder to full-back to centre-half – and repeat.
Hudson-Odoi was up against Spurs’ highly-regarded debutant from Real Madrid, Sergio Reguilon. The English experience did not begin well for the Spaniard, mugged by Hudson-Odoi in midfield and then rinsed by his countryman Cesar Azpilicueta as he tried to make amends. His humiliation was complete when Werner latched on to Azpilicueta’s cross to lash home.
Reguilon is clearly capable, particularly in advanced positions. He levelled Olivier Giroud with a legitimate intervention late in the first half to substantiate his defensive credentials and, unlike that other flying left back who made a dodgy start to his career in English football, Patrice Evra, made it out for the second half.
The sight of Kane slipping on the shin pads towards the end of a half in which Spurs had only 24 per cent possession told of the limited threat posed by the hosts. Beyond Kurt Zouma’s tackle to deny Gedson Fernandes and Mendy’s save to keep out Lamela, Chelsea were shelling peas.
Perhaps Spurs were passing on the bye they received against Leyton Orient in the last round to Chelsea in this. This Covid-squeezed season will see Spurs’ immersion continue against Maccabi Haifa in the final qualifying round of the Europa League tomorrow before a trip to Old Trafford on Sunday completes a run of eight games in 21 days. In that context a trophy already light on bling loses even more shine. Or maybe Spurs were just playing possum.
With 20 minutes left Mourinho sent for Kane. Chelsea had fallen back alarmingly, giving Spurs encouragement. Lampard answered Mourinho’s move with the introduction of N’Golo Kanté. Spurs needed a goal, Chelsea needed Kanté’s energy.
The temporary disappearance of Eric Dier with 12 minutes remaining, followed down the tunnel by a puzzled Mourinho, left a gap that Hudson-Odoi almost filled, rifling his shot over the bar. Tucking his shirt into his shorts as he dashed back towards the pitch hinted at what might have been Dier’s difficulty. Back to a full complement, Spurs continued to press, finally gaining a reward seven minutes from time when Lamela tapped home Reguilon’s cross.
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2S8S0yj
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