Reflections On Chelsea FC’s Capital One Cup Triumph

Defence

Credit: CFC Unofficial

https://www.flickr.com/photos/cfcunofficial/16667436176/

While many may claim that his decision to field Kurt Zouma in defensive midfield was obvious due to the absence of Matic and Mikel, it was still a bold tactical move which paid dividend at the end. The young lad showed some expected defensive naivity in the first half as he was clearly trying to get a handle on his new responsiblities.

But as the game went on and after Chelsea scored the first goal, Chelsea’s game plan eventually forced Tottenham to play to Zouma’s strengths. It’s a testament to his impact in the game that Eriksen faded out after Chelsea scored the first goal as Zouma gave him no space to cause problems.

He was also a beast in the air, winning aerial balls with relative ease and his passing was a sight to behold. At one point, he threaded an amazing through-ball from the half-way line to Costa who was marginally offside. Azpilicueta was also at his inspired best. In actual fact, he was my man of the match.

He almost single-handedly marshalled Kane, Townsend, Walker and later Soldado as Tottenham kept trying to take advantage of the limited support he was getting from Eden Hazard to catch him out without success. He typified Chelsea’s defensive resilience more than any other player on the pitch. John Terry also played a key role as he scored Chelsea’s first goal and prevented Kane from scoring from Tottenham’s best chance with a well-timed block.

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