Soccer
Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham: Blues dominant in first-leg Carabao Cup semifinal win
It was one-way traffic on Wednesday as Chelsea claimed a 2-0 win over Tottenham in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal tie at Stamford Bridge.
Kai Havertz scored and Tottenham tallied an own-goal as the Blues once again dominated their intra-city rivals, with Spurs only managing two shots on target over the course of the 90 minutes.
The visitors were actually held to zero shot attempts in the first half as Chelsea took control of the match early. The Blues capitalized on a giveaway within the opening five minutes of play as their pressure forced Tottenham to cough up possession inside their own half, which allowed Marcos Alonso to collect the ball and put Havertz in on goal. The 22-year-old placed his effort behind Chelsea goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and a last-second lunge by Spurs defender Davinson Sanchez was fruitless as the Blues claimed the lead.
Spurs still found the back of the net despite not taking a shot in the opening 45 minutes, as a calamitous clearance attempt gave the home side a two-goal cushion at the 34-minute mark. César Azpilicueta launched a free-kick deep into Spurs territory, prompting a headed clearance by Tottenham's Japhet Tanganga. Unfortunately for Tanganga, his header caromed into the shoulder of teammate Ben Davies and into the gaping Tottenham net, giving Chelsea an insurmountable lead.
Spurs did eventually manage to test Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga in the second half, twice, but the one-sidedness of the first half continued through to the final whistle as the Blues enjoyed 64 percent possession and looked untroubled from nearly start to finish.
The teams will reconvene next week in north London, where Tottenham will look to overcome the two-goal deficit.
