Rüdiger Reigns at Spurs, Chelsea Cruise to Mammoth Wembley Final!

Antonio Rüdiger strikes early, to make the score 1-0 on the night and 3-0, on aggregate to Chelsea. Tottenham can’t come up with an answer, as the Blues book their place at Wembley at the end of February!

Chelsea sailed into the EFL Cup final, as the Blues sealed a comfortable, second leg, semi-final win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in north London on Wednesday evening.

Spurs never really looked likely to overturn London rivals, Chelsea’s two-goal first-leg advantage, and Antonio Rüdiger’s determined finish, from Mason Mount’s corner just before the 20-minute mark, ultimately made the semi-final mission impossible.

The German defender’s bundled effort effectively confirms a Wembley collision in late February, with either Liverpool or Arsenal, who lock horns on Thursday.

It was a frustrating evening for Spurs, and boss Antonio Conte, who once managed Chelsea, as the north Londoners witnessed two penalty kicks given by the referee, Andre Marriner, for apparent fouls on Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Lucas Moura. However, both efforts were correctly cancelled out by the Video Assistant Referee.

Home striker, Harry Kane, also had a goal disallowed for offside, in an improved second-half display from Spurs, but Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea always looked in control – and once they had extended their aggregate advantage early on – they were able to control the encounter, without ever really getting out of third gear.

There was a pause in proceedings late on, following a medical emergency in the crowd, and on resumption, Chelsea completed the formalities, to record a victory that catapults the Blues into the 2021/22 EFL final.

The EFL Cup (‘Carabao Cup’, purely for sponsorship reasons) final showdown takes place on the 27th of February at Wembley Stadium in London! After this performance over two legs, Chelsea should feel confident, going into the final, whoever they face!