Can Spurs beat Chelsea at Wembley? They face their fierce London rivals, but more importantly a team they disposed of 5-3 at White Hart Lane. It lifted a mirage that Chelsea were untouchable this season. But, the central question is, can that performance be repeated?
Firstly, it’s important to consider the conditions under which this cup final will take place. It’s a cup final. Wembley Way. 60-odd thousand fans. The moment both sets of fans have been dreaming about all season. Two teams. 90 minutes from a trophy. It’s huge. With this chance of lifting some silverware comes huge pressure. This no longer the average kick about down the park… This is potentially a historical moment, that will never be removed from the depths of time. Okay, it’s only the League cup, no big deal. But, the point stands. Ask a fan if they would like one trophy or none this season? The answer they’d give is obvious. Everyone loves a cup win, no matter how prestigious it is seen as.
Secondly, form must come into play before the final in March. Obviously, there are a number of games left before it, which means both teams could come into the game with very differing circumstances. However, both Tottenham and Chelsea have been in fine form recently. Take Spurs 2-1 victory over arch-rivals Arsenal or Chelsea who comprehensively smashed Aston Villa. Interestingly, Spurs are second currently in the Premier League form table with 13 points in their last 6 games, whilst Chelsea languish in seventh with 11 points respectively. Two more points, so what? Well, any advantage that can be taken into a cup final will help. Football may be a sport, physical ability plays into the game a huge amount, but in a cup final especially, mentality is key. The difference between blazing a chance over the bar, or calmly slotting home can the deciding moment of a match. Preparation is paramount to this, but confidence prior to the final is very important too.
Who will win? Bookies can give the odds, but no-one except Paul Merson could give a fair reflection of who is going to win…When it comes down to it, a cup final is played on the day. Form does tend to go out of the window. The underdog has just about the same chance of winning as the “big” team. Will Mourinho’s mind games give Chelsea another trophy? Or will Spurs simply give them another footballing lesson? The North London club has proved the ability of the players, beating both Chelsea and Arsenal in real style. Consistently beating these top teams is a clear indicator of potential to succeed. Many may laugh at Tottenham Hotspur, but many more will start to realise that Spurs aren’t a laughing stock. Never have been. But instead, they will start to fear a cohesive, mentality and physically strong side that, under Mauricio Pochettino’s wing, can challenge for the greatest of accolades.
Too excited too soon? Admittedly, Spurs have a long way to go before they start signing Real Madrid’s best players for their reserve side, but these are promising times for Tottenham fans. As Bill Nic famously said “‘It is better to fail aiming high than to succeed aiming low. And we of Spurs have set our sights very high, so high in fact that even failure will have in it an echo of glory”. Why not follow his advice? There could be a huge surprise in store come the League Cup final.
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