Jose Mourinho heaped praise on his resilient Tottenham Hotspur side as they beat Chelsea on penalties to progress to the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. Frank Lampard fielded a strong Blues team whilst Mourinho made nine changes to the side that drew 1-1 with Newcastle United at the weekend.
Resilient Tottenham Hotspur Edge Through in Carabao Cup
Spurs Stand up to be Counted
Mourinho had been at pains to suggest his squad would not be able to compete in the Carabao Cup when asked by football.london.
He said: “What would you do in my position? I would like to fight for the Carabao but I don’t think I can.”
Harry Kane started on the bench, and with Son Heung-Min injured, Mourinho had no recognised striker on the pitch. When asked pre-match on Sky Sports who would play up front, the Portuguese smiled and said: “No one.”
In the first 45 minutes, it appeared he wasn’t joking. Neither Erik Lamela nor Steven Bergwijn could get a foothold in the match. In the second half, though, Tottenham showed the sort of fighting spirit that is associated with Jose Mourinho and his players stood up to the task in hand.
Sergio Reguilon
Sergio Reguilon made his Spurs debut and there were signs of the exciting player they have signed.
His start was not one he would have wanted, though, as he lost the ball and then slid in with a naive challenge. From that phase of play, Timo Werner hit a sweet strike to give Chelsea the lead in the 18th minute.
From that point on, Reguilon showed what a player he is. Some impudent skill as he chipped a ball past Fikayo Tomori would have drawn gasps had a crown been there to see it. He also gave Spurs a lot of width on the left and constantly got forward to cause Chelsea problems.
It was Reguilon who crossed with his right foot for Lamela to draw Spurs level. Gareth Bale may be the big name that has arrived from Real Madrid, but Reguilon is certainly one to watch.
Eric Dier – Man of the Match Via a Pit Stop
Eric Dier was the man of the match with a warrior-like performance. Having been penalised harshly for handball in Tottenham’s last game in the Premier League against Newcastle, Dier was strong at the heart of Tottenham’s back line. That handball was clearly on his mind though as, when Werner shot, the Englishman put his arms behind his back meaning he couldn’t stop the shot from going past Hugo Lloris.
Dier was then involved in a bizarre incident when he ran off down the tunnel needing to ‘go’ to the toilet. Manager Jose Mourinho went after him to ensure the player got back onto the field of play as soon as possible. After the game, Mourinho praised Dier for playing two games in 48 hours, telling Sky Sports: “To play twice in 48 hours as he (Dier) did is not human.”
Win Big Moment in Spurs’ Season
With a hectic schedule (Tottenham play again in the Europa League on Thursday) this win could be a big moment in Spurs’ season. The second half was a performance of commitment and had all the hallmarks of a Jose Mourinho side.
There was a never-give-in attitude and if Tottenham Hotspur want to win trophies, they will have to dig deep with everyone in the squad playing their part.
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