It’s a familiar foe for the Blues tonight. Club historian Rick Glanvill looks back…
We Have History
This is the sixth League Cup tie between Chelsea and Tottenham and the third at the semi-final stage. Some were two-legged affairs, so this will be the 10th time the Blues have taken on Spurs, making them our most frequent adversary in this competition. (Everton are next with nine matches in the competition.)
Where better to begin than four years ago when the two sides met in the final at Wembley. There were just under 90,000 spectators present for the first all-London cup final since the two sides squared up in the same competition in 2008.
The Blues’ fifth League Cup triumph in seven final attempts was secured with a goal from John Terry, deflected off Eric Dier. Then, after the break, Diego Costa’s second-half finish from Cesc Fabregas’s astute pass settled the destination of the trophy.
The semi-final meeting prior to that, in 2002, represents one of the darkest chapters for the royal blue side of this enduring football argument, ending 3-6 on aggregate after Claudio Ranieri’s side were reduced to 10 men at White Hart Lane.
The only other last-four meeting in this competition was in 1972. Dave Sexton’s Cup Winners’ Cup holders won 3-2 at the Bridge in the first leg (David Webb is pictured top keeping Spurs out) and secured a 2-2 draw in the second – thanks to a last-ditch Alan Hudson equaliser – to reach Wembley for the second time in three seasons.
BLUE NOTES
Long-serving defender and assistant coach Steve Clarke made the first of his 421 Chelsea appearances as a 75th-minute substitute for David Speedie at Norwich on 24 January 1987.
Tottenham have won three successive games against Chelsea for the first time since a run of five between March 1961 and September 1963.
Chelsea v Tottenham in the League Cup
Semi-final 1st leg 22 Dec 1971 Stamford Bridge
Managers: Dave Sexton and Bill Nicholson
Chelsea………………3 Tottenham………………..2
Osgood 38 Naylor 50
Garland 75 Chivers 52
Hollins 86 pen
Att: 43,330
Semi-final 2nd leg 5 Jan 1972 White Hart Lane
Managers: Bill Nicholson and Dave Sexton
Tottenham…………2 Chelsea…..………………..2
Chivers 44 Garland 62
Peters 81 pen Hudson 89
Att: 52,755
Quarter-final 16 Jan 1991 Stamford Bridge
Managers: Bobby Campbell and Terry Venables
Chelsea………………0 Tottenham………………..0
Att: 34,178
Quarter-final replay 23 Jan 1991 White Hart Lane
Managers: Terry Venables and Bobby Campbell
Tottenham…………0 Chelsea…..………………..3
Townsend 16
Dixon 70
Wise 83 pen
Att: 33,861
Semi-final 1st leg 9 Jan 2002 Stamford Bridge
Managers: Claudio Ranieri and Glenn Hoddle
Chelsea………………2 Tottenham………………..1
Hasselbaink 10, 76 Ferdinand 65
Att: 37,264
Semi-final 2nd leg 23 Jan 2002 White Hart Lane
Managers: Glenn Hoddle and Claudio Ranieri
Tottenham…………5 Chelsea…..………………..1
Iversen 2 Forssell 90
Sherwood 33
Sheringham 50
Davies 76
Rebrov 87
Att: 36,100
Final 24 February 2008 Wembley
Managers: Juande Ramos and Avram Grant
Tottenham…………2 Chelsea…..…………..1
Berbatov 70 pen Drogba 39
Woodgate 94 after extra-time
Att: 87,660
Final 1 March 2015 Wembley
Managers: Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino
Chelsea………………2 Tottenham………………..0
Terry 45
Diego Costa 56
Att: 89,297
Semi-final first leg 8 January 2019 Wembley
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1 CHELSEA 0
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-1-2) Gazzaniga; Trippier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Rose; Sissoko, Winks (Skipp 89), Eriksen (Llorente 90+1); Alli; Son (Lamela 79), Kane (c).
Unused subs Lloris, Walker-Peters, Foyth, Davies.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino
Booked Winks 29, Sanchez 59, Lamela 82
Scorer Kane 26 (pen)
Chelsea (4-3-3) Arrizabalaga; Azpilicueta (c), Rudiger, Christensen, Alonso; Kante, Jorginho, Barkley (Kovacic 75); Hudson-Odoi (Giroud 79), Hazard, Willian (Pedro 62).
Unused subs Caballero, Zappacosta, Ampadu, David Luiz.
Head coach Maurizio Sarri
Booked Arrizabalaga 25
Referee Michael Oliver
Attendance 44,371
Other cup meetings (all FA Cup)
Biggest win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 4-0 Tottenham Premier League 13/03/2002
Chelsea 4-0 Tottenham Premier League 08/03/2014
Chelsea 0-4 Tottenham Division One 16/10/1920
Chelsea 0-4 Tottenham Division One 30/09/1933