CHELSEA 2 SPURS 1 (4-2 pens)
Chelsea through to Carabao Cup final after dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Tottenham
David Luiz scored the winning spot-kick, after misses from Eric Dier and Lucas Moura, to set up Manchester City showdown
SILVERWARE is in sight for Sarri-ball.
Chelsea’s manager is taking them to a Wembley final in his first season in charge.
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They will play Manchester City on February 24 and good luck to them after beating Tottenham in a thrilling penalty shootout.
David Luiz struck the winning kick, leathering his effort beyond Paulo Gazzaniga after a captivating night of Cup football.
Sarri, without a trophy at the top level of the sport, is 90 minutes away from winning the Carabao Cup.
They will face City at Wembley, opponents in Sarri’s first official game in charge of Chelsea in the Community Shield last August.
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The champions won that 2-0, but their meeting next month gives them the chance to exact some revenge.
This, unquestionably, turned into their night.
Eric Dier, England’s penalty hero in the summer, was first to blink in the shootout.
He missed the third for Spurs, smashing his effort into the Matthew Harding Stand.
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When Jorginho rolled the ball beyond Paulo Gazzaniga, the pressure was piling up on Lucas Moura.
Kepa Arrizabalaga made the save, turning the effort away to set it all up for David Luiz.
The Brazilian drilled it, belting Chelsea’s fourth penalty beyond Gazzaniga to take them to Wembley.
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They believed they were there after racing into a two-goal lead in the opening 40 minutes.
Chelsea were immense in that first half, levelling the tie when N’Golo Kante put them 1-0 up and going even further ahead when Eden Hazard struck.
His goal was crisp and clinical, a master at work after starting the move that released Pedro and Cesar Azpilicueta down the right.
Hazard clipped his effort beyond Paulo Gazzaniga.
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With Hazard on the left and Higuain paraded before kick-off, everybody around here seemed happy.
This was a spirited start by Chelsea, taking this second leg to Spurs with their relentless raids down both wings.
Pedro set the tone, denied when Toby Alderweireld threw out his left leg to block the Chelsea forward.
This threatened to be Sarri’s night.
There were some scores to settle out there, some personal battles that grip each game between these two clubs.
David Luiz was in the thick of it, theatrically launching himself into the air when Eric Dier nibbled away at him.
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The treatment was lengthy and unnecessary, part of the charade after Luiz went down so easily.
This was yet another eventful night for the Brazilian, especially when he nutmegged Fernando Llorente in the first half.
Spurs were chasing this game, given the runaround after Kante put Chelsea in front.
It came from a corner, needlessly given away when Alderweireld and Gazzaniga clumsily allowd the ball to go out of play.
Hazard’s corner was cleared by the Spurs defence, but Kante was waiting on the edge of the area.
It was a decent hit, but Gazzaniga, even with the slight deviation off Tottenham defenders, should have done better.
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The shot squirmed through his legs, beaten by a daisy-cutter from just outside the box.
Chelsea looked the part again, carving their way through this Spurs defence at will.
Poch’s players, deprived of Dele Alli and Harry Kane, could not cope.
Chelsea were on the overload, with Hazard causing havoc out on the left.
He wanted a penalty, or free-kick at the very least, when Alderweireld took his legs from under him just before the break.
Hazard had sprinted clear, lining up his shot when the Spurs defender cleaned him out.
It demanded another look at least from VAR, but referee Martin Atkinson was convinced he had made the right call.
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Atkinson, once the best in the business, got it wrong.
Mistakes like this costs managers.
Sarri lost the plot in the first leg when he produced video evidence to claim Kane was offside in the build up to his goal.
He had another strong case here.
Had Spurs gone down to 10, then Chelsea would have been entitled to think they were heading for the final.
Instead, they got a reminder after the break.
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Spurs pulled one back, levelling this compelling semi-final on aggregate when Fernando Llorente’s improvised header got them back into it.
Harry Winks made the telling pass out to substitute Danny Rose down the left.
The Spurs man, on for Ben Davies, whipped in a cross and Llorente got there ahead of Emerson and Luiz.
They were back in it.
Christian Eriksen, on the periphery in the first half, finally worked his way into the game.
His teasing cross for Llorente after 64 minute was tantalising, his ball making its way towards the back-up striker on the other side of the area.
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Eriksen’s delicious pass just eluded him.
Poch sensed another goal, taking off his tiring striker and replacing him with Lucas.
He got an immediate chance, latching on to Gazzaniga’s long punt upfield to hare down the left.
His shot wide, but Spurs were stirring.
Sarri started to make changes, with Willian on for the fading Pedro in the final 17 minutes.
Chelsea held them off, heading for a shootout after 94 minutes of mayhem.
When they got to them, Luiz made sure they were on the way to Wembley.
Gonzalo Higuain signs for Chelsea on-loan until the end of the season from Juventus
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