Event of the Day: Tottenham versus Chelsea
Our event of the day is the Carabao Cup Semi-final first leg between Tottenham and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. This two-legged affair will determine which of these London rivals will appear in the final next month, as Spurs look to secure their first piece of silverware since 2008. Meanwhile, only Liverpool have won this tournament more times than Chelsea, who are tied for second with five titles to their name, and they will be desperate to knock out their bitter rivals in their quest for a sixth this time round. Tottenham’s road to the Semi-final got off to a very wobbly start as they had to rely on a penalty shootout to overcome Premier League rivals Watford in the third round at their one-off home of Stadium MK. Their round of 16 clash with West Ham went somewhat more smoothly, as they overcame the east London outfit by 3 goals to 1, setting up a mouth-watering Quarter-final tie with local rivals Arsenal. Whilst Arsenal were hoping for a repeat of their 4-2 win over Spurs earlier in the month, Pochettino had different ideas, and his men exercised their Emirates demons to secure a comfortable 2-0 win, booking themselves a place in the Semi-finals. Chelsea’s Carabao Cup campaign was almost over before it even begun, after they found themselves 1-0 down against Liverpool at Anfield late in their third round tie.
However, two late strikes, including a goal of the season contender from Eden Hazard, dumped the league-leaders out of the cup and booked the Blues a fourth round date with Frank Lampard’s Derby. The Chelsea legend witnessed a thriller on his return to the bridge, as his former club, despite twice throwing away the lead, overcame the Rams 3-2 to progress to the next round. Despite having 73% of the possession in their Quarter-final tie against Bournemouth, it took Chelsea until the 84th minute to breakdown the Cherries’ stubborn rearguard as Hazard once again come to their rescue. This goal ensured Chelsea will compete in their second League Cup semi-final in as many years. Last time these two London rivals faced each other, Tottenham won 3-1 after a blistering performance at the national stadium, and the Wembley faithful will be hoping for a similar outcome this time round.
Honourable mentions around the globe go to the Big Bash League tie between the Sydney Thunder and the Brisbane Heat at the Spotless Stadium in Sydney. The hosts will be looking to bounce back from defeat last time out at the hands of the Melbourne Stars, whilst Brisbane are looking to secure just their second win of the season. In the world of tennis, Day 2 of the Hobart International gets underway as some of the world’s best female tennis stars battle it out for the prestigious trophy. In the NBA, there is an all-Eastern Conference clash as the high-flying Indiana Pacers look to compound more misery on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have lost their last nine games. Elsewhere in America, there is NHL action as the Vegas Golden Knights welcome the New York Rangers to Sin City, with the hosts looking to extend their unbeaten run to seven games.
Whatever you’re watching, enjoy!
Photos by Carabao Cup; Tottenham Hotspur FC