Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham: 5 Talking Points as the Blues cruise to victory | EFL Cup 2021-22

Chelsea beat Tottenham 2-0 in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-finals. With the win, the Blues have one foot in the final.

Kai Havertz opened the scoring for the Blues in the fifth minute. The German slotted in from a tight angle after some great work from Marcos Alonso down the left flank.

Chelsea doubled their lead in the 34th minute when Ben Davies scored an own goal. Japhet Tanganga's headed clearance off Hakim Ziyech's free-kick hit Davies' shoulder, and ended up in the back of the net.

On that note, here's a look at the five talking points from the game:

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#5 Romelu Lukaku returns to Chelsea squad

Romelu Lukaku makes a comeback.

Romelu Lukaku returned to the Chelsea squad after missing the game against Liverpool last weekend. He was left out by Thomas Tuchel for disciplinary reasons after he had called out the German's coaching style, and how it did not favour him, during a controversial interview.

It was not very well received by Tuchel. Lukaku has apologised to the former Paris Saint Germain manager, and also issued a public apology, following which he was recalled to the squad against Tottenham. Lukaku started the game, and was very well received by fans.

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#4 Saul Niguez has a game to remember

Saul Niguez had a memorable outing for Chelsea.

Saul Niguez dominated the centre of the park, pulling the strings for Chelsea. The former Atletico Madrid star was virtually omnipresent, and arguably had his best game for the Londoners.

He won four of his six tackles, created two chances, won eight duels, made six, and intercepted the ball thrice during a masterclass performance.

If he continues playing like this, he could cement a spot for himself in the squad.

#3 Defensive lapses cost Tottenham big time

Ben Davies clashes with Hakim Ziyech.

Chelsea bagged the first goal at Stamford Bridge within five minutes, thanks to a lapse in concentration from Japhet Tanganga. The 22-year-old failed to mark Kai Havertz's run, as he was much more focused on Marcos Alonso.

Later, Ben Davies scored a bizarre own goal to hand Chelsea their second goal of the night. Tanganga's weak clearance off a set-piece hit the Welshman on his shoulder, and ended up back in their own net.

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#2 Thomas Tuchel gets one over Antonio Conte

Thomas Tuchel saw a win for Chelsea.

Thomas Tuchel outclassed Antonio Conte on the night. The Italian got quite a few things wrong against Chelsea.

One of them was playing Matt Doherty as a left wing-back. The 29-year-old was completely ineffective going forward. He was unable to link up with the forwards and lost possession numerous times. Eventually, he had to be substituted in the second half.

Conte just could not break past Chelsea's midfield, as his team really struggled in the centre of the park. Tottenham scuffled to have some balance and control in the game, but the Blues were too good for them.

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#1 Chelsea are back to winning ways

Chelsea vs Tottenham Hotspur - Carabao Cup Semi Final

Following two draws in the Premier League, Chelsea are back to winning ways. Chelsea's 1-1 draw against Brighton and 2-2 against Liverpool allowed league leaders Manchester City to take control. However, this victory, albeit in the EFL Cup, shows Chelsea are not done in the league title race.

Tuchel's Chelsea will fight Liverpool and Manchester City until the final game-week. They will have to capitalise on this momentum, and reduce the points gap with City.