League Cup: Chelsea beats Spurs for 1st title win in 3 years

Posted Monday, March 02, 2015 by AP

LONDON (AP) — Captain John Terry led Chelsea to its first trophy in two years on Sunday, scoring the opener in a 2-0 victory over Tottenham in the League Cup final.

At the heart of Chelsea's defense still at 34, Terry helped to successfully contain Tottenham throughout the first half and then made the scoring breakthrough in the 45th minute when his strike took a slight deflection off defender Eric Dier.

"We handled the game well and the pressure well," said Terry, whose contract expires at the end of the season.

"I don't see it as my last (visit to Wembley), hopefully there are many more to come for me."

Chelsea's first trophy since the 2013 Europa League was secured when another Tottenham defender, Kyle Walker, deflected striker Diego Costa's shot into the net in the 56th minute.

A decade after Jose Mourinho started his Chelsea managerial career by lifting the League Cup, the competition gave him the first title of his second spell in charge. And it ended his longest trophy drought in management, having last won the 2012 Spanish title with Real Madrid before rejoining Chelsea in 2013.

View galleryChelsea's Eden Hazard, right, keeps an eye on the …
Chelsea's Eden Hazard, right, keeps an eye on the ball as he is challenged by Tottenham’s Kyle W …
The Portuguese, who collected the League Cup twice in his 2004-07 Chelsea reign, remains in contention this season to also win for the Champions League and the Premier League. What made Sunday even better for Chelsea was second-place Manchester City losing to leave Chelsea five points in front — now with a game in hand.

"This is the first one and we have to build on it," Terry said. "Hopefully we can kick on now."

For Tottenham it is the second cup disappointment in three days, having exited the Europa League at Fiorentina on Thursday. Mauricio Pochettino's first season in charge of Tottenham will be a trophyless one, but his young team is still developing.

Two months ago to the day Tottenham stunned Chelsea 5-3 on Jan. 1, but the west London club managed to largely thwart Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane this time.

The suspension of Chelsea midfielder Nemanja Matic led to center back Kurt Zouma being deployed as the defensive shield. Despite Zouma seeming unsure of his role at the time, the defense was marshalled masterfully by Terry.

View galleryReferee Anthony Taylo separates Tottenhamâs Nabil Bentaleb, …
Referee Anthony Taylo separates Tottenham’s Nabil Bentaleb, right, and Chelsea's Diego Costa rdu …
Much of the pressing and threat came from Tottenham earlier on.

When Kane was brought down on edge of the penalty area by Cesc Fabregas, Eriksen's dipping free kick hit the crossbar. And after Kane carried the ball forward from the halfway line to the edge of the area, the breakthrough star of the season saw a low shot saved by Petr Cech.

Although Chelsea used the final to rest first-choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, Michel Vorm lost his usual spot in goal for Tottenham's cup games in favor of Hugo Lloris.

The captain was beaten on the stroke of half time having had little to do before then. Willian's free kick was half cleared by Dier and Terry's low shot was then helped over the line by the defender's deflection.

Lloris did limit the damage before the break by collecting Gary Cahill's header, and then saving Fabregas' overhead kick at the start of the second half.

But after Fabregas threaded the ball through to Costa, the Spain striker beat Lloris at his near post. It was game over. And a fine intervention from Terry in the penalty area in the 87th prevented Kane from giving Tottenham any hope of a comeback.

"The first half was even, but (the) second half we controlled it a bit better and deserved the win," Terry said.