Everton Vs Chelsea 23/01/2008

Everton 0-1 Chelsea
(Chelsea win 3-1 on aggregate)

Chelsea secured a Carling Cup final meeting with Tottenham thanks to a Joe Cole strike that saw off the challenge of Everton at Goodison Park.



Cole scored the only goal of the game when he controlled Florent Malouda's raking ball and sent his half-volley past goalkeeper Tim Howard.

Chelsea also went close through striker Nicolas Anelka who hit the crossbar.

Everton's best chances came from the boots of Phil Neville and Phil Jagielka whose shots were saved by Petr Cech.

With Everton having not beaten their opposition since November 2000 in any competition, the omens were not good for David Moyes' side.

But ask Moyes what omens mean to him and you would probably get short shrift.

The Toffees played well at Stamford Bridge and were unlucky to be 2-1 down on aggegate going into the second leg.

And in the opening moments of the first half they resumed where they left off two weeks ago, dominating possession and flinging in balls, primarily from the boot of Neville, into the area.

If it was not Neville keeping the cup holders on their toes it was Spanish playmaker Mikel Arteta, who managed to thread balls into the 18-yard box despite being surrounded by two or three defenders.

But Avram's Grant's Chelsea is similar to Jose Mourinho's Chelsea - tight at the back - and the recipients inside the area, Tim Cahill and Andy Johnson, were kept quiet for most of the match.

The second stingiest defence in the league coped brilliantly with what came into the danger zone and the only time Ricardo Carvalho and his backline were found wanting was when Joloen Lescott was allowed a free header from 12 yards, which Cech saved low.

Cech, whose wife gave birth to their first child earlier in the day, had little else to do in the first 45 minutes, but neither did opposite number Howard.

The American was called into action only once during the same period when he crouched down to save an Anelka shot from 14 yards.

The French striker, who ambled with intent, went a lot closer straight after the restart when his curling shot rebounded off the crossbar from 18 yards after a good hold-and-pass from Cole.

The scare served as a reminder to Everton that they could not afford to lose concentration and they also needed to improve their ideas at the other end.

Neville took it upon himself to haul Everton back into the match, but his charge and vicious shot was well saved by Cech.

The Czech keeper had only just dusted himself off before going down again to deflect away a Jagielka flick.

Had they scored, the game would have taken on a different tone, but instead Chelsea went up the other end and all but secured their place at Wembley thanks to a sublime finish from Cole.

The England midfielder's one touch and half-volley from Malouda's searching ball gave Howard no chance.
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Team News

Everton will give late tests to Andrew Johnson, Tony Hibbert and Manuel Fernandes as they seek to overturn a 2-1 Carling Cup semi-final deficit.

Leon Osman has recovered from a broken foot and may return but Leighton Baines is still out with a hamstring injury.

Frank Lampard has joined skipper John Terry and striker Andriy Shevchenko on Chelsea's injury-list after aggravating his thigh problem in training.

Shaun Wright-Phillips could be in the squad despite a slight ankle problem.

Team From

Everton

Howard, Hibbert, Neville, Stubbs, Lescott, Jagielka, Valente, Carsley, Arteta, Cahill, Osman, Vaughan, Anichebe, Johnson, Fernandes, Wessels.

Chelsea

Cech, Cudicini, Hilario, Belletti, Ferreira, Ben-Haim, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole, Bridge, J Cole, Makelele, Sidwell, Malouda, Anelka, Pizarro, Wright-Phillips, Sinclair, Ballack, Ivanovic.

Tottenham Vs Arsenal 22/01/2008

Tottenham 5-1 Arsenal
(Spurs win 6-2 on aggregate)

A pulsating Tottenham performance saw them run riot against Arsenal to book a place in the Carling Cup final.

Highlights (First 4 Goals only)




Full highlights



Spurs got off to the perfect start when Jermaine Jenas angled in a shot to put them 2-1 ahead on aggregate.

Arsenal's Nicolas Bendtner then headed into his own net before Robbie Keane's 18-yard shot put Spurs 3-0 up.

Aaron Lennon sidefooted in for Spurs before Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed a consolation for Arsenal but Steed Malbranque's strike completed the rout.

Tottenham had been left rueing a late Arsenal equaliser in the first leg and they also had the psychological baggage of not having beaten their arch rivals since November 1999.

But with home advantage and Arsenal's penchant for fielding fringe players in the Carling Cup, Spurs scented victory and they grabbed an early lead.

Jenas was allowed time and space to drive a shot across goal and the ball went in off the post after three minutes.

Spurs gave Arsenal's defence no respite with their fluent and attacking football as they took a stranglehold on the match.

The Gunners were also starved of possession in attack and they rarely looked like levelling, due to a mixture of poor play and a determined White Hart Lane side.

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger had kept faith with most of his second string for the game but drafted in a handful of first-team regulars in centre-back William Gallas, right-back Bacary Sagna and playmaker Alexander Hleb.

But the trio struggled to help their side break Spurs's grip and even the introduction of Cesc Fabregas for the injured Denilson did not help the visitors.

Instead, Bendtner's own goal added to the home side's lead after he headed in as he went up with Michael Dawson to meet a Jenas free-kick.

Arsenal were rattled and on the backfoot and Dimitar Berbatov should have inflicted another bodyblow to the visitors when he was clean through, only to hit the post with his shot.

Jenas poked into the side-netting just before the break but Spurs did not have long to wait for a third.

Lennon's delightful ball with the outside of his right foot sent Keane through to score with a shot which appeared to catch Fabianski by surprise and one he should have saved.

Almost immediately, Bendtner looked set to give Arsenal a lifeline, only to see his strike bounce the wrong side of the goal-line after hitting the underside of the crossbar.

It got worse for Arsenal when Lennon slotted in on the hour mark as Spurs threatened to run riot.

Adebayor's 20-yard strike was too late to give Arsenal a way back into the game and their frustration boiled over when Bendtner appeared to argue with his team-mate and goalscorer before exchanging angry words with Gallas.

Malbranque compounded Arsenal's misery as Juande Ramos secured a place in the Carling Cup final on 24 February in his first season in charge.


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Team News

Tottenham midfielder Steed Malbranque returns from suspension for the second leg of their Carling Cup semi-final.

Defender Ledley King was rested at the weekend to protect his knee and could return but Chris Gunter is cup-tied.

Arsenal captain William Gallas could partner either Justin Hoyte or Gilberto at centre-back as Johan Djourou and Philippe Senderos are both ruled out.

Robin van Persie is not fit but Theo Walcott is set to return for Arsenal, who were held 1-1 in the first leg.


Tottenham

Cerny, Robinson, Chimbonda, Lee, Stalteri, Dawson, King, Kaboul, Rocha, Huddlestone, Malbranque, Jenas, Boateng, O'Hara, Tainio, Lennon, Berbatov, Defoe, Keane, Rose, Taarabt.

Arsenal

Fabianski, J Hoyte, Gallas, Senderos, Traore, Diaby, Denilson, Gilberto, Eduardo, Walcott, Bendtner, Mannone, Sagna, Rosicky, Randall, Gibbs, Lansbury, G Hoyte.