Chelsea went through to the final of the Capital One Cup thanks to a goal from Branislav Ivanovic in extra time, which gave them a 2-1 win on aggregate. Although it finished goalless after 90 minutes, it was gripping right till the very end. Although both sides attacked with plenty of confidence and conviction, it was the two goalkeepers came out on top in a game that is likely to be remembered as the one which should have had a few red cards, but ended with 11 men on the pitch for both sides. Needing at least a goal to go through, Ivanovic’s header dented the Reds progress and erased the agony of the FA Cup exit on Saturday with the glory of a Wembley final.
Here are the major talking points from the game.
1. Chelsea need to keep a lid on Costa
For some players, aggression and intimidation is an integral part of their game. One of the main reasons why Diego Costa has fit in so seamlessly at Chelsea is due to his aggressive, all-action style of play. But there is a fine line between being aggressive and being violent, to the extent of injuring someone. Against Liverpool, Costa was treading on the wrong side of the line and that is certainly a worry for Chelsea.
Whether it was trying to con Michael Oliver into giving free kicks or getting into fights with opposing defenders, Costa put in a performance that showed just why he is hated by so many people. But his biggest crime was a blatant stamp on Emre Can in the 11th minute, which, if the referee had noticed would have resulted in a straight red card and a three-match ban, which would have ruled him out of a crucial clash against Manchester City. He did it again in the second half on Skrtel, who, many will argue should have conceded a penalty in the first half. But the simple fact is that the Spanish striker shouldn’t have even been on the pitch and should have received two separate red cards. Costa needs to learn the difference between being passionate and plain stupid.
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