adminMoments from victory in the Capital One Cup final at Wembley, Jose Mourinho turned to Chelsea’s celebrating fans and pumped his fists in their direction – this serial winner had brought new success to Stamford Bridge. And as the whistle sounded on a routine 2-0 win over Tottenham that was the precise Mourinho template in all respects, he picked up his mobile phone to deliver the good news to his loved ones.
Mourinho loves gathering silverware and, after what could almost be described as a drought of three years, “The Special One” was back in business and doing exactly what Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich had in mind when the pair repaired a fractured relationship and renewed their partnership at the start of last season.
As Mourinho made that phone call after the final whistle, he could have been telling the tale of a day that panned out as perfectly as he could have wanted – with Chelsea’s Premier League position strengthened and his first trophy since returning to the club last summer secured.
Even before kick-off at Wembley this had been a good Sunday for Chelsea and Mourinho after closest title challengers Manchester City slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool. The League Cup win simply embellished it.
City’s defeat leaves them five points adrift of Chelsea having played a game more – placing further pressure on manager Manuel Pellegrini after the midweek Champions League loss at home to Barcelona.
Pellegrini’s side have had opportunities before to close the gap on Chelsea but have missed too many of them. Could it be that this loss at Anfield, their fourth in the league this season, will be the decisive one?
The Chilean may have won the Premier League last season but too often a City side packed with attacking talent have looked short on inspiration and energy.
And even more damning was the fact that Liverpool’s squad did not arrive home from their Europa League defeat by Besiktas in Turkey until around 5am on Friday morning, before a noon kick-off at Anfield on Sunday – yet they still looked the more energised and progressive team.
This is not a good sign for Pellegrini and his ambitious Manchester City paymasters will justifiably expect better.
The result would have improved the mood of Mourinho and Chelsea before kick-off at Wembley and the second half of that perfect Sunday was completed in trademark fashion. Mourinho will believe this first success will now lead to others.
If observers were looking for evidence of what makes Mourinho such a world-class manager, it was laid out before them in rain and shine at Wembley with a Blues win that carried all of his hallmarks.
Mourinho’s latest Chelsea creation may have the fantasy element provided by players such as Eden Hazard and the Brazilian flourishes of Willian and Oscar, but they all remain on the same page laid out by their manager.
And it is easy to trust a leader who gets so many big calls right. Eyebrows were raised at two aspects of Mourinho’s team selection on Sunday but the sight of the trophy being raised with Spurs having barely laid a glove on Chelsea answered any questions.
Mourinho went for the experience of Petr Cech in goal over Premier League first choice Thibaut Courtois – but it was his decision to play all three of John Terry, Gary Cahill and Kurt Zouma that created the biggest stir. Would it be a back three? Would Cahill be pushed into central midfield? The answer was none of these.
Mourinho decided to use the pace and power of 20-year-old Zouma, a central defender by trade, in midfield in place of the suspended Nemanja Matic. And after some early uncertainty, the Frenchman repaid his manager’s faith.
It was all part of Mourinho’s plan to ensure Spurs’ two main creators, Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen, would not exert significant influence. Apart from an Eriksen free-kick against the bar and a low first-half shot from Kane, it worked to perfection.
And as ever, Mourinho’s team were superbly organised and ruthlessly efficient. There was the sense that everyone inside Wembley, including maybe even Spurs and their supporters, knew the game was up once Terry had given Chelsea the lead right on half-time.
Mourinho is the consummate strategist for these occasions and while his Spurs counterpart Mauricio Pochettino is an outstanding coach in the making, he and his side had no answers.
This was the Portuguese’s seventh trophy in charge of Chelsea over two spells, including two titles, three League Cups, an FA Cup and a Community Shield – now will he add more this season?
Mourinho has one trophy in the bag and took a small stride towards another, the Premier League title, with that defeat for Manchester City.
So is it possible for him to claim a treble this season, given his side are in a markedly more promising position than either Arsenal or Manchester City to progress to the last eight of the Champions League?
Chelsea’s 1-1 draw against Paris St-Germain in France puts them at an advantage in that tie, while Arsenal and City lost to Monaco and Barcelona respectively at home. – BBc.
Online Reporter