Absurd Tottenham mistakes deflect spotlight away from Romelu Lukaku | Jacob Steinberg


While all the focus was on the Chelsea striker going into the match, Spurs were so chaotic that he faded into the background

You have to hand it to Tottenham defenders. Whatever their faults, at least nobody can doubt their entertainment value. After all they even managed to pull off the impossible during the first leg of this Carabao Cup semi-final, somehow dragging the spotlight away from Chelsea’s extremely apologetic record signing with a performance of spectacular slapstick at the back.

This must have been a form of rare torture for Antonio Conte. Even with Romelu Lukaku straining for touch and composure, Chelsea were dominant after welcoming their former manager back to Stamford Bridge for the first time. Thomas Tuchel had come up trumps after being forced to tweak his system and Conte cut a glum figure as half-time approached, his mood hardly helped by the farcical own goal that eased Chelsea into a 2-0 lead after 34 minutes of one‑way traffic.

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