It’s advantage Tottenham in the Carabao Cup semi-final after Harry Kane’s VAR-assisted penalty gave them a first-leg advantage to take to Stamford Bridge in a fortnight.
HARRY PUTS IT AWAY! pic.twitter.com/nLZ7jD8OYD
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 8, 2019
VAR was at the centre of events in the first-half as Spurs were belatedly awarded a penalty when Kane was brought down in the 18-yard box by Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa.
FULL-TIME: Backs to the wall for large periods of the second half, but we hold firm and @HKane's penalty means we'll take a 1-0 lead into the second leg at Stamford Bridge. #COYS pic.twitter.com/oU1AORissD
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 8, 2019
The initial decision by the assistant referee to give Kane offside was overturned and the spot kick awarded, with the England captain making no mistake from 12 yards.
Sarri later railed against the VAR intervention, making all sorts of claims about the reliability of the camera angles upon which Cesar Azpilicueta was adjudged to have played Kane onside. He declared the introduction of VAR in his native Italy to have been a “disaster”, a favoured word of his analysis style.
He said his team had been the better of the two and it was hard to argue, although whether his formation had been his best option was debatable.
Like Willian, and later Pedro, Hudson-Odoi found himself as a winger without a centre-forward to aim at. Hazard occupied the central area and, while he was magnificent with the ball into his feet, it was hard to find him when the ball was pushed out wide. Even so, there was a period of pressure early in the second half when it felt as if Hazard’s quality alone might just be enough to pull Chelsea level.