To be fair, Chelsea probably got the unfair side of the breaks despite winning 1-0 (2-1 on aggregate) over Liverpool in the League Cup semifinal.
A pair of non-called first-half penalties could’ve easily had the Blues up on aggregate before Branislav Ivanovic’s headed goal salted away the win in extra time.
And while Diego Costa lived up to his nefarious reputation with a pair of stamps on Liverpool players, Jose Mourinho wasn’t interested in the dirty actions of his star Spanish striker.
From the BBC:
“I don’t want to speak about decisions and decisions. If I have to speak to something I have to speak to something I know. When a player stops a counter-attack with a handball it’s a yellow card, when a player kicks a player in the box it is a penalty. Speak about Costa and the penalty he had, let Costa play his football.”
“If I speak, people will say Mourinho again. If I speak the FA will try to punish me like they always do, or try. I think it’s better for you to do it… The final at Wembley always means a lot. Wembley has history and the fans they want to go, they pushed us.”
Well, Special One, he didn’t quite play his football. He had multiple dirty plays against Liverpool (though Costa was also the victim of Liverpool’s second should-be penalty, a takedown by Martin Skrtel inside the box).
Still, Mourinho was happy regarding his team’s form.
“The difference was the goal that should have happened before in the 90 minutes. In the second half we had a lot of football.
“Also, my Ramires is back, that’s the second best news of the day. The first to be in the final but to have our Ramires back after weeks of work and sacrifice.”
Liverpool was the superior team in the first 45 minutes, but couldn’t find the finishing touch. Mourinho won’t be worried about that, as he’s within 90 minutes of the first of three jewels in a potential treble.
