Chelsea show their character to beat Tottenham on penalties and reach Carabao Cup final

Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham (2-2 on aggregate; Chelsea win 4-2 on penalties): Maurizio Sarri's men showed their fighting spirit to book a spot in next month's Wembley final

Chelsea celebrate after David Luiz scored the winning penalty (Getty)

After so much talk of mental strength and psychology, Chelsea pass what is supposed to be football’s ultimate test of both.

Here they looked like a team that were easily motivated, and it means Maurizio Sarri may soon look like a trophy winner, after a conspicuously determined 2-1 win and penalty shoot-out victory over Tottenham Hotspur – as well as a brilliantly leading performance from Eden Hazard – put them into the final of the Carabao Cup.

This was no doubt the consequence Sarri desired from Saturday’s angry press conference. Spurs’ performance meanwhile was the consequence of so many problems and injuries that have come together for this squad at once.

Their failure here wasn’t mental – as they offered a comeback of their own – but physical. They were pushed to the limit but couldn’t drag themselves to the final.

That chance pretty much went with Eric Dier’s penalty, sailing high over the bar. The fact that he was supposed to represent a new chapter for England and shoot-outs after the World Cup made the miss all the more pointed – but this didn’t necessarily represent an old problem for Spurs.

Just another challenge for Spurs at the start of this game was that a team built to protect a lead and counter-attack had neither pace on the break nor much sense of protection. It wasn’t just the design for that gameplan that was turned on its head, though. So, soon, was the game. On 27 minutes N’Golo Kante provided the “ferocity” that Sarri had demanded.

While his low shot from outside the box was strong, mind, it still shouldn’t have been enough to beat Paolo Gazzinaga. It was ultimately the path of the ball, as it went through the legs of two Spurs players and appeared to deflect off Fernando Llorente, that caught the goalkeeper unsighted.

Chelsea had offered a strong initial response to Saturday, and were now properly going for it.

There was a spell when they were engulfing a Spurs defence that already looked stretched. That was through the pace that had recently been missing from a Sarri side, but was now instead missing from a Tottenham squad which has suffered all manner of injuries.

N’Golo Kante put the hosts ahead (PA)

Spurs were again suffering all manner of problems on the left side, too, before another injury to Ben Davies forced him off for Danny Rose. It was through there, as well as a show of pace and Hazard that the second goal came. Olivier Giroud teed an oncoming Cesar Azpilicueta up, for the right-back to square for Hazard to finish.

The Belgian was almost in for another just before half-time, only to be stopped by what was – as a best possible description – a crude challenge from compatriot Toby Alderweireld. Another description might be that it was a foul that should have been punished.

Either way, it was an attempt at a challenge that displayed how desperate Spurs had become in trying to keep up with Chelsea.

It also reflected how easily their lead and all the other connected hopes from just two weeks ago had evaporated.

They were all over the place.

They needed a response and a ferocity of their own, but that appeared futile with just a static Llorente up front.

Eden Hazard doubled Chelsea’s lead (Getty)

His stature, however, was to represent the start of it. He offered a response of his own, hitting one of the headers that has made him the respected player that has only rarely been seen at Spurs.

It was no coincidence that it also came from Rose showing the pace down the left that had been rarely seen in this performance.

The introduction of the left-back had started to change the game.

At the same time, a bitty match had come together for something a lot more entertaining.

The flaws in both sides were now among the contest’s strengths, making it all the more dramatic.

Fernando Llorente pulled one back to take the tie to penalties (AFP/Getty Images)

That was never clearer than for Llorente’s next chance. He evidently didn’t glean enough confidence from his goal to take it, badly finishing first-time with his feet, before throwing his hands to his head in despair.

His goal had been all the more striking given his style of play just didn’t seem to suit what Spurs required on the night, so it was much less of a surprise that – despite the goal that got them back in it – Pochettino hauled him off for the pace of Lucas Moura. That was to prove decisive, although not in the way intended.

Spurs were after that in command, but couldn’t get into the lead.

Giroud meanwhile had spent most of the game showing his value as a link-man, but why Chelsea need Gonzalo Higuain, and would later squander a big chance to seal victory in normal time.

It appropriately meant that, after so much talk of mental strength, this semi-final came down to that supposed ultimate test of it.

All were flawless until Dier’s. Chelsea had one foot in the final, and Kepa then got two hands to Moura’s kick.

David Luiz did the honours.

Sarri had the response he wanted.

He may next have the trophy many say he so needs.