Capital One Cup Final 2015

The first competitive piece of silverware in the New Year is up for grabs on Sunday as Tottenham take on the high flying side of Chelsea.

While the Capital One Cup may not mean much for many people, both Jose Mourinho and Mauricio Pochettino will be looking to for their first silverware of the season. Mourinho has not won a trophy in his second spell as Chelsea manager, and Pochettino will be looking to win Tottenham's first trophy since the 2008 League Cup campaign. Both teams will be quietly confident going into this match and have a lot to prove.

An added incentive is that both sides were knocked out of the FA Cup in the early stages. Chelsea will be looking to win this trophy as a small consolation for being royally dumped out in the 4th round of the FA Cup. Mourinho came under criticism for not offering the appropriate value to the trophy by fielding a second-string side. He will certainly not show Spurs a lack of respect.

Similarly, Spurs were stunned by a 90th minute Schlupp winner for Leicester City in the FA Cup. Like this competition, it was earmarked as one that they had the potential to win and to not make it past the 4th round will be a major disappointment. Other than that, Spurs are having a decent season, particularly after a stuttering start in the league. This trophy would give Daniel Levy and the fans the much needed confidence in their manager.

Route to the Final
Chelsea's 3rd round tie saw Kurt Zouma net on his debut while Oscar scored the winner to secure an unconvincing victory over Bolton Wanderers. As for Spurs, they recovered a goal deficit to win 3-1 at home to Nottingham Forest thanks to Harry Kane, Ryan Mason and Robert Soldado. An 81st minute own-goal was enough to break Shrewsbury hearts and send Chelsea through in the fifth round, while Spurs coasted past Brighton by two goals. A stylish performance from Spurs obliterated Newcastle in the quarter finals with Bentaleb, Chadli, Soldado and Kane all registering on the score sheet. Likewise, a confident performance from the Blues as they brushed Derby to the side and moved on to a semi final clash with Liverpool.

In the semi finals, both Chelsea and Tottenham faced scary situations. Spurs had a considerably easier tie on paper, facing Sheffield United but scraped through 3-2 on aggregate. Spurs took a slim 1-0 lead into the second leg after an Andros Townsend penalty inside the last 20 minutes. At Bramall Lane, Spurs looked comfortable and a 1-0 lead, courtesy of Christian Erikson, at halftime was deserved. Things got hairy in the last 15 minutes when 2 Che Adams goals sparked a comeback from United. As he has done so much this season, Erikson saved Spurs' blushes with an 88th minute goal to send the North London side to Wembley.

A tactical master-class from the 'Special One' secured Chelsea's appearance at Wembley. A 1-1 first leg draw at Anfield gave Chelsea the away goal that would prove beneficial if the tie went to extra time. Sterling's second half equaliser cancelled out Eden Hazard's 18th minute penalty. The second leg was an interesting affair. Chelsea edged the possession stats, but there was nothing to separate the sides. Scoreless after 90 minutes saw Liverpool having to score a goal to prevent exiting on away goals but it was Branislav Ivanovic who rose highest to nod in a Willian free kick and send Liverpool packing and ensure Mourinho's men booked a final clash against London rivals Tottenham.

My Prediction
Chelsea will be without Nemanja Matic for the final after his sending off against Burnley at the weekend. Remembering back to the New Years' Day fixture between the sides, Chelsea missed Matic's presence in the middle of the park and went on to lose 5-3 at White Hart Lane. It would be very bizarre if Mourinho was to prepare for this encounter by not using the events that occurred in January. It would be likely for John Obi Mikel to fill this role, with Fabregas alongside him. The threat posed by Harry Kane will need to be neutralised, particularly as he netted two goals that day and has been in great form this season. He can turn a match on it's head in a moment so Terry and co. will need to be aware throughout the game.

As for Spurs, it's obvious that Diego Costa and Eden Hazard will be the threat to watch out for. Hazard has created 8 goals this season, and finishing 11 of his own in all competitions. As for Costa, he has had a terrific debut season at the Bridge, scoring 17 goals to aid Chelsea's cause. Both scored a goal apiece the last time the sides met, so Spurs will know that they need special attention. Newbie Juan Cuadrado is a speed merchant who will pose problems for defenders. It will be an interesting battle between Kyle Walker and Cuadrado, if they play, to see who will come out on top. Although he is not your stereotypical fullback, Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the best right backs in world. He can defend but also whip a mean delivery into the box and is probably one of Chelsea's most underrated players.

This match is difficult to predict as both sides will be gunning for the win. It's easy to side with Chelsea as they have the players and a world class manager, however Spurs possess a youngster in top form. Chelsea will definitely repair the mistakes made in the last encounter. I'm going to sit on the fence and say that the match going to penalties with Chelsea edging out their London opponents. It will be a cracking final.