Lovely turn in his own half from Lucas Moura and he goes scampering up field, but can't find Son Heung-min. Chelsea look up for this one.

Tottenham just can't keep hold of the ball.

Karen Carney
Former Chelsea midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Brilliant start from Chelsea. This goal is all about Alonso, he's aggressive, snaps onto it and takes a touch. His pass is amazing. Havertz's shot, I'm not sure whether it would have been cleared off the line but Davinson Sanchez has deflected it in.

Tottenham have struggled with Chelsea's change of shape with a back four.

Chelsea seeing lots of the ball in the opening minutes.

A foul on Son Heung-min gives Spurs a welcome breather, and you fancy they'll be playing on the counter this evening.

Good atmosphere at Stamford Bridge. It's noisy. And Chelsea have a free-kick in a decent position for Mason Mount to deliver, just over on the right-hand side, but the midfielder gets too much on that.

Romelu Lukaku is involved immediately, sprinting away down the right after collecting a loose ball, but his cut back can't find a team-mate.

Thought he might have a crack from there!

Away we go.

Tottenham get this one under way.

Right then, we're moments away from kick-off in the first Carabao Cup semi-final. The teams are on the pitch, who will take the advantage into the second leg?

BBC Football Daily

Football Daily have had their say on the Romelu Lukaku situation - have a listen to the podcast here.

Former Everton and Scotland midfielder Don Hutchison believes this game is "tailormade" for Romelu Lukaku.

The Belgium forward apologised for comments made to Italian media suggesting he was unhappy at the club and Hutchison thinks boss Thomas Tuchel has handled the situation perfectly.

"Tuchel has done absolutely the right thing," he told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast after Lukaku was dropped for the Premier League match with Liverpool.

"He had to show power and now Lukaku has apologised, that's the fuel he will need going into the Spurs game."

Clinton Morrison
Former Crystal Palace striker on BBC Radio 5 Live

I think Antonio Conte will [win trophies at Spurs]. He needs time though and some investment in the squad.

You see the improvement already - their running stats have gone through the roof. Why does it take a manager to come in before you start running? It should be a given.

I don't think they're good enough to beat Chelsea over two legs - but I could be wrong.

Ross Mooring
Chelsea Fancast

The Blues host Tottenham tonight in the Carabao Cup to the backdrop of a myriad of storylines - the main one the fallout from Romelu Lukaku's headscratcher of an interview with Italian media and subsequent apology to the club and fans.

To add a further twist, the Belgian comes face-to-face with Antonio Conte, the former Chelsea manager and Lukaku's boss at Inter who he credits as taking his game to the next level. Whatever happens, there's a media storyline to be had here. Oddly, the possibility of a return to Wembley is nowhere near the top of the agenda.

On the pitch, the team need to continue the spirit and energy of Sunday's draw against Liverpool, a candidate for game of the season and goal of the season with Mateo Kovacic's volley that sparked the comeback. It was also the first match in English football with permitted 'safe standing' and supporters in attendance spoke positively about it and noted an increase in volume.

Unfortunately, Chelsea are now without first-choice wingbacks Ben Chilwell and Reece James, key components in Thomas Tuchel's 3-4-3 system, which will stretch the squad further with two games a week for most of the remainder of the season. Furthermore, with Edouard Mendy off to Afcon for up to a month should Senegal do well, the revived form of Kepa Arrizabalaga is back under the microscope.

Transfer-wise, the club is looking at Everton's out-of-favour full-back Lucas Digne or recalling Emerson from Lyon, while the futures of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and club captain Cesar Azpilicueta remain up in the air.

Positively, the ageless and universally adored Thiago Silva has signed up for another year at Stamford Bridge. The club has been continually linked with Monaco midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni for more than a year now and there's an argument to be made for bringing forward this deal as quickly as possible if Chelsea are to contend on all fronts.

Image source, Getty Images

Antonio Conte said he followed Harry Kane's transfer situation from afar and added it was a "great choice" by chairman Daniel Levy to stand firm and keep the player, who is under contract until 2024.

Under Conte - who replaced the sacked Nuno Espirito Santo as head coach in November - sixth-placed Spurs are unbeaten in eight Premier League games.

Kane had only scored one league goal in the 2021-22 campaign prior to the former Inter Milan manager's arrival, but he has now scored three times in his past four league games.

"In this way you are showing you want to try to continue to build something important around one of the best players in your team," Conte added.

"I followed the situation but now it is not right to look at the past. Now we have to live in the present, which says that Harry is a player at Tottenham and continues to be one of the best players in this team.

"He is a point of reference in the dressing room and an experienced player. I am totally enthusiastic about his involvement in the team and the Tottenham project."

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte says it will be an emotional evening returning to old club Chelsea.

Conte, who was appointed by Spurs in November, managed the Blues from 2016 to 2018, winning the Premier League and FA Cup, and returns for the first time.

"I spent two amazing seasons, I created a lot of friendships at the club," Conte said.

"I thank Chelsea because they gave me the possibility to work in England."

The Italian added: "Now, I'm the manager of Tottenham and I want to give this club 100% and more to try to improve the team.

"It'll be good and for sure I'll have emotion to come back to Stamford Bridge."

A peach...

Liverpool's Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Arsenal on Thursday has been postponed because of a "severe outbreak of Covid" at the Anfield club.

The Reds temporarily closed their first-team training centre on Wednesday after assistant manager Pep Lijnders became the latest to have to isolate.

The first leg will now be at Anfield on 13 January and the second at Emirates Stadium on 20 January, both at 19:45.

Liverpool had requested the postponement on Tuesday.

The EFL said in a statement it had been in "regular dialogue" with the club since then "in an attempt to understand whether the tie could proceed".

Image source, EPA

Thomas Tuchel has praised "the Benjamin Button of football" after 37-year-old centre-back Thiago Silva signed a contract extension at Chelsea.

Silva joined the Blues on a free transfer from Paris St-Germain in August 2020 and has made 22 appearances this season.

"I know how much work and professional attitude is behind his performances," Tuchel said. "What he's done is a miracle in a way - he's Thiago Button."

Silva started the Champions League final for Chelsea in May 2021 and won his 100th cap for Brazil in October.

"The effort he puts in to stay fit, recover, sleep and manage his nutrition is outstanding," Tuchel added. "This new contract is only possible because of that.

"It's also good because this new contract makes him calm and it's important for us that Thiago is calm.

"He is an emotional and sensitive person who is so precious in our dressing room."

Tottenham, who reached the final last year, are hoping to end a 14-year wait for a trophy, since they last won the League Cup in 2007-08.

"I think that when Tottenham brought me here they wanted to send a signal outside - and maybe also to our players," said Antonio Conte.

"I think this is important and we have to try to build a situation where we are all involved and to try to create a situation that we can be competitive to try to win.

"At the moment I think there is an important gap with other teams. I see many, many teams more ready now to win the title at this moment.

"But we have to work and we have to try to improve in every aspect."

Karen Carney
Former Chelsea midfielder on BBC Radio 5 Live

Everyone thinks Romelu Lukaku is a hold-up player but for me that's his weakest part of the game. He had to go to Inter Milan to develop it.

He's at his best when he's turning, running where they are spaces and gaps. When he's running, nobody in the world can stop him because he is that powerful, strong and quick. When he gets into the box he's ruthless with his skill and finishing.