Frank proud of his Derby battlers
– Chelsea dumped Frank Lampard’s Derby out of the League Cup on Wednesday despite a valiant effort by the Championship side to battle back from a defensive Halloween horror show.
Maurizio Sarri’s men emerged 3-2 winners, with all five goals coming in a helter-skelter first half.
Two astonishing early defensive errors at Stamford Bridge from Fikayo Tomori – on loan from Chelsea – and Richard Keogh either side of a Jack Marriott equaliser gave the home side a 2-1 lead.
Undaunted, Lampard’s side levelled shortly before the half-hour through Martyn Waghorn before Cesc Fabregas restored order.
Lampard (pictured), one of Chelsea’s greatest-ever players, felt his side deserved a draw on chances created but said he was a
London
“lucky man” to be able to enjoy such an occasion.
“The difference between the sides was they scored three ... actually we scored four, didn’t we? I joke because I’m proud,” he said.
The 40-year-old former England midfielder received a rapturous reception on his first return to Stamford Bridge as a manager, soaking up the atmosphere before kick-off.
Buoyed by his side’s win on penalties at Old Trafford
Video assistant referees (VAR) will be used in the Caf Champions League final for the first time today when Al-Ahly of Egypt host Esperance of Tunisia in the first leg.
The system allows off-field referees to assist match officials regarding goals, penalty and straight red-card decisions, and mistaken identity when awarding red and yellow cards.
VAR has been used once before in Africa, for the 2018 CAF Super Cup match between Wydad Casablanca of Morocco and TP Mazembe of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
While VAR has been both lauded and loathed by players and officials, its use at the World Cup in Russia this year was considered “largely successful” by Fifa.
“We used it for the Super Cup last February without any hitches and are delighted to go a step further,” against his former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho in the previous round, he was dismayed to witness the errors from his side.
As former Chelsea and Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri looked on from the stands, there was a minute’s applause before kick-off in tribute to Leicester’s late Thai owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday.
Ten-man Arsenal were made to sweat by League One Blackpool before eventually emerging 2-1 winners, with goals from Stefan Lichtsteiner and Emile Smith-Rowe.
Two goals from Son Heung-min and a strike from Fernando Llorente gave Tottenham a 3-1 win at West Ham while Championship side Middlesbrough upset Premier League side Crystal Palace 1-0. – Caf general secretary Amr Fahmy said.
“This is another historic moment for African football. Caf is determined to use the latest innovative technologies available to us.”
Record eight-time champions Ahly and twice trophy-holders Esperance have met 16 times at various stages of the Champions League, starting with two goalless 1990 qualifiers.
The most controversial refereeing decision came in a 2010 semifinal when Nigerian Michael Eneramo clearly handled when scoring the goal that won the tie for Esperance.
It was scant consolation to Ahly that the Ghanaian referee who allowed the goal to stand in Tunisia was banned.
Ahly and Esperance go into the two-leg title decider – the second leg is on November 9 in Tunisia – knowing a great deal about each other having also met in the group stage.
After a 0-0 draw in Egypt, Ahly won the return match 1-0 through a goal from Morocco-born Walid Azaro, one of six he netted in the Champions League this season.
Anice Badri of Esperance has scored one more with his seventh coming five minutes from time to secure overall victory in a dramatic semifinal against Primeiro Agosto of Angola. –