Trophy Derby

Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has no fears about facing Tottenham in tomorrow’s Capital One Cup final, despite being on the receiving end of a 5-3 beating at White Hart Lane on New Year’s Day.
Courtois, 22, said the outcome of league games would have no impact on the final, but pointed out that Chelsea had won 3-0 against Spurs at Stamford Bridge in December.
“I think the home game, at the beginning they had two or three chances,” he said at the club’s training complex. “After that we took over and won the match comfortably.
“There [at White Hart Lane], we took the lead but, after that, forgot to finish the game and they won it 5-3. But now a final is a different game. It’s nothing to do with the league.”
Sunday will bring another duel with in-form Spurs man Harry Kane, who twice scored against Courtois at White Hart Lane, and the Belgium international has been studying the striker’s techniques. “With all the videos and images you can watch nowadays, you try and analyse what they’re like more and more,” he said. “But football is football and every game is different. Every time it can be different.”
Courtois was restored as Jose Mourinho’s first choice after being briefly dropped a fortnight ago, but said he would not know whether he or veteran Petr Cech would get the nod until the day of the game.
“He makes his decision like he does for all the players, the day before the game or the day of the game, when he puts his XI on the board and everyone sees who is playing or not,” he said. “We are just preparing together, with [reserve goalkeeper] Jamal Blackman also, to play that game, working hard to be our best.“I’m never nervous. If you play, you have to do your best. You have to be prepared to play, even if you end up not starting.”
The 22-year-old added: “Something can happen really fast in the game and you have to be ready to come on and play. You have to be ready even if you are on the bench. It’s a final, and anything can happen.
Should Chelsea win at Wembley, it will continue Courtois’ record of winning a trophy in each season of his professional career.
He lifted a Belgian league title with Genk in 2010-11 and triumphed in the Europa League, Copa del Rey and La Liga while spending three years on loan at Atletico Madrid.
“It’s nice if every season you finish having won a trophy,” he said. “Hopefully, that will continue for a while, starting with this match. This is the first final, and everybody wants to win the first trophy that is up for grabs this season.”