Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says that he is satisfied with the 1-1 draw in the first leg League Cup semi-final against Liverpool at Anfield. The blues had earlier managed a 2-1 victory against the Reds at the stadium a few months ago.
This victory came in the Premier League at a time when Liverpool were struggling for direction due to the absence of key players. Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers appears to have sufficiently modified his team over the last few weeks in such a way that the likes of Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho now form a major aspect of the attack.
The duo were extremely mobile against Chelsea and this made the defenders – Gary Cahill and John Terry – exposed frequently. The defensive midfielders – John obi Mikel and Nemanja Matic – were also not sure about the moment of Sterling and Coutinho.
Unsurprisingly, Sterling came up with the equalising goal for Liverpool but he could have even scored more on the night.Courtoisadmitted that Liverpool created numerous opportunities including captain Steven Gerrard hitting the woodwork before being substituted.
However, he reckons that Chelsea perform much better in front of their own supporters and the second leg being at Stamford Bridge will be an added bonus.
“We like to play these games. It was difficult to get a better result but the draw is not bad.With the chances they had in the second half and they hit the post, we have to be happy with the result. Now we have to finish it at home, where we are strong, in front of our own fans.
The game will be like a final. We can win there and go to Wembley,” said Courtois. Chelsea have a crucial match against Manchester City just days after the second leg and this may be a source of distraction.