Honours even in the tie, if not quite on the night. For Tottenham, full-time came with a sigh of relief and a hint of unease, almost as if the strains of “Glory Glory” were being played with the occasional minor chord. Harry Kane’s first-half penalty was enough to secure them the win, but the manner of their second-half rearguard had frayed their nerves to ribbons.

From the touchline, Mauricio Pochettino flapped and fumed as his side retreated further and further into their own half. Finally, he turned to his bench: the snap of Erik Lamela, the heft of Fernando Llorente, the little scurrying legs of teenage midfielder Oliver Skipp, a player with the body of a child and the face of one of the antiques experts off Bargain Hunt. None of them could turn the tide of a game rapidly tipping in Chelsea’s favour.

But with backs to the wall and the seconds ticking away, Tottenham held out. Just.

You could look at this, I suppose, in one of two ways. Either that second half badly exposed Tottenham’s limitations against Chelsea’s relentless possession football: their inertia off the ball, their inability to play their way through the press, their lack of anything resembling control in midfield.

Alternatively, you could posit that Chelsea threw everything they could at a curiously off-colour Tottenham, and still couldn’t find a way through. And the fact that Tottenham are now winning these sorts of games in this attritional manner hints at a further shift in the balance of power between these two clubs. Under Pochettino, and at home, Spurs now expect to win these games, even when they aren’t at their best.

Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Show all 23 1 /23 Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 08: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his team's first goal with Dele Alli of Tottenham Hotspur during the Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg match between Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on January 8, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Paulo Gazzaniga - 7 out of 10 A nervy moment in first-half stoppage time, just about managing to keep out Hudson-Odoi’s deflected cross. Tested from distance but coped with everything thrown at him, and impressed with his command of his area and ability with the ball at his feet. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Kieran Trippier - 7 Solid and stout at right back, initially to Willian who failed to trouble throughout and then to Hudson-Odoi after Pedro’s introduction. Excellent block from Alonso’s volleyed drive late on. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Davinson Sanchez - 6 A booking after going through the back of Hazard but relatively untroubled. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Toby Alderweireld - 7 A lovely lofted pass to free Kane for the penalty incident. Calm and composed leading the defence. Spurs allowed precious little in their box (one lapse to leave Christensen free at the far post aside) and forced Chelsea to take long-range, speculative efforts. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Danny Rose - 8 MOTM. Started very brightly going forward and defended superbly throughout. One firm late tackle particularly eye-catching, even if it appeared to jar his hamstring. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Harry Winks - 5 Struggled with Eden Hazard’s movement, who went past him at will. Not as competent in possession as in most of his recent outings. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Moussa Sissoko - 7 Battled hard throughout with plenty of running and tackling. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Christian Eriksen - 5 Not his best night. For once, the game drifted past him and he failed to seize control of the game as he perhaps could have done as Chelsea dominated the second half. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Dele Alli - 7 Not an outstanding attacking performance, but his defensive work in a deeper role was exemplary during the second half. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Harry Kane - 7 Clever piece of skill to flick over Kepa and draw the foul for the penalty, which he converted confidently. Tottenham Hotspur FC via Getty I Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Son Heung-Min - 6 A less eye-catching performance than those that have lit up the last couple of months, but he threatened in behind at times and offered an outlet. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Kepa - 5 Slow to get out to Kane and a certain penalty against him. Looked laboured in his dive as Kane then converted from the spot. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Cesar Azpilicueta - 6 Solid, but it is on nights like this where a more influential right-back could offer more going forward. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Antonio Ruediger - 6 Harry Kane failed to impact the game in the Chelsea half aside from the penalty incident, and both Rudiger and Christensen deserve credit for their work in that regard. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Andreas Christensen - 6 On several occasions the man to prevent Son getting away as he has so often in recent games, but an atrocious miss after being left free from his corner. Why didn’t he use his left foot? AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Marcos Alonso - 6 Offered an outlet down the left but Spurs were content to let him have it, with no-one to cross to in a diminutive front three. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings N'golo Kante - 6 Tested Gazzaniga a couple of times with driven efforts and unfortunate that a lovely flick struck the outside of the post. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Jorginho - 6 Jorginho failed to find an incisive ball forward, but was the most controlling presence in midfield as Chelsea dominated second half possession. Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Ross Barkley - 6 Virtually anonymous for too much of his 75 minutes on the pitch. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Callum Hudson-Odoi - 6 Promised much, delivered little. Some development required on his final ball, but there is clearly considerable talent there. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Eden Hazard - 7 Chelsea’s only real threat with vigour and verve, weaving betwixt and between defenders with ease but finding support limited too often. AFP/Getty Images Tottenham vs Chelsea: Player ratings Willian - 5 A lacklustre showing that failed to get going, and replaced ahead of the more prominent Hudson-Odoi on 63 minutes. AFP/Getty Images

The truth, you suspect, lies somewhere in the middle. You feel that Tottenham’s habit of doing exceptionally silly things in possession - Paulo Gazzaniga dinking the ball Phil Mickelson-style along his own goal-line, Dele Alli doing a snazzy pirouette by the left touchline, Moussa Sissoko trying a Suarez backheel with a counter-attack on - will surely cost them at some point. Equally, Chelsea have offered precious little evidence in recent weeks that they have the ability to surprise opponents, to gut-punch them, to offer anything much beyond the usual carousel of gossamer passing and hopeful final balls. Eden Hazard’s struggles up front were a prime example.

History favours Chelsea: of the 38 League Cup semi-finals since the turn of the century, the team playing at home in the second leg has won 24 and lost 14. And it’s easy to see how an early goal in the second leg, followed by a regal spell of possession, could pave the way for a Chelsea procession. Equally, Tottenham’s speed on the counter-attack - Lucas Moura could well be an option for the second leg - will offer their fans hope of only a second Wembley final under Pochettino.