Zouma's final display lauded

London - Jose Mourinho clearly saw Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen as Tottenham Hotspur's two chief League Cup final weapons and the way the pair were subdued played a key role in Chelsea's 2-0 Wembley triumph.

Chelsea fans looked at each other in bewilderment when the teams were announced before kickoff on Sunday, barely able to believe Mourinho had opted to replace the suspended Nemanja Matic in midfield with rookie central defender Kurt Zouma.

The inexperienced Frenchman had only made the starting lineup 13 times previously but his manager did not want a repeat of the 5-3 Premier League defeat inflicted by Spurs on New Year's Day and he deployed the 20-year-old out of position.