Schurrle sealed the win for Chelsea with a rebounded effort from a Remy strike
Goals from Eden Hazard in the 23rd minute and Filipe Luis 10 minutes into the second half set up Chelsea for a place in the Capital One Cup semi-finals.
Derby were rarely able to cause panic in a Chelsea team beaten only once this season in any competition.
The fact that they got a goal back in the 71st minute through Craig Bryson was testimony to the way they are trying to play their way into the Premier League, but it was not enough to scare Chelsea.
Derby were reduced to 10 men when central defender Jake Buxton was sent off in the 78th minute for a foul on Chelsea substitute Loic Remy and Andre Schurrle scored Chelsea’s third goal shortly after.
The first trophy Jose Mourinho won as a Chelsea manager was the League Cup of 2005 and he followed that with the Premier League title three months later.
Are there any takers on Mourinho doing that again – and maybe adding the FA Cup and Champions League?
Chelsea lost central defender Kurt Zouma after a horror collision with Petr Cech and Mourinho was worried about that. But Derby? Anybody else for that matter? No.
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Kurt Zouma's collision with Petr Cech stopped play for some time before the defender left the field
Now it is being spoken about the quadruple. Can we do it? No.
Jose Mourinho
Mourinho refuses to look at the possibility of a clean sweep of trophies.
But the way Chelsea are dominating opposition he may have to readjust that view.
“We don’t choose competitions, we don’t choose matches, it is the next match, that is the most important thing, whatever competition that is in,” he said.
“We don’t speak about four trophies. It was spoken that we would be unbeatable in the Premier League, we didn’t do it. Now it is being spoken about the quadruple. Can we do it? No.”
Derby manager Steve McClaren wanted to make a judgment on how far his side had developed, from the last time they played Chelsea in the FA Cup just under 12 months ago. They lost 2-0 and the aim last night was to break that comfort zone, make Mourinho sweat a little in that big winter coat he was wearing.
But Derby’s task was made all the more difficult by Hazard’s opening goal.
The thing about lower-level football is that mistakes are more liable to happen and when Derby captain Richard Keogh made an error, Chelsea were on it.
Keogh was looking to make a classy pass but finished up giving the ball away to Hazard.
When Cesc Fabregas then got the pass and in turn put Hazard in possession again, Derby were in big trouble as he elegantly hit his ninth goal of the season.
Newspaper Review - Tuesday 16 December
Chelsea’s only concern was the injury to Zouma just before half-time when goalkeeper Cech collided with his head as he punched away a corner.
Mourinho hurried up four paramedics who were slow to carry a stretcher over to where Zouma had been felled, Fabregas and Cesar Azpilicueta helping out to get some urgency into the situation, and eventually Zouma was taken off.
Mourinho said there was blood in Zouma’s mouth and he was concerned for his player.
“But it has been explained to me that the paramedics are not allowed to run when they are carrying the stretcher,” said Mourinho.
“Zouma has been seen by the doctors, he is fine and he can play for us against Stoke on Monday.”
Chelsea did not have to wait long for their second goal. Luis hit a wonderful 25-yard free-kick that Derby watched with awe.
But they refused to buckle and with 20 minutes to go they had forced their way back after Johnny Russell set-up Bryson for a shot that went in off the post. Just as Derby were getting up a head of giant-killing steam, Buxton was sent off when he was judged by a linesman to have fouled Remy and stopped a goalscoring opportunity.
The decision looked harsh and Derby could appeal.
It seemed as if it was goalkeeper Lee Grant who was going to be red-carded for sliding out of his area in the melee that involved him, Buxton and Remy – McClaren saying the decision was wrong.
But then Schurrle pounced with his 82nd-minute goal and the tie was over.
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