Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho lauded his players' efforts after they were able to beat Tottenham Hotspur in the final of the Capital One Cup and secure their first piece of silverware this season.
Despite having a difficult start at Wembley, the Blues did well as the game progressed, and they were soon put in front by their captain John Terry before an own goal from Kyle Walker sealed the victory for them.
And Mourinho, who's first trophy at Stamford Bridge (in the 2004/05 campaign) was also a League Cup, showered his players with praises after the victory.
"My players strategically were fantastic," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "I have a certain concept about the final and obviously we cannot win every final but finals are not to play they are to win."
Despite admitting that he fielded an unexpected squad on Sunday, with defender Kurt Zouma coming in midfield in place of the suspended Nemanja Matic, the Portuguese feels that his side had "great balance" and was "very compact in midfield."
"We had a team not everyone was expecting but we had a team with a great balance, very compact in midfield, we pressed them very well."
"We didn't have problems, they had a couple of chances. The free-kick (with which Christian Eriksen hit the bar) and nothing else, we controlled the game really well."
"We knew we would be dangerous on the counter, I was expecting more, but I think we played like we should play a final."
The former Porto boss also reserved special praise for the rest of the Chelsea squad, who were not directly involved against Tottenham on Sunday, but helped the Blues do well in the earlier stages of the League Cup.
"I am going to be honest, for me man of the match is (Thibaut) Courtois who brought us here with a fantastic semi-final against Liverpool," added Mourinho. "Man of the match is Filipe Luis, he didn't play today but played fantastic in two matches against Liverpool."
"Man of the match is (Andreas) Christensen, played so well against Shrewsbury. All these guys are man of the match for me and maybe more than John (Terry) and the lucky ones to play this final."
"I feel sorry for the ones that didn't play so for me they are the men of the match because for me this is a team."
