Premier League strugglers Chelsea secured a massive 6-1 win over Middlesbrough in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday night (January 23). The overwhelming victory allowed them to comfortably overturn the 1-0 first-leg deficit and cruise into the final, where they will face either Fulham or Liverpool on February 25.
Chelsea Stars Step Up To Secure Important Win Over Middlesbrough
After falling to a shock 1-0 defeat to Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, Chelsea needed to produce a performance of intent in front of their fans. Luckily for an under-pressure Mauricio Pochettino, all his players brought their A-game on Tuesday night.
In the 15th minute, Raheem Sterling played a square pass for Armando Broja. The young attacker made a complete mess of it but the ball still crossed the goalline, owing to an unfortunate tackle from Jonathan Howson. Just before the half-hour mark, Enzo Fernandez scored the go-ahead goal (on aggregate) for the Pensioners, applying a cool finish after intercepting a miskick from Broja. Fernandez had a great opportunity to add to his tally just four minutes later, as Cole Palmer delightfully slipped him through on goal. The Argentine, however, failed to add direction to his shot, hitting it straight at the Middlesbrough goalkeeper.
In the 36th minute, Axel Disasi added the third goal of the night for Pochettino’s side, applying a sumptuous finish to send Sterling’s cross into the back of the net. Palmer, who emerged as the star of the show on Tuesday, scored his first goal in the 42nd minute. Intercepting a horrendous pass from Daniel Barlaser, Palmer took aim and beat Boro goalkeeper Thomas Glover with ease, giving Chelsea an unassailable 4-0 lead. The former Manchester City man added his second of the night in the 77th minute, coolly sending Conon Gallagher’s inch-perfect cutback into the bottom-right corner.
Gallagher clinched his second assist of the night just four minutes later, setting up Noni Madueke for a tap-in after intercepting yet another loose pass from the Middlesbrough defense. Morgan Rogers spoiled Djordje Petrovic’s clean sheet in the 88th minute, but it was nothing more than a consolation for the Championship side.
Mauricio Pochettino Demands ‘Trust’ After Guiding Chelsea To Carabao Cup Final
Pochettino was delighted with his team’s performance on Tuesday and urged everyone to show some trust in them. He explained that the Blues were a team in transition and needed some time to fulfill their potential.
Speaking to Sky Sports, the former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager said:
“We are building a very good team. The mentality is good. We have plenty but we need time.
“It is a new project. We are building a team and sometimes it is normal to play worse. We played well and we didn’t win but now it will be a big boost for us. People need to believe and trust in us and we go to the final with the chance of winning the first trophy of the season.”
Pochettino has reached the Carabao Cup final once before, with him guiding Tottenham Hotspur to the showpiece event in his debut season in 2014-15. The Lilywhites, however, could not bring it home, falling to a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea.
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