Chelsea hammered Middlesbrough 6-1 in the Carabao Cup semifinals to book a spot in the final. The triumph saw the Premier League giants overcome a 0-1 first-leg loss to crush Middlesbrough’s hopes of becoming the first team from a second-tier league to make it to the competition’s finals since 2013.
An own-goal in the 15th minute levelled the aggregate score, creating an opening for Chelsea to surge forward. Goals from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi, and Cole Palmer in the first half, followed by strikes from Palmer and Noni Madueke post-break, sealed a dominating 6-2 aggregate win for Chelsea.
Chelsea’s convincing victory sets the stage for a potential battle against either Liverpool or Fulham in the final scheduled for February 25. Should it be Liverpool, fans could relive the excitement of the League Cup final of 2022, which saw the Reds clinch the title on penalties.
Despite a challenging phase under new ownership and management changes, Chelsea has shown resilience on the field.
The club, purchased by a consortium headed by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital from Roman Abramovich in May 2022, has seen a drastic increase in spending on players and has now appointed their third permanent manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Yet, a comeback win against Middlesbrough gives the team and its fans a glimmer of hope. For Chelsea, these domestic cups could well be their only opportunity for at redeeming glory this season.
Chelsea will now be taking on Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday, January 27 before facing Liverpool in the Premier League on February 1.
The Blues are placed ninth in the Premier League points table, having picked just 31 points from 21 matches, winning nine, losing eight and drawing four matches.
