London: Having handed out a resounding 6-1 second-leg thrashing to Middlesborough and overturning a 1-0 deficit, Chelsea comfortably booked their place in the EFL (Carabao) Cup final for their 14th Wembley final in 17 years. It was a game in which Middlesborough had no answer to the relentless blitz they faced from the London side.
Chelsea manager Mouricio Pochettino said: “I’m desperate to win with Chelsea. In one-and-a-half years we won three trophies with Paris (Saint-Germain) and now I’m desperate to win here. It’s going to be very difficult in the final but now is the moment to believe and win. It’s an important step for us because the belief in ourselves is going to help. For this young team, going to Wembley is going to build our trust and confidence.”
He added: “The mentality of this club is amazing because there is a culture to win. Our challenge is to match the history Chelsea have had for competing for titles, winning games and scoring goals. Even with a full squad it’s difficult to win, but with 12 players out every single game it’s not so easy to compete at that level.”
Pochettino went on to say: “We were very clinical in front of goal. We missed that in the first leg and we were disappointed. Today we were really good and that is the difference.”
The rout began after 15 minutes of the start when Ben Chilwell, making his first start in four months following injury, darted across the pitch from the left to pass to Raheem Sterling who put in a cross and Jonny Howson, under pressure from Armando Broja, put the ball into his own goal.
On the half-hour, Chelsea doubled the lead with Sterling beautifully back-heeling to release Axel Disasi who then found Broja to tee up Enzo Fernandez for the finishing shot. Following that, in the 36th minute Chelsea scored after another combined move between Sterling and Disasi who took a return pass from Sterling and fired a shot home.
Five minutes later the match was totally beyond Middlesborough with Chelsea four goals up before half-time. It came from an error when Dan Barlaser played the ball to Hayden Hackney but was not expecting a return pass and Cole Palmer was quick to pounce and drive a shot into the net.
Chelsea seemed to ease off a little and it was just over half an hour into the second half that their fifth goal came when substitute Conor Gallagher cut back a pass to Palmer who promptly side-footed into the net.
There was time for one more Chelsea goal. It came nine minutes before time with Gallagher passing to substitute Noni Madueke to score with the help of a deflection from defender Ray van Den Berg.
A consolation goal for the visitors, two minutes before normal time, was a beauty with Morgan Rogers cutting in from the left and curling in a low shot.
Middlesborough manager, Michael Carrick simply said: “I’ve mixed feelings because we came here with huge optimism after the first leg.”
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