EFL Cup: Chelsea produce record rout of Middlesbrough to reach final
Chelsea safely booked their place in the final of the EFL Cup courtesy of a 6-2 aggregate victory over Middlesbrough.
The Premier League outfit went into this evening’s second leg trailing their Championship opponents 1-0 after Boro’s surprise win at the Riverside Stadium earlier this month.
However, that deficit was wiped out within 15 minutes courtesy of a Jonny Howson own goal, and Chelsea had effectively sealed their passage to Wembley before half time at Stamford Bridge.
Further goals from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer saw Mauricio Pochettino’s men race into a 4-0 lead on the night before the interval, and Palmer and Noni Madueke added another two quickfire strikes late in the second half.
Boro pulled one back with a couple of minutes of normal time remaining as Morgan Rogers curled in a consolation, but Michael Carrick’s men were well beaten as they saw their dreams of reaching Wembley ruthlessly swept aside.
The Championship club largely had themselves to blame though, with four of the goals coming as a result of them losing possession when trying to play out from the back, in addition to the own goal which opened the scoring.
The 6-1 scoreline on the night equals the biggest-ever EFL Cup semi-final second leg victory, while Chelsea are also only the second team to score six goals in the second leg of a semi-final in the competition.
Pochettino’s hopes of landing a trophy in an otherwise difficult first season as manager looked under serious threat following the first leg, during which they notably wasted three big chances, but Chelsea were prolific rather than profligate this time around and quickly atoned for their performance at the Riverside.
While the travelling supporters were determined to enjoy their trip to London regardless of the scoreline, there was little else to smile about for Carrick and his players as Chelsea produced a statement victory to move within one match of a sixth League Cup crown, and a first since 2015.
The Blues will face either West London rivals Fulham or Liverpool, who beat them the last time they were in the final in 2022, at Wembley on February 25.
