Chelsea reached the Carabao Cup final with a 6-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough in their semi-final, 2023/2024 season second leg on Tuesday, Providing coach Mauricio Pochettino a measure of relief after a poor first half to the season.
The big-spending Londoners, who lie a lowly ninth in the Premier League, had squandered a hatful of chances in the first leg away two weeks ago which Middlesbrough won 1-0. But Tuesday’s game underlined the gulf in quality between the Premier League side and their second-tier visitors with the tie finishing 6-2 on aggregate.
Middlesbrough missing key players through injury, could not repeat their defensive heroics of the first leg and, after conceding an own-goal through captain Jonny Howson in the 15th minute, were already 4-0 down by half-time.
Cole Palmer put away two for Chelsea, in the 42nd and 77th minutes, as the Blues ran rings round their opponents with a sharp, flowing, passing game. Pochettino praised Palmer’s intelligence on the pitch. The forward has now scored 10 goals in his first season with Chelsea.
“He is a player with an amazing talent. It is a player that understands the game. He has the quality and the talent to see the situation and to read the game in another aspect,” the Argentine coach said.
Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke also got on the scoresheet, while Morgan Rogers scored a consolation goal for Boro in the 88th minute.
Real Sociedad win: Real Sociedad defeated Celta Vigo 2-1 on Tuesday to reach the King’s Cup semifinals for the first time since winning the competition four seasons ago. Mikel Oyarzabal and Sheraldo Becker scored for the teams’ Spanish league game on Saturday, when Sociedad won 1-0 in Vigo. Luca de la Torre scored for the hosts.
Results: League Cup (second leg, semifinals): Chelsea-6 (Howson 15′ OG, Fernandez 29′, Disasi 36, Palmer 42, 77, Madueke 81), vs Middlesbrough-1 (Rogers 88). King’s Cup (Quarterfinals): Celta Vigo-1 (de laTorre 90’+2′), Real Sosiedad-2 (Oyarzabal 2′, Becker 66′).
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