Chelsea batter Middlesbrough to book EFL Cup Wembley final spot
This was arguably Chelsea’s most important game in Mauricio Pochettino’s troubled tenure thus far, and this much-maligned Blues team were slow out of the traps against a buoyant Boro side in the opening exchanges.
The five-time winners gradually worked their way into the contest, and Ben Chilwell - making his first start in almost four months - played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s 15th-minute opener.
The full-back’s defence-splitting pass resulted in Raheem Sterling’s cross to Amando Broja, who dawdled on the ball before Boro captain Jonny Howson diverted his scuffed finish into the net.
Morgan Rogers had a chance to re-establish Boro’s aggregate lead moments later, but it was Chelsea that struck again just shy of the half-hour mark.
Another scuffed Broja finish proved to be decisive, as the forward inadvertently diverted his strike towards Enzo Fernández for the Argentine to fire home at the far post from Axel Disasi’s cross.
The Wembley arch was firmly within sight just seven minutes later in a devastating move that resulted in Sterling crossing to Disasi, who provided a clinical first-time finish past Glover.
Cole Palmer then moved Pochettino’s men 4-1 ahead on aggregate when Daniel Barlaser’s costly slip allowed the former Manchester City midfielder to slot the ball home before the break.
Michael Carrick would have been looking for his Boro charges to restore some pride on a chastening evening, as Rogers saw another effort blocked after being teed up by Anfernee Dijksteel.
However, Palmer added his second and Chelsea’s fifth in the 77th minute with a brilliant first-time finish from Conor Gallagher’s cross before Noni Madueke added extra gloss to the scoreline by ruthlessly punishing more woeful Middlesbrough defending.
Nevertheless, it was the visitors that got the last word on the night when Rogers became the competition’s outright top goalscorer with a sublime finish to give the suffering Teesiders something to cheer on a chastening evening.
The importance of this win for Pochettino’s men cannot be underestimated, in what will be the first cup final of the Todd Boehly era. Chelsea become only the third club to reach a 10th EFL Cup final appearance, where either Liverpool or Fulham will await on February 25th.
Meanwhile, Middlesbrough turn their attention back to the Championship and a keenly-contested battle to reach the play-offs.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
