EFL Cup Semifinal Second Leg: Chelsea Hammer Middlesbrough 6-1 at Stamford Bridge to Reach Final

Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea finally received a huge boost in their efforts in the 2023/2024 Season after their insane thrashing over Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup Semifinal second leg. The Blues recovered from their 1-0 defeat suffered against the Michael Carrick-led EFL Championship side Riverside Stadium two weeks ago to thump their opponents 6-1 at Stamford Bridge last night, and that dominating showing in the EFL Cup Semifinal second leg meant Chelsea will be heading to the final of the competition with a 6-2 aggregate score line. They are set to have either Fulham or Liverpool on the cards in the finale.

The Blues Recovered From 1-0 Defeat in the EFL Cup Semifinal Second Leg

Chelsea have to thank Middlesbrough captain and veteran central defensive midfielder Jonny Howson for the first goal of this EFL Cup Semifinal second leg encounter at their home, since the 35-year-old tried to dispossessed Armando Broja in the dangerous zone, but only to have his effort deflected the ball into the back of his own net. With the aggregate score line tied at 1-1, Chelsea went on to gain their first lead in the cup tie just before the half hour mark, thanks to the unguarded Enzo Fernández inside the penalty box.

The Blues were relentless in this EFL Cup Semifinal second leg and did not want the score line to stay at 2-1 before the half-time break, hence they added another couple of goals in the remainder of the opening 45 minutes. France right-back Axel Disasi courageously intercepted a poor pass by Middlesbrough, followed by Cole Palmer’s exquisite pass to the his older compatriot at England Raheem Sterling. The player with 20 international goals under his belt then delivered a delicious cross for the charging Disasi to score a well-deserved goal.

Another disappointing defensive display by the visitors allowed the home side to punish them almost instantly. Palmer, who was influential in Chelsea’s third goal of the evening, blocked a Middlesbrough pass, before he stormed into the dangerous zone and scored the ball at far post. It was the player’s 12th goal in 26 appearances in all competitions for the Blues in 2023/2024, having joined the club for £40 million from Manchester City last summer.

Six Goals From Five Different Scorers in the EFL Cup Semifinal Second Leg Booked Chelsea’s Tickets to the Final

After play was resumed in the second half, Pochettino’s men continued to reign supreme and rub salt into the wounds of their opponents with two more goals, one in the 77th minute and another in the 81st minute. Palmer completed his brace in this EFL Cup Semifinal second leg game via a first-time close-ranged shot into the far post, and his teammate and substitute Noni Madueke added the icing on the cake moments later, this time through another dispiriting buildup from the visiting Boro. Luck certainly played a big part in Madueke’s goal as his effort was deflated into the back of net by Rav van den Berg, who was trying to clear the ball away from the penalty box.

With two minutes remaining in the normal playing time of 90 minutes, Middlesbrough finally got onto the scoreboard and pulled one back in this EFL Cup Semifinal second leg, thanks to Morgan Rogers. Nevertheless, the 21-year-old can only go down as a consolation goal, as Chelsea went on to win this EFL Cup Semifinal second leg on a 6-1 demolition against their lower-tiered opponents and are now safely through to their third final in six seasons in the history of the competition.

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Pochettino After the EFL Cup Semifinal Second Leg Win: “I’m Desperate to Win a Trophy Here (Chelsea).”

51-year-old Chelsea manager Pochettino could not be more pleased with his players’ statement performances. “I’m desperate to win a trophy here. We won in three trophies in one and a half years at Paris (St Germain) and we want to win here. I’m desperate to win. That is the headline. It’s really important for us, we’re going to have Fulham or Liverpool, two amazing teams, it will be difficult. But now is the moment to believe we can win. Now we need to prepare for Friday against Aston Villa (In the FA Cup), but this is an important step for us,” said the Argentine.

The former Tottenham Hotspur and Paris Saint-Germain gaffer also added: “The confidence and the belief in ourselves is so important. That is going to help because of the motivation. Players who are so close to coming back (From injury) – tomorrow, maybe a few injured players will want to come for training, seeing that the final is close.”

Fulham or Liverpool Await Chelsea in the Final

Winners of the first EFL Cup Semifinal second leg Chelsea will meet the victors of the other EFL Cup Semifinal second leg matchup between Fulham and Liverpool. Jürgen Klopp’s Reds are the favourites to win it all in this EFL Cup Semifinal second leg matchup at Craven Cottage tonight following their 2-1 win an Anfield a fortnight ago. Leave us your thoughts down in the comment section below on who will be facing Chelsea in the EFL Cup Final, is it Fulham or the current best team in the Premier League?

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