by “Hope is what kills you,” revealed a not-so-hopeful Middlesbrough supporter as he made his way to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. How Mauricio Pochettino relates to that mindset. But after a ruthless performance that blew their opponents out of the Championship during the first half, maybe the Chelsea manager is finally ready for something?
The Carabao Cup final is the least Todd Boehly and co could have hoped for after spending more than £1bn on transfer fees since taking over from Roman Abramovich 18 months ago. This was very strong evidence that, after a nightmare 2023 with Graham Potter and all, the future could be very bright indeed for Chelsea’s brave new era.
Related: Chelsea knocked six past Middlesbrough to reach the Carabao Cup final in style
Pochettino allowed himself a little fist pump and a smile when the excellent Cole Palmer managed to head home Chelsea’s fourth goal five minutes before the break to make it 4-1 on aggregate. How will he take the opportunity to return to Wembley for his first domestic cup final since losing to José Mourinho’s Chelsea in this competition in 2015.
Although the former Argentina defender has removed himself from the mantle of never winning a trophy during his time at Paris Saint-Germain, he has often been criticized for his reluctance to take domestic cup competitions seriously during his five-and-a-half seasons at Tottenham. . It may have something to do with the fact that Chelsea still find themselves 12 points behind fourth-placed Aston Villa in the Premier League despite three wins in a row but that approach appears to have changed significantly.
Pochettino described this game as his biggest game since arriving in west London at the start of the season and in his program notes he referred to the jubilant atmosphere that followed their dramatic penalty shootout win against Newcastle in the previous round . “Those moments give confidence and positivity to everyone and tonight we want to achieve the same feeling again,” he wrote.
However, it was the away supporters clearing the Shed End behind Tom Glover’s goal that set the atmosphere despite the wind and rain swirling at Stamford Bridge.
Their mood was only slightly dampened when Jonny Howson inadvertently flicked the ball past the Middlesbrough goalkeeper as he tried to stop Armando Broja ending a move started by Ben Chilwell.
The England left-back has endured a terrible run of injuries but his long-awaited return finally means Pochettino can field a more balanced defense with Levi Colwill looking much more assured in the central role. It was from the other end that Chelsea twice took the lead, Enzo Fernández tapping home his fourth of the season after Axel Disasi raced onto Raheem Sterling’s clever heels.
Middlesbrough’s hopes of becoming the first non-Premier League side to reach the EFL Cup final since League Two side Bradford in 2013 were suddenly dashed. Disasi’s interception made it almost inevitable before he sealed the deal after a blistering run up front and Palmer – who has excelled after moving to No. 10 after Mykhailo Mudryk was picked ahead of Conor Gallagher – to make it four, even the Boro supporters were stunned into silence.
To their credit, they found their voices again early on as Michael Carrick’s side refused to throw in the towel going into the second half. But after Mudryk was withdrawn at the break for Noni Madueke, Chelsea – who had recorded just three home wins between January and November last year but are now unbeaten in their last nine games here – posed a serious threat to both side. Raheem Sterling made a mess of Middlesbrough left-back Lukas Engel in the first half, he must have been relieved when he switched to the England forward.
Sterling was Boehly’s first signing when the 28-year-old completed his move from Manchester City in the summer of 2022 and has struggled for consistency. His performance here shows he still has plenty to offer a young and inexperienced squad despite the presence of 39-year-old Thiago Silva at the heart of the defence.
Sterling has not played for England since their World Cup 2022 quarter-final win over France in Qatar and, after being overlooked by Gareth Southgate for the last four squads, he now has plenty of competition: Palmer in particular. A convincing first-time finish with his right foot took the 21-year-old’s tally to 11 goals in all competitions this season for Chelsea as they trailed 5-0 with 10 minutes to play before Madueke completed the rout moments later .
Conceding the sixth goal didn’t make the Middlesbrough fans sing any louder before Morgan Rogers, who has been linked with a move to Aston Villa this month, gave them another reason to celebrate. They didn’t seem to be reminded by their Chelsea counterparts that they are the ones on their way to Wembley.
It may only be in the Carabao Cup but, as Pochettino – who shared a huge hug and joke with Carrick at the full-time whistle before enjoying a tender moment with the home supporters – you’ve got to start somewhere.
