Chelsea cruise through to Carabao Cup final with big Boro win
WEMBLEY BOUND: Chelsea's Cole Palmer celebrates. Photo credit: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire.
Chelsea cruised through to the Carabao Cup final courtesy of an object – or should that be abject - lesson in how not to defend by Michael Carrick's callow Middlesbrough side.
Whatever jeopardy lurked in this tie for Chelsea, who were trailing 1-0 from last week's first leg, disappeared in a disastrous first half half-hour, during which Boro's defenders demonstrated the dangers of persisting with a pattern of playing out from the back when it is patently not possible.
By the end it was a thrashing, the biggest winning margin in the second leg of a league cup semi-final, and Chelsea fans can start dreaming of silverware.
Boro had started brightly, however, holding off Chelsea for the opening 15 minutes to the extent that Mauricio Pochettino was going potty on the touchline, berating his players for failing to create chances.
But then Boro shot themselves in the foot by giving the ball away cheaply in their own half to concede the first goal, and then repeated the same mistake three more times before half-time, by which the erstwhile quiet Chelsea supporters were singing “We're going to Wembley.”
Carrick was schooled in the finest football traditions of West Ham, Tottenham and Manchester United as a cultured midfielder who rarely gave away possession.
And admirable as it is that he has moulded a side in his image, trying to progress upfield by playing neat passing football, at some time pragmatism should dictate that it is not the best approach to take on a wet and windy night in west London against a club that has spent over a billion Euros on players in the past 18 months.
Boro did not need to score as long as they did not concede, and one wonders whether a more defensive coach such as Jose Mourinho, who had such success in his two stints at Stamford Bridge, might have suggested parking the bus, especially against a Chelsea side who have struggled to score over the past season or two.
Instead Boro tried to play out from the back, got caught in possession time and time again, and it will be Chelsea facing either Fulham or Liverpool in the final at Wembley next month.
By then, Pochettino will be hoping for more of his expensive absentees will be back. Ben Chilwell sparkled on his first start since September, and after heading over the bar in the early minutes, set up the first goal by winning the ball 30 yards from goal. His pass put in Raheem Sterling, whose cross flew off the shin of Boro captain Jonny Howson into his own goal.
Boro gave the ball away again in the 28th minute allowing Axel Disasi to exchange passes with Sterling and cross for Enzo Fernandes to drill home at the far post.
It got worse for Boro. Matt Clarke's attempted pass out from his own penalty area was intercepted by Disasi, who raced into the box to meet Sterling's cross with a first-time finish.
And it was 4-0 before half-time when Dan Barlaser fell over on the ball, allowing Cole Palmer a simple finish from close range.
Carrick made one change and stiffened his defence after the break, but they were breached again in the closing stages, with Palmer scoring again after Boro gave the ball away from a throw-in.
Three minutes later it was 6-0 when Noni Madueke curled a shot towards the far post and defender Ray Van Den Berg thumped the ball into the roof of his own net.
Boro's fans never stopped singing, and those who resisted the temptation to make an early start to their long journey home were rewarded when Morgan Rogers curled a low shot into the Chelsea goal in the closing minutes.
Petrovic 6; Disasi 7, Silva 7, Colwill 6, Chilwell 8 (Gilchrist 65); Caicedo 6 (Chukwuemeka 72), Fernandez 8; Sterling 7 (Castledine 85), Palmer 9, Mudryk 5 (Madueke 46); Broja 5 (Gallagher 65).
Glover 6; Clarke 5, Fry 5, Ven den Berg 5, Engel 6; Crooks 6, Barlaser 5, Howson 7 (O'Brien 70), Hackney 6; Rogers 6, Forss 5 (Dijsteel 46).
John Brooks 8.
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