A CLUB which has lost five consecutive Wembley finals and a manager who has never won a trophy in English football can now set the record straight.
Mauricio Pochettino’s ruthless Chelsea savaged a Middlesbrough side with a death wish and booked their place in the Carabao Cup Final against Liverpool or Fulham on February 25.
And now the Argentine’s Stamford Bridge reign, which has spluttered along all season, has found a potential launchpad.
Jose Mourinho twice won the League Cup to propel both of his tenures as Chelsea manager into life and now Pochettino has the opportunity to do the same.
After £1billion of spending, Todd Boehly’s chaotic ownership may earn its first piece of silverware too.
Michael Carrick’s Boro were supposedly defending a one-goal lead in this semi-final second leg – but there was precious little defending to speak of.
The Championship side were holed beneath the waterline by four first-half goals as Carrick found out the hard way that it is naive in the extreme play out from the back against world-class players when you have no world-class players of your own.
Still, Chelsea were impressive in their aggressive attitude and decisive in their finishing after the minor embarrassment of a 1-0 defeat at the Riverside a fortnight ago.
Ben Chilwell, restored at left-back after injury, led from the front with a captain’s performance and Raheem Sterling was instrumental in Chelsea’s first three goals.
A Jonny Howson own goal, followed by strikes from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer killed off this tie before half-time.
Most read in Football
FREE BETS – BEST BETTING OFFERS & NEW CUSTOMER BONUSES
Then Palmer added his second and Noni Madueke also struck as Chelsea twisted the knife, before Morgan Rogers netted a classy consolation goal.
Now the Blues can turn their attentions to Wembley, where in all likelihood they will face Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, who defeated them on penalties in both domestic cup finals two seasons ago.
The Premier League leaders will defend a 2-1 lead in the other semi-final on the opposite side of Fulham at Craven Cottage tonight.
This was a wretched night for Boro, whose tactics were as childish as the supporters who disgraced themselves with ‘rent boy’ chants which will doubtless earn their club a hefty fine.
Chelsea had been poor in their first-leg defeat on Teesside but they did miss a hatful of chances, with Palmer – playing as a false nine that night – the chief culprit.
Levi Colwill had filled in at left-back at the Riverside and Boro’s goal emanated down his flank.
Colwill and Palmer were both assured here, back in their rightful positions at centre-half and as a No 10 respectively.
And everything clicked for Pochettino once the square pegs had been pulled out of round holes.
There were 4,300 Smoggies packing out the The Shed as Boro aimed for a first major cup final in a generation.
And in keeping with Pochettini’s pre-match moans about the librarian element in Chelsea’s support, it was the travelling fans making most of the racket.
Boro actually made a lively start, with Howson kippering World Cup winner Fernandez in one memorable passage.
But it was Chilwell, making his first start after injury, who gave the Blues impetus.
First the skipper scurried on to a lofted through-ball from Thiago Silva and looped a header over as keeper Tom Glover meandered off his line for a flap.
Next, Chilwell made the goal which levelled the tie, cutting in from the left and beating two Boro men, the England left-back then played a delicious outside-of-the-boot pass to fox the defence and release Sterling.
Sterling squared for Armando Broja whose scuffed shot deflected off Howson and past Glover to liven up the home fans.
Boro swiftly won a corner and Morgan Rogers had a shot smartly saved by Djordje Petrovic.
But Chelsea were two-up before the half-hour and it was sparked by Sterling.
The man Gareth Southgate forgot produced a gorgeous back-heel to release Disasi down the right and the full-back cut back for Broja to tee up Fernandez for a simple finish.
The third goal was all about Disasi, who won a strong tackle on the halfway line and found Palmer, whose first-time pass fed Sterling for a square ball to the marauding Disasi who thumped it past Glover.
Game over inside 36 minutes.
The fourth was a horror show for Carrick’s side, trying to play out from the back and getting absolutely monstered.
Dan Barlaser was the fall guy, robbed by Palmer in his own area, after a hospital ball from Hayden Hackney.
Palmer picked his spot and plenty of Boro fans headed for the bar or, perhaps, an early train home.
Pochettino started making substitutions at half-time as he rested players for Aston Villa’s FA Cup visit on Friday night.
Palmer added his second 13 minutes from time, side-footing home after sub Conor Gallagher had cut back.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
Gallagher added a second assist when he fed Noni Madueke, who cut inside and drilled a shot which Ray Van Den Berg only helped into his own net.
Rogers at least gave the visiting fans something to cheer when he cut inside from the left and netted arguably the goal of the match.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
