Carabao Cup

MARCO SILVA and his Fulham team could have left Anfield with two famous wins in the space of five weeks.Instead, they were merely the latest in a long, long of teams to have self-destructed in front of the Kop.
Cody Gakpo came off the bench to score and turn the Carabao Cup semi-final on its headCredit: Getty
His smart near-post finish came three minutes after Curtis Jones levelledCredit: Getty

After chucking away a 3-2 lead at Liverpool in the Premier League last month by conceding two goals in 80 seconds at the end, Fulham were at it again tonight.
Yet on this occasion, they could have blown their chances of reaching the final of the Carabao Cup.
But in many respects, this was even more painful as Fulham made life hard for themselves at a time they were defending so impressively and looking dangerous on the counter-attack.
Yet leading through a goal from Willian, they conceded two goals in the space of 102 seconds with Curtis Jones levelling with a shot which took a huge deflection off Tosin Adarabioyo.
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And then with the Kop sensing another recovery, Darwin Nunez set up fellow sub Cody Gakpo to score a second.
Before the two goals, manager Silva looked bloody furious when, at 1-0, Bobby Decordova-Reid should have squared to give Andreas Pereira an easy tap-in.
Instead, Decordova-Reid’s shot was saved and Liverpool – playing with four strikers after their subs – made the most of some poor decision-making by the visitors.
Not all is lost for the West London side, obviously.
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And at least they did not concede any more goals as Liverpool seemed to be in the mood to score a few more.
An unlikely final between Fulham and Middlesbrough is a possibility and it would be one in the eye for those who incorrectly believe all cup finals should involve so-called big teams.
However, you would have to say that a Chelsea vs Liverpool final looks the most likely outcome despite the inconsistency shown by Mauricio Pochettino’s Stamford Bridge side.
So, Jurgen Klopp will have been happy, particularly considering his huge injury list.
Yet to be without ten players would hurt any manager with even the biggest of squads and Liverpool’s absentees included both Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah.
While it was the German coach’s choice, the decision to rest keeper Alisson meant Liverpool were effectively without an entire team.
Curtis Jones’ deflected strike drew Liverpool levelCredit: Rex

Even so, it seemed business as usual as Liverpool caused Fulham a few early problems.
Curtis Jones delivered a tame shot after some sloppy defending by Tosin while Diogo Jota’s shot flashed across the goal.
Yet Fulham, attacking towards the Kop, silenced the home crowd by scoring with their first proper attack.
Under pressure from Raul Jimenez, Virgil van Dijk delivered a weak header on the edge of his box, Pereira cut the ball back to Willian but he still had a hell of a lot of work to do.
Yet Willian skipped past young right-back Conor Bradley, danced around Ibrahima Konate and then squeezed a shot through the legs of Van Dijk and past Caoimhin Kelleher.
Rather than stinging Liverpool into action, the goal actually helped Fulham gain some sort of control over the game and they looked far more solid once they had gone ahead.
Willian tucked in at the near post after Virgil van Dijk’s errorCredit: Rex

Van Dik ended up getting a caution for putting his palm in the face of Pereira when you would have liked the Fulham midfielder to get some sort of punishment for shamefully throwing himself to the floor and then claiming he needed treatment.
Joe Gomez dragged a shot wide at the end of the first half, and Ryan Gravenberch did the same at the beginning of the second period.
Yet Fulham still attacked and manager Silva was clearly livid with Decordova-Reid for shooting rather than refusing to square for Pereira. This was the game-changing moment.
Visiting keeper Bernd Leno had barely had a save to make apart from a cross-shot from Alexis Mac Allister.
But in their next attack, inspired by some hard work by Jota, Jones’ shot from outside the area took that deflection off Tosin who was guilty of turning his back on the shot.
And seconds later, Nunez – who made a big difference when coming on – picked out Gakpo to grab the second.
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While this result will hurt Fulham, it could have been worse as Liverpool missed some late chances.
And Silva’s team still have a chance – however unlikely at this point – of winning the club their first major trophy.
Jurgen Klopp showed his passion on the sidelinesCredit: Reuters
Bernd Leno denied Darwin Nunez from making it 3-1Credit: Reuters
Fulham are still in the tie taking it back to West LondonCredit: Rex More

BEINSPORTS’ social media account suggested that they’d love this season’s Carabao Cup semi-finals to have been one-legged… in order to dump Chelsea out.The Blues slumped to a dismal 1-0 defeat at Championship Middlesbrough last night.
Chelsea endured a night to forget against MiddlesbroughCredit: Getty
Boro will take a 1-0 lead to Stamford BridgeCredit: Getty
The two sides will reconvene at Stamford Bridge later this month, with Chelsea having the opportunity to turn the tie around.
From next season, two-legged semi-finals are set to be scrapped for the first time in the competition’s 63-year history.
The change could see League Cup semi-finals played at neutral venues moving forward.
After Chelsea’s defeat, beINSPORTS appeared to suggest that it would have been great to introduce the change this year… so that the Blues would be out.
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The Qatari broadcaster wrote on social media: “Chelsea are so lucky this is the last year of two-legged semi-finals in the Carabao Cup…
“This is exactly why moving to one leg is the RIGHT move!”
After the match, Mauricio Pochettino was understandably delighted that his side will have another crack at Boro.
The Argentine, 51, said: “Today, the approach was good.
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“We can’t say anything about the attitude but we made mistakes in the first half and gave chances for them to score.
“They were aggressive and played on the transition. It was hard to break down this block.
“We had too many chances to score and that’s football.
“It’s only the first half of the tie and we have another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge so we have to be positive.
“We made some mistakes and we were punished for that. We have to keep pushing as if we assess the performance, overall we were the better side, created clear chances.
“We weren’t clinical and that’s happened a lot in the six months across many games.
“We have 15 days [before the second leg] so we can recover some players. We’re now thinking about Fulham and we will move on.”
Mauricio Pochettino’s side’s struggles continued against BoroCredit: Rex More

IT WAS a night when Chelsea’s billionaire boys club were guilty of playing some Hackney Marshes football. And a night when a local lad called Hackney had Middlesbrough dreaming of Wembley. 
Hayden Hackney star sparked wild scenes at the RiversideCredit: Getty
Cole Palmer will know he should have scoredCredit: Reuters

Mauricio Pochettino’s arm-and-a-leg side might still make it to the Carabao Cup final – unfortunately for Boro they are not going to scrap two-legged semi-finals in this competition until next season. 
But while Chelsea dominated possession and showed flashes of expensive quality, they were wasteful in front of goal and worryingly fragile in defence. 
Michael Carrick’s Championship side were worthy of their first-leg victory, courtesy of Hayden Hackney, their England Under-21 midfielder from nearby Redcar. 
And Chelsea have some serious work to do in the return leg at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight if they are to overhaul Boro and reach their first final of the post-Abramovich era. 
This is a competition which used to be considered small fry for Chelsea but for Pochettino, as well as for Todd Boehly and his chaotic Clearlake ownership crew, it would mean the world. 
This is a talented but naive side, marooned in mid-table in the Premier League, which could well need a domestic cup to qualify for Europe next season.
There were simply too many players in Blues shirts who were off it against a Boro side who defended with stoicism and showed glimpses of genuine class – as their chairman Steve Gibson celebrated his 66th birthday in some style. 
Hackney, who played wide-left here and has the hunched gate of Chris Waddle, is one to watch. 
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Isaiah Jones was too speedy for Levi Colwill, who had a shocking first half.
But Cole Palmer, starting as Chelsea’s makeshift centre-forward, was guilty of two glaring first-half misses as Pochettino’s men were left frustrated.
The Blues haven’t won a trophy since the 2021 Club World Cup – the sort of gap which was virtually unthinkable during the Abramovich years. 
For Boro, it was a first major semi-final since the 2006 UEFA Cup, and a chance to relive the marquee nights that used to be regular here a generation ago. 
Within the first minute, Colwill’s dodgy back-header let in Emmanuel Latte Lath but the Ivorian injured himself as he scuffed his shot at Djordje Petrovic and Axel Disasi slid in.
Both Latte Lath and Alex Bangura were forced off through injury in the opening 20 minutes but Carrick’s boys were holding their own.

Chelsea’s fans, recalling the 1997 FA Cup final between these two clubs, were singing for Roberto Di Matteo. 
Who says they ‘ain’t got no history’? It’s the present that’s bothering them. 
Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, the most expensive midfield duo in the history of mankind, were hardly pulling up any trees against Championship opposition. 
Noni Madueke forced a corner with a darting run and a saucy outside-of-the-boot centre was headed narrowly over by Colwill.
But Chelsea’s first clear sight of goal came from a dozy Boro error as skipper Jonny Howson’s pass fell straight to Palmer, who almost had too much time and space before he shot wide. 
Boro seized on this let-off and twice within the next few minutes, Chelsea were caught pants-down. 
First Matt Crooks fed Hackney, who dragged his shot wide. 

Local-lad Hackney took in the adulation of his home crowdCredit: AFP
Michael Carrick celebrates his side’s strikeCredit: Reuters
But having had his sighter, the gifted local lad would not be found wanting twice. 
This time Jones latched on to a long ball down the right, he out-paced and out-skilled Colwill – who had only just been booked for cynically fouling him. 
When Jones centred low, Hackney evaded the attentions of Caicedo and slotted home from close range.
The Riverside went ballistic and Hackney, one of their own, roared into the throng. 
Chelsea were looking meek and fragile every time Boro went forward. 
Yet they still held an attacking threat, and Caicedo drilled a long-ranger just wide in first-half injury-time.
Then came another extraordinary miss from Palmer as Fernandez curled a shot which keeper Tom Glover should have saved comfortably but somehow spilled, only for Chelsea’s ‘false nine’ to shovel over from close range. 

Palmer missed a series of great chancesCredit: PA
His first effort was dragged wide despite having lots of time to pick his spotCredit: Getty
Palmer then cut inside and forced a decent save from Glover before the half-time whistle. 
The pattern continued early in the second half – Chelsea creating and missing chances, yet looking vulnerable at the back. 
Captain Conor Gallagher – three words which say much about Chelsea’s lack of experience – turned his man but shot wide from six yards. 
Pochettino hauled off Fernandez and Madueke, sending on Armando Broja as an authentic centre-forward and his lightning winger Mykhailo Mudryk, aka Ukraine Bolt. 
The Blues were bossing possession but a slip from Thiago Silva almost let in butcher’s son Josh Coburn.  
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Sterling shot wide across, then Broja did the same and the worse Chelsea’s finishing got, the more Boro believed.
They held firm, their supporters roaring them on with a fervour that reminded you of Gibson’s glory years. 
Hayden Hackney grabbed the only goal of the Carabao Cup semi-final first legCredit: Rex
Chelsea will have it all to do in the second legCredit: AFP
Mauricio Pochettino looked on glumly as his side failed to find the equaliserCredit: AFP More

COLE PALMER produced a miss of the season contender in Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final clash with Middlesbrough.The youngster has been in red-hot form for the Blues this season but his shooting boots deserted him at the Riverside.

Cole Palmer missed from five yards out against Middlesbrough
Fans slammed the forward for his wayward finishingCredit: Reuters
He missed several first-half chances with the commentary team on Sky Sports declaring “he should have had a hat-trick” at half-time.
Palmer’s worst miss came from just five yards out as Enzo Fernandez’s strike was spilt by goalkeeper Tom Glover – the England star followed up but blazed his first-time volley over the bar.
Chelsea trailed 1-0 at the time thanks to Hayden Hackney’s 37th-minute opener, but they had 11 shots in the first half.
Palmer, 21, also came close to scoring when he cut inside before unleashing a powerful low shot that was well saved by Glover.
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Fans mocked Palmer for his woeful miss with one saying the Chelsea ace “can’t finish his dinner”.
Another added: “Miss of the season from Cole Palmer.”
A third wrote: “Nah Cole Palmer my Nan will score that!”
And another commented: “This is really terrible… he had no excuse to not score there.”
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Palmer has been in fine form since his summer move to Chelsea from Manchester City, earning his first Three Lions cap as a result.
He has eight Premier League goals in 17 games, leading his team-mates to nickname him “Cold Palmer”. More

MAURICIO POCHETTINO has told his players to toughen up to become winners.Chelsea’s boss admits his young team lacks aggression as he tries to build a new trophy-winning dynasty.
Mauricio Pochettino wants Cole Palmer & Co to toughen upCredit: Rex
Blues visit Middlesbrough tonight for the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, three days after Poch rapped them for being too soft in the FA Cup against Championship Preston.
He said: “The most important thing is to not only say or think we are going to win it but to show it through actions and performance.
“It is important to be aggressive when we can be aggressive.
“When you have a young team in your hands, sometimes a first half like Preston is to be used and to realise that it is about keeping  possession and being aggressive with it when you arrive in the box.
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“But sometimes we are confused and we were talking  about what we need to improve on if we want to be a more consistent team this season.”
Pochettino is 180 minutes from reaching a Wembley final in his first season as Chelsea head coach – but it took his £1billion squad almost an hour to break down  Preston on Saturday.
The Blues eventually swept aside North End with four goals in 27 minutes. 
But they face a tougher fight this evening with no VAR to scrutinise decisions.
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A meeting was called before training yesterday in which Pochettino ironed out his demands.
He said: “I told the players if you think we are going to win then in the first few minutes you need to show it and we didn’t show.
“We weren’t aggressive enough, then we lost the ball in one action and conceded a chance.
“We need to match their desire and energy. It is going to be tough.
“Watching the game against Aston Villa, Middlesbrough lost but could have won the game. It’s a good team with good ideas.”
Chelsea have certainly shown some aggression in the Premier League, as they are top for most cards shown this season.
Stamford Bridge chief Poch is taking inspiration from managerial titan and current Real Madrid gaffer Carlo Ancelotti for mixing his Mr Nice Guy personality with being a demanding boss.

Pochettino said: “How you are as a coach is what matters.
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“You translate your stamina, you are aggressive during training sessions. Aggressive in the way you approach players in the meetings.
“Carlo Ancelotti said clubs pay him to take decisions as a coach. But when the players become upset it is with the coach not with Carlo. He has to be tough because he wants to win.” More