Cole Palmer’s brace fired Chelsea to a comeback 6-2 aggregate win over Middlesbrough to reach 2023-24 Carabao Cup Final, having won 6-1 in the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Jonny Howson’s 15th minute own-goal saw Chelsea level the tie on aggregate but Enzo Fernandez and Axel Disasi further consolidated the Blues’ lead, before Palmer netted their fourth and fifth goals to wrap up victory.
Substitute, Noni Madueke capped the Blues’ dominant comeback with a 81st minute strike, only for Morgan Rogers to net a 88th minute consolatory goal for the visitors.
Chelsea will now meet the winner of Fulham’s semi-final tie against Liverpool at Wembley Stadium, London, in the Final on Sunday 25 February 2024.
Speaking post-match to Sky Sports, Palmer admitted that he knew that getting to the final would be a “difficult” task after the first leg, especially after he failed to convert his chances on Teesside.
“I missed three sitters in the first game so it was always in the back of my mind coming into this game. To score two and go through to Wembley, I’m happy.”
Under pressure to deliver following their scrappy first leg defeat amidst wasteful chances, Chelsea desperately needed a strong start but luckily Djorde Petrovic was alert to deny Boro in the fourth minute as Rogers delivered a low cross into the box.
Boro however looked set up largely on the defensive which almost saw them come unstuck in the 11th minute, as Ben Chilwell latched onto Thiago Silva’s direct cross into the box but the England international nodded wide as he collided with Tom Glover.
That chance sparked Chelsea into life and they found the opening goal needed to level the tie just four minutes later with Chilwell again involved, but he this time played Raheem Sterling through who then teed up Armando Broja but Howson flicked the ball into his own net.
Boro quickly set about restoring their one-goal aggregate lead a minute later as Marcus Forss’ shot was blocked, from which the subsequent corner fell for Rogers but the 21 year-old could only tamely put his shot into Petrovic’s arms as he aimed for the near-bottom left corner.
That chance soon was punished in the 29th minute as Disasi teed up Sterling who could only produce a cutback pass to Broja, who opted to flick the ball across for an unmarked Fernandez to smash into the top-left corner to put the Blues ahead on aggregate.
If Boro believed that they could keep their aggregate deficit to one goal before half-time, those hopes evaporated in the 36th minute with Palmer’s interception of Matthew Clarke’s pass, which Sterling met on a through ball and teed up Disasi to fire in the Blues’ third goal.
Any faint hopes left amongst the away supporters were distinguished six minutes later after Daniel Barlaser conceded possession from a backpass to Palmer, which allowed the 21 year-old to further extend Chelsea’s lead with a strike into the bottom-left corner to finish a ruthless first half.
Now 4-0 up on the night and 4-1 on aggregate at half-time, Chelsea substituted Mykhailo Mudryk for Madueke whilst Middlesbrough manager – Michael Carrick took off Forss and brought on defensive reinforcement in Anfernee Dijksteel.
That move enabled the visitors to keep Chelsea at bay in the second half as Levi Colwill and Fernandez put shots wide in the first 11 minutes of the second half.
Disasi almost netted his second goal of the game in the 66th minute but he could only flick his touch from a cross into Glover’s arms.
Palmer however achieved his second brace of the season after he fired in from substitute, Conor Gallagher’s cutback pass in the 77th minute.
Boro fans though remained as vocal as ever even after the team conceded a sixth goal four minutes later, in which Madueke pounced upon Gallagher’s pass and cut in to beat Glover to cap a dominant home win.
Chelsea however were lucky not to concede a minute later as Matt Crooks nodded into the bottom-right corner from an offside position.
That luck ultimately wouldn’t last as Rogers curled in a 88th minute strike to send the away supporters home in a positive mood, with his effort marking Middlesbrough’s first goal at Stamford Bridge in all competitions since September 2021.
Chelsea eventually cruised through 6-1 on the night and most importantly 6-2 on aggregate and will now play in the Final at Wembley next month.
What’s Next?
Chelsea now turn their attention to the FA Cup where they will host Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Friday 26 January at 7:45pm GMT.
Middlesbrough meanwhile have almost two weeks to prepare for their Tees-Wear derby encounter against Sunderland, which is scheduled for Sunday 4 February at 12pm at Riverside Stadium.
Teams
Chelsea: Dorde Petrovic, Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Ben Chilwell (Gilchrist 65′), Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo (Chukwuemeka 72′), Cole Palmer, Mykhailo Mudryk (Madueke 45′), Armando Broja (Gallagher 65′), Raheem Sterling (Castledine 85′)
Substitutes: Lucas Bergstrom, Ted Curd, Benoit Badiashile, Alfie Gilchrist, Conor Gallagher, Carney Chukwuemeka, Leo Castledine, Noni Madueke, Deivid Washington
Middlesbrough: Tom Glover, Rav van den Berg, Dael Fry, Matthew Clarke, Lukas Engel, Jonny Howson (O’Brien 71′), Daniel Barlaser, Marcus Forss (Dijksteel 45′), Matt Crooks, Hayden Hackey, Morgan Rogers
Substitutes: Jamie Jones, Alex Gilbert, Anfernee Dijksteel, Paddy McNair, Josh Coburn, Lewis O’Brien, Law McCabe, Aj Bridge, Bryant Bilongo
Referee – John Brooks
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