Mauricio Pochettino said he is desperate to win the Carabao Cup in his first season at Chelsea after watching his team sweep aside Middlesbrough 6-1 to reach next month’s final at Wembley.

Stamford Bridge has suffered from a quiet atmosphere in recent months, often exacerbated by Chelsea failing to break teams down early, but a repeat here never looked like being a risk as they booked a meeting with either Liverpool or Fulham on February 25.

“I’m desperate to win a trophy here,” said Pochettino. “We won in three trophies in one and a half years at Paris (St Germain) and we want to win here.

“I’m desperate to win. That is the headline.

“It’s really important for us, we’re going to have Fulham or Liverpool, two amazing teams, it will be difficult. But now is the moment to believe we can win.”

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg at the Riverside Stadium, the hosts tore into their Championship opponents and banished memories of a chastening loss on Teesside.

Boro’s captain Jonny Howson inadvertently got the ball rolling by diverting past his own goalkeeper after 15 minutes, though Armando Broja was poised to tap home had the defender not intervened.

From there on, Chelsea steamrollered Michael Carrick’s side. Enzo Fernandez scored after being set up by good link-up play from Axel Disasi and the excellent Raheem Sterling, then Sterling feeding the surging Disasi to sweep home the third.

Boro caused problems for themselves trying to play out from the back, the match-winner from the first leg Hayden Hackney losing possession and gifting Cole Palmer Chelsea’s fourth before half-time.

Palmer, the top scorer for Pochettino’s side since his move from Manchester City, made it five late on before substitute Noni Madueke curled home via a deflection.

Morgan Rogers’ goal was greeted with a roar from travelling fans who had long since their Wembley dream slip away.

Pochettino added: “Now we need to prepare for Friday against Aston Villa (in the FA Cup), but this is an important step for us. The confidence and the belief in ourselves is so important.

“That is going to help because of the motivation. Players who are so close to coming back (from injury) – tomorrow, maybe a few injured players will want to come for training, seeing that the final is close.”

Boro manager Carrick reflected on a tie that ultimately proved too great a hurdle for his side despite heroics on Teesside two weeks ago.

“(The players) will learn from that after they have gotten over the disappointment,” he said.

“We had a big night at the Riverside where we managed to beat a really good Chelsea team. We just couldn’t get it done here unfortunately.”

Chelsea put defeat in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough behind them to book a first Wembley appearance since 2022 with a ruthless 6-1 win at Stamford Bridge.

Four first-half goals for Mauricio Pochettino’s side effectively ended the tie as a contest as a Jonny Howson own goal and strikes from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer showed a clinical side to Chelsea rarely seen this season.

Noni Madueke and a second from Palmer wrapped up an emphatic comeback late on before Morgan Rogers gave travelling Boro fans a reason to cheer two minutes from time.

By then, the hosts had long since ensured their place in the final, a 6-2 aggregate win ensuring they will face either Liverpool or west London rivals Fulham on February 25.

Chelsea dominated possession early but took until 11 minutes to fashion their first chance, Ben Chilwell appearing unmarked inside the box and heading fractionally wide from Thiago Silva’s drilled ball over the top.

And it was the returning Chilwell whose vision and delivery fashioned his side’s opener. The ball through the middle for Raheem Sterling cut Boro’s defence in two and Sterling, foregoing the chance to shoot, looked up and fed Armando Broja – but before he could knock it past Tom Glover, Boro captain Howson inadvertently diverted it beyond his own goalkeeper.

Rogers fired towards Djordje Petrovic’s bottom corner from a clever corner routine as the visitors sought an instant response, the keeper saving at the foot of the post.

But the game was looking increasingly like Chelsea’s to lose, and just before the half-hour mark they led for the first time in the tie.

Sterling manoeuvred out of a cul-de-sac via a delightful back-heel to feed Disasi, who sprinted up on the overlap. Charging into the box, he cut the ball back for Broja whose scuffed shot diverted into the path of Fernandez for the simplest finish guided into the corner.

Sterling and Disasi combined again minutes later to make it 3-0, the England forward sliding in his team-mate to sweep home first time as the visiting supporters behind the goal saw dreams of reaching Wembley evaporate.

Boro bravely sought to play their way out from the back despite the torrent of Chelsea goals that threatened to wash them away but their hero from the first leg, Hayden Hackney, had a hand in gifting Chelsea their fourth, leaving Dan Barlaser exposed with a catastrophic pass that let in Palmer to finish inside the post with typical cool.

The hosts were looking to reach a first major final since Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium completed its buyout of the club in May 2022 and with the job all but done by the break, a sense of ease rarely observed this season passed around Stamford Bridge.

Carrick’s side still looked to get on the ball and play in the second half, an approach that did them credit if at times it seemed like inviting a fifth Chelsea goal.

It arrived with 15 minutes to play. Substitute Conor Gallagher ran the ball to the byline and cut back for Palmer to open up his body and score beyond the exposed Glover.

Madueke, sent on at half-time, danced through and made it six via a deflection off Ray van den Berg minutes later.

Rogers’ goal at the death brought a roar of approval from the visiting fans. In truth, their side had never looked like earning the win they craved on their long journey south.

Marco Silva has revealed last season’s embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to Crawley has spurred Fulham onto the semi-finals this year.

The Cottagers host Liverpool on Wednesday night trailing 2-1 on aggregate as they aim to reach a first major domestic cup final since 1975.

Silva’s side led at Anfield in the first leg before conceding twice in three minutes to find themselves as outsiders to down Liverpool and reach Wembley.

The journey is a far cry from their 2-0 loss to Crawley in the second round last August, where Silva made 10 changes from their previous Premier League game.

“My ambition is to always play cup competitions and go further,” Silva said on the eve of the tie.

“Last season we were promoted and we played in the quarter-final of the FA Cup and our aim was always to go further – of course it’s important to recognise that the Premier League was the main thing.

“But at the same time, when we played the other competitions we were trying to be strong enough – the first game in the Carabao was really poor last season.

“It was a good moment to speak with the players about what I demand from them and what we demand from any competitions that you play in the future.”

Silva has taken charge of 229 games in England across spells at Hull, Watford, Everton and Fulham.

The 46-year-old also reached the Greek Cup final with Olympiacos in 2016, having won the Taca de Portugal with Sporting the season before.

But he admits the visit of Liverpool and the potential for a first-ever game as a manager at Wembley means Wednesday is one of the biggest nights of his managerial career in England.

“It is one of them, yes,” he replied. “I did play a (League Cup) semi-final with Hull City as well against Manchester United but, if you ask me right now, I would prefer to have another more important one in one month’s time or two months’ time.”

Liverpool’s assistant manager Pep Lijnders has insisted Mohamed Salah’s commitment should never be doubted after his imminent return from the Africa Cup of Nations to have treatment on a hamstring injury provoked criticism.

The Egypt captain will fly back from the Ivory Coast on Wednesday so the club’s medical staff can take care of his rehabilitation, with the hope he could rejoin the national team should they reach the latter stages of the tournament.

That move has drawn criticism from Egypt’s record caps-holder Ahmed Hassan, who said Salah should have stayed with the team “even if he only had one leg to stand on”, but Lijnders has sprung to the 31-year-old’s defence.

“The one you should never doubt the commitment of is Mo Salah,” he said.

“I never met a guy, a player but also a human being, who is more committed to the life of being a professional football player.

“I know the country is devastated to lose him. We were devastated to hear he got injured.

“He played the first game, scores, assists, (he’s) captain and massively important, of course, but the only reason our medical team and their medical team decided for him to come back is to give the best possible chance to be available if Egypt make the final.

“What I’m really happy about is the medical team of Egypt and Liverpool Football Club worked together, were really in close contact and they made this decision together.

“It is an example of how international football and club football should co-operate to put the player in the centre and not the targets of everyone because it is a conflict of interest.

“All of us made the decision which is best for him and for him the best is having a stable environment, knowing the people and having people who are committed and have the time to focus on his rehab process and we know how it will go here in this facility.”

Mauricio Pochettino believes Chelsea’s struggles last season are responsible for the apathy observed at Stamford Bridge during home games under his tenure.

The team won just three Premier League games at home in the first 11 months of 2023 under managers Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor, Frank Lampard and Pochettino.

Between January and the beginning of December they scored 18 goals in 19 games, though four came in a single, frenetic draw with Manchester City in the final match of that run.

Since then their form in west London has improved markedly. They are unbeaten since losing to Brentford on October 28 and have won four consecutive games, their best run at home in the league since winning six in a row during Lampard’s first spell, either side of the 2020 Covid shutdown.

Despite this, the atmosphere around the ground has been noticeably subdued, with recent victories against Fulham, Preston and Sheffield United, in which the team lacked creativity for long periods, particularly quiet.

Chelsea host Middlesbrough on Tuesday needing to win by two goals to overturn a 1-0 first-leg defeat at the Riverside two weeks ago and progress to the Carabao Cup final.

“We’re paying now for the effect of the last 18 months,” said Pochettino. “We (he and his coaching staff) are here for six months, sometimes for us it’s difficult for us to compare. We’re getting better results now, but the disappointment from the fans is coming from last season.

“Now people can give their opinion, it’s a bit flat. There’s been disappointment for a long period. But how we feel at Stamford Bridge is very good.

“OK, in a few periods in some games, maybe against Nottingham Forest (a 1-0 loss in September) or Brentford the energy was down because the team didn’t engage the fans. That’s our mistake.

“But against Arsenal (a 2-2 draw), City, Brighton (a 3-2 win), Liverpool (1-1), the fans were really good.

“People believed that Fulham would be easy, but Fulham wasn’t easy for Liverpool. They beat Arsenal. We played Preston, it’s difficult, (their) motivation, the beauty of the cup. The inferior team can match you in different aspects and you can suffer.

“When you feel so disappointed because of last season, you lose too many games at home, the energy is a little bit down.”

Pochettino will be without Christopher Nkunku who continues to be plagued by a hip injury, though the manager reiterated the problem is not serious.

Defender Malo Gusto, who has proved an able deputy for sidelined captain Reece James, is the latest addition to an absentee list currently standing at nine names.

Nevertheless, Pochettino is happy with recent progress.

“In December we were one of the best teams in England,” he said. “Now (but for) the defeat against Middlesbrough, the results are not too bad, they are good. The problem is the feelings (from last season), because we lose the first leg against Middlesbrough, there was a bit of a strange feeling.

“The results are good and we need to keep doing well and improving.”

Michael Carrick has urged Middlesbrough supporters to dream of Carabao Cup glory even if he is keeping his feet firmly on the ground.

Head coach Carrick, 42, will send his Sky Bet Championship side into semi-final, second-leg battle with Premier League Chelsea on Tuesday evening knowing they could be just 90 minutes away from Wembley and in with a chance of repeating their 2004 triumph.

Carrick, who enjoyed a glittering playing career during which he won 12 major trophies with Manchester United, insists he and his players must treat the occasion like any other match, but can understand the excitement of the club’s supporters.

He said: “Part of football is creating hopes and dreams and the passion and excitement, the dream, the fairy tale. I was exactly the same when I was purely a supporter. That is what it should be.

“It is very different when you are in it. You have to be concentrated and a bit more business-like. But that doesn’t take away the buzz and excitement and the passion to do well. It is just slightly different.

“But certainly the supporters should be dreaming and making the most of it and wanting to play the very best because that is the beauty of football.”

Boro’s Carling Cup success 20 years ago was their first and last major honour, but they head into the game at Chelsea holding a narrow, but deserved, 1-0 lead courtesy of Hayden Hackney’s strike at the Riverside Stadium.

Carrick is well aware of the degree of difficulty they will face against Mauricio Pochettino’s misfiring but talented team and knows his own side remains at the development stage, despite encouraging performances against the Blues and FA Cup opponents Aston Villa in recent weeks.

He said: “We know what it would mean to get through and have some success – I’m not playing that down at all – but I don’t know what will happen going into this game where it could swing both ways.

“Hopefully there is more to come after this and we can also achieve success in different ways. It’s great, it’s a fantastic experience and to sample it and have that sense of opportunity more than anything and seeing how we all deal with it.”

Carrick, who has fitness doubts over wing-back Isaiah Jones and midfielder Jonny Howson but is expected to include Villa target Morgan Rogers in his squad, is a veteran of the fierce rivalry between his former club United and Chelsea and has both medals and scars to show for it.

Asked about his memories, he said: “Some good, some not so good. The FA Cup stands out – I lost the FA Cup to them – managed to beat them in the Champions League final. The league has gone both ways, so there have been some big ones.

“I’ve had some good nights at Stamford Bridge, had some setbacks, so a bit of mixed feelings, really.”

Mauricio Pochettino called on Chelsea supporters to be the difference in helping his side overturn a one-goal aggregate deficit when they face Middlesbrough in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

Tuesday’s game at Stamford Bridge sees the team looking to reach its first major final since co-owner Todd Boehly completed his takeover of the club in May 2022.

Former Blues player Pat Nevin on Monday described the atmosphere at home games this season as being like “a mausoleum”, whilst there was a confrontation between players and travelling Chelsea supporters immediately after the first leg at the Riverside Stadium two weeks ago.

Form at home has been significantly improved in recent weeks after the 11 months between January to November 2023 brought just three victories.

Despite this there has been a noticeably subdued atmosphere at times, particularly when Chelsea have struggled to break down teams they would typically be expected to beat.

Pochettino, whose side’s current three-game winning run in the Premier League is their longest in over a year, will be without summer signing Christopher Nkunku and eight other players for the visit of Michael Carrick’s Boro.

The manager said support in west London will therefore be critical if the team is to reach a first final since May 2022.

“It’s a passport to the final, to visit Wembley,” he said. “It’s an important game for the club, for us, for everyone. We want to be in the final but first of all we need to beat a very good team that, in the first leg, we could not beat.

“We’re confident we can have a very good game in front of our fans. We need to take advantage of playing at Stamford Bridge with all the energy that will translate from our fans.

“We were disappointed after the (first leg). When you analyse it, we deserved more, but football sometimes is not what you deserve – it’s to be clinical, aggressive, to score goals.

“We were all disappointed but we have 90 minutes to fix the situation. We’re going to respect the opponent. But it’s a massive chance for us to go to the final and win a title.”

Pochettino will not be able to call on Cesare Casadei against Boro after the 21-year-old midfielder was recalled early from his loan at Leicester.

The Italian played for the Foxes in both domestic cup competitions this season, meaning he will also be ineligible for Friday’s FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Aston Villa.

However, the manager hinted both Casadei and Diego Moreira, who has also been brought back after a loan at Benfica was terminated, could have roles to play this season.

“We need to assess them, he said. “They have good potential. I think they’re going to be part of our squad. We need to decide whether they will be in the squad every week.

“It’s good news because we were suffering too many injures, so to recover players from loan is important.

“In pre-season (Casadei) did really well. We suffered a bit by allowing him to go. (Tuesday) it’s not possible because he played for Leicester in the Carabao Cup and the FA Cup, but in the Premier League maybe he can be involved and be part of the squad.”

Joe Cole has thrown his weight behind Mauricio Pochettino ahead of a critical week for Chelsea.

The Blues are languishing ninth in the Premier League and trail fourth-placed Aston Villa by 12 points, but turn their focus to the domestic cups this week.

Championship Middlesbrough visit Stamford Bridge on Tuesday holding a one-goal advantage in the Carabao Cup semi-final while Villa await on Friday in an FA Cup fourth-round tie, but Cole does not believe this week is make-or-break for Pochettino.

“Pochettino is doing a great job. I think the club are not there and everyone needs to get behind Mauricio and really get behind his team because it will take that,” Cole told the PA news agency at the launch of Green Football Weekend at Wembley.

“No, I don’t think it is (make-or-break). I really don’t. What I took from the club is an element of ‘we will go with this, they’re young players’. The people at the top obviously believe bringing in these younger players and having a manager work with them will bear fruit later on.

“I think it needs time. ‘Poch’ has held himself impeccably well since he got there and done a great job. He is doing the right thing, he is trying to take pressure off the players because this isn’t the squad of the last 20 to 25 years of Chelsea.

“This is a different squad that is growing. They can become that if they stick together, learn and develop but there has been pain and there will be short-term pain.

“Nobody at Chelsea is happy sitting eighth in the league, let alone 12th like it was a few weeks ago, but you have to stick with them and let them grow. Let them become players in a top team.

“By the end of the season there needs to be improvement in the performances and something you can hold onto. I don’t think there is any requirements for European football, I don’t think there is any requirements for trophies and we’ve had a reality check.

“This is where we are and we have to build up. Unfortunately in football that is step by step.

“It isn’t ‘we’re going to buy another five players’ and all of a sudden we can compete with Man City. We’ll need to go to the summer, get the next two or three signings right, build again, get a little bit better.

“Hopefully if you make more good decisions than bad decisions, you’ll get back up there.”

The pressure would increase if results were not to go Chelsea’s way this week and one of their great managers is back on the market after Jose Mourinho was sacked by Roma.

While Cole played down his old boss potentially replacing Pochettino, he did insist all of England’s top clubs would talk to Mourinho if a vacancy opened up.

“For me, he has been a success everywhere he has gone and is still a top manager,” Cole added.

“All top clubs in England, if any of them change manager in the next six months and he is out of a job, he will be talked about and it will be a real conversation because he can still manage anybody.”

:: Green Football Weekend is on 3-4 February, head to greenfootballweekend.com to find out more on the campaign and score green goals for your club.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been impressed with Darwin Nunez’s attitude as the striker’s near misses in front of goal continue.

The Uruguay international has scored just once in his last 16 club appearances but that barely tells the full story of the 24-year-old’s overall contribution.

Nunez helped turn around Wednesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Fulham with two assists to allow the Reds to take a 2-1 lead to Craven Cottage for the second leg, but he could also have had a hat-trick in the last 15 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

After the match even Klopp said he was at a loss to explain why the forward had not scored more, but praised his value to the team in other areas.

Nunez’s ninth and 10th assists of the season took him past Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold as Liverpool’s chief creator and an important part of that has been the South American’s better decision-making in the final third.

And he continues to be a Kop favourite despite his goal drought as fans appreciate the energy he brings and the disruption it causes for other players to benefit.

“I’m so happy about our crowd and how they take it; I am so happy about Darwin’s reaction and how he takes it,” said Klopp, who is content for the Uruguayan to contribute in other ways.

“He did it (provide an assist) for Curtis (Jones) against West Ham and now for Cody (Gakpo). Super-special.”

Nunez’s background numbers do not equate with his top line – goals scored – as he is averaging more shots per game (4.6) per 90 minutes than anyone else in the Premier League this season, but his return of five is well below his xG (expected goals) of 8.6.

He averages a goal or assist every 93 minutes and has 18 goal involvements in total, just one behind last season’s tally of 15 goals and four assists.

And his minutes per non-penalty goal contribution is bettered only by team-mate Diogo Jota (89.9 minutes) among all top-flight players.

Nunez has also contributed seven (three goals, four assists) of the 30 goal involvements by Liverpool substitutes in the current campaign which has played a huge part in Klopp’s side topping the Premier League in addition to fighting on three other fronts.

“It’s mentality. To turn around a game, first and foremost you need quality; to turn a game around you obviously need belief,” said Klopp of his team’s ability to pull off wins from unfavourable positions.

“We had that this season where we had to overcome real difficulties very early in the season and nobody knew how we would react on that because you cannot plan it, you cannot train, you just watch it.

What is equally impressive is Liverpool are managing to still get the results even with a long absentee list.

Salah and Wataru Endo are currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations and Asian Cup respectively, while Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara, Dominik Szoboszlai, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Kostas Tsimikas and Stefan Bajcetic are all recovering from injuries of varying length.

An 11-day break should help in getting some of those back, potentially Szoboszlai and Robertson with Alexander-Arnold soon after, but Klopp has been pleased with how they have coped.

“We don’t go for excuses but it is obvious you have to change,” he said.

“It’s not the problem that the players are not there, rather the problem is the patterns you develop over the weeks or months are not there. That’s more the problem.”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists his belief is endless in his forwards whether they score or not after Darwin Nunez had an impactful but not ultimately decisive role in the 2-1 Carabao Cup semi-final first-leg win over Fulham.

After coming off the bench in the 56th minute, the Uruguay international provided the assist for Curtis Jones’ deflected equaliser and then the cross from which fellow substitute Cody Gakpo swept home the winner.

On another day Nunez, who has scored just once in the last 16 matches, could have had a late hat-trick after being denied by goalkeeper Bernd Leno which would have virtually put Liverpool in the final ahead of the second leg in a fortnight.

“He plays outstanding, I have to say it. There are so many things I love about his game,” said Klopp.

“The first year was a year to adapt and he scored here and there but now he contributes in all games.

“The boys don’t start because they score or not score. My belief and trust in them, as long as they behave properly, is endless. They deserve it because of the effort they put in.

“I don’t know how to explain the Darwin situation. I’m so happy about Darwin’s reaction and how he takes it but you cannot be more unlucky in these finishing situations, that’s not possible.

“He does absolutely everything right, yet ball not in. And then he still sets up the other goal. I think that is really special to do that again.”

Liverpool’s substitutes have contributed 15 goals and 15 assists in all competitions this season, 12 better than any other Premier League team, and Nunez has been responsible for three goals and four assists.

His contribution was crucial as Klopp had no other options as the six other outfield substitutes were all academy graduates, the oldest of whom was 21-year-old left-back Owen Beck, recalled from a loan spell with Dundee.

The players currently absent, either with injury or international duty, are Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Thiago Alcantara, Dominik Szoboszlai, Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, Wataru Endo, Kostas Tsimikas and Stefan Bajcetic.

“We have more players available usually but the boys who came on have real quality, obviously, already,” added Klopp.

“That we can bring Cody and Darwin from the bench, that is a proper change. On top of that, we changed the system and the formation and the set-up.”

Fulham boss Marco Silva was grateful to still have a chance in the second leg after they failed to capitalise on Willian’s 19th-minute opener.

“Two different halves. It wasn’t our best performance, even so first half we had a plan. We were ruthless from the first moment and really good from Willian when we scored,” he said.

“The second half was different, we struggled a bit more. We should manage them in a different way.

“They were a bit lucky the first goal, a deflection that changed completely the game, and the only thing that is disappointing is the way we managed the next 10 minutes.

“In a competition where we are playing two legs we cannot concede a fast attack like that. Liverpool had one or two chances to score the third and the reality is that Leno kept us in the game.”

Substitutes Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez came off the bench to help turn around Liverpool’s Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at home to Fulham and ensured they will take a 2-1 lead to Craven Cottage.

The pair were introduced early in the second half with the hosts trailing to Willian’s 19th-minute goal after a Virgil van Dijk error.

Liverpool were struggling for creativity without the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold – who helped turn a 3-2 Fulham lead into a 4-3 Reds win in last month’s Premier League meeting – but as at Arsenal in the FA Cup at the weekend Jurgen Klopp’s changes altered the game.

Nunez added a directness which had been lacking while Gakpo brought the composure and control to midfield Ryan Gravenberch had not before he was replaced by his Netherlands team-mate.

And the pair combined for Gakpo to score in the 71st minute, just three minutes after Curtis Jones’ deflected equaliser.

The last team to win at Anfield was Real Madrid in February. Before that it was another side in white, Leeds in October 2022, and Fulham – in their first League Cup semi-final – must have been encouraged by the start they had.

Klopp made six changes from the weekend and while that saw 20-year-old Conor Bradley deputise for Alexander-Arnold in only his second start of the season, it also included the return of Van Dijk.

The Netherlands captain was back after illness but his decision to head a ball aimlessly sideways on the edge of his area proved costly.

Andreas Pereira nipped in behind and cut the ball back to the penalty spot where a couple of neat touches from Willian opened up the space for him to fire through the legs of the recovering Dutchman and give goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher little chance.

Moments later Van Dijk was booked for catching Pereira in the face with an arm as his travails continued.

But his personal difficulties were matched by his team, who were too one-paced in their build-up.

Harvey Elliott was given Mohamed Salah’s position on the right wing but his role often seemed to require filling the space usually occupied by Alexander-Arnold, which meant dropping deep with Bradley pushing forward as an orthodox over-lapping full-back.

But apart from an early Jones attempt straight at Bernd Leno and a Diogo Jota narrow-angle shot across the face of goal chances were rare with Fulham having more on target in the first half.

The tempo increased after the break with Gravenberch shooting wide and Jota delaying a fraction too long having created space for himself with a square run across the penalty area allowing Antonee Robinson to block.

But as the hosts pressed for the equaliser Fulham were able to expose the space opening up in Liverpool’s defence and Kelleher got down low to parry a Bobby Decordova-Reid shot.

Alexis Mac Allister’s cross was turned over by Leno but the equaliser had an element of good fortune when Jones took aim from distance and went in off Tosin Adarabioyo’s back.

Leno was beaten again when Gakpo turned home Nunez’s near-post cross after linking with Jota.

Liverpool’s all-action Uruguay international could have all-but sealed Liverpool’s passage to Wembley before the return leg but a full-stretch Leno tipped over his header, pushed away a fierce drive and blocked his close-range effort.

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick has told his players to embrace the challenge of walking into the lion’s den at Chelsea with a place in the Carabao Cup final at stake.

Boro head coach Carrick saw his team secure a 1-0 first-leg lead at the Riverside Stadium on Wednesday evening, which will send them to Stamford Bridge on January 23 with something to defend.

The Sky Bet Championship promotion hopefuls had to endure a tide of pressure on their own pitch to emerge with a clean sheet, and they can expect an onslaught on a night when a repeat would send them to Wembley.

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However Carrick, whose side lost 1-0 to Chelsea’s Premier League counterparts Aston Villa in the FA Cup third round at the weekend, said: “It’s embracing it.

“The last two games the boys have coped very, very well with Villa at the weekend and tonight, this being different because it’s obviously a lot further on in the competition and there was much more of an opportunity in this one with the expectations, the hope, the challenge that they faced.

“I couldn’t have hoped or asked for anything more. I keep saying the next one is a totally different one, it’s a new challenge totally.

“The boys will be ready for it and we’ll be ready to perform. We’ll look forward to it and embrace the challenge because it’s an unbelievable challenge and position that we find ourselves in.”

Hackney’s 37th-minute strike, which came after Isaiah Jones had made the most of Dan Barlaser’s fine through ball, ultimately settled a game in which Mauricio Pochettino’s expensively-assembled side dominated possession, but failed to make the most of the chances they created with Cole Palmer passing up no fewer than three himself.

Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo alone cost in excess of £220million, but along with Conor Gallagher, got little change out of a Boro midfield of Hackney, Barlaser and Jonny Howson to leave Carrick purring.

Asked if it was his best night yet as a manager, the 42-year-old former Manchester United and England midfielder said: !It’s as proud as I’ve been, I have to say again, of the players.

“Knowing what they’ve put in and how close a group they are and seeing the stadium supporting the lads right to the end when they needed that bit of help for the last 10 minutes or so, standing there and seeing that made me hugely proud, so it was a good night for that, a really good night for that and hopefully we can create some more of them in the future.”

Pochettino was measured after a disappointing night on Teesside, during which he admitted the Blues had been punished both for their mistakes and their profligacy in front of goal.

The Argentinian said: “I am disappointed because I think we deserved a different result, but sometimes you don’t play well and you win.

“For us, it’s like we need to play well, we need to score goals. We play well, but sometimes we are not clinical enough and sometimes we are punished. That is the process in this moment we are in.

“Always when you are building a team, this kind of scenario is tough because you not only need to play well, but you need to deserve and have some luck.”

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick believes his side had to “suffer” to earn a 1-0 win against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.

Hayden Hackney capitalised on missed Chelsea chances, scoring in the 37th minute to hand Boro a valuable advantage going into the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge on January 23.

His goal came after already-depleted Boro were forced into two early changes, with Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alex Bangura taken off with injury in the opening 20 minutes.

They defended well to ensure they are now one leg away from the final of the competition they won back in 2004 and Carrick urged his side to enjoy the victory.

He said post-match: “Listen, it’s very special.

“There’s totally two sides to this one: there’s the game tonight and what we had to go through and suffer a little bit to find a way to win, and there’s obviously the fact that there’s another game.

“I have to credit the players and celebrate their performance and effort, because it’s not easy at all to beat a team like that with the quality that they’ve got and to suffer the kind of injuries that we had as well early on – as if we didn’t have enough injuries to start with.

“Tonight was a really special night, the atmosphere, Hayden scoring, it was such a good night for us, so we’ve got to take that as a one-off and enjoy that to be honest. The second leg is a whole new ball game and we know what we’re walking into and he challenges we face.”

Dan Barlaser’s long pass played Isaiah Jones in behind Levi Colwill to cross into Hackney, who stuck out a leg to stab past Djordje Petrovic.

Carrick said: “Honestly, it couldn’t happen to a nicer lad.

“He’s everything we could ever hope for in a player – he’s humble, he’s hard-working, he’s hugely talented, obviously, and great to work with.”

Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino believes his side were “not clinical enough” as they wasted a trio of brilliant chances in the first half.

Cole Palmer fired wide just before Hackney put Boro ahead then had two more chances, firing over the bar after Tom Glover spilled Enzo Fernandez’s effort before failing to beat the keeper after cutting in from the right.

Pochettino said: “I think we made some mistakes in the first half and we were punished for that.

“We created big chances and we didn’t score, we were not clinical enough, that is so clear.

“We have to credit of course Middlesbrough, it’s the first 90 minutes in the first half of the tie.

“We are losing 1-0 but in two weeks we are going to have the second tie and we need to be positive we can win the game and go to the final.”

Pochettino also refuted suggestions Chelsea players had been booed off the pitch by their visiting fans.

“The fans were reacting with the fans, with Middlesbrough fans, not with our players,” he added.

“Our fans were fantastic as they support us but I think it was Thiago (Silva) and some players, what I hear is they were trying to calm our fans because I think there was a problem between the fans, not between our fans and our players.”

Mauricio Pochettino bemoaned Chelsea’s profligacy following their shock 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.

The Premier League side dominated at the Riverside Stadium but squandered a host of chances, with Cole Palmer particularly wasteful.

Hayden Hackney’s first-half goal earned the Sky Bet Championship hosts a slender advantage ahead of the return meeting at Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time.

“We had too many chances to score where we didn’t score – that is football,” Blues boss Pochettino told Sky Sports.

“Of course we are disappointed. It is the first half of the tie. We have another 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge and we have to be positive.

“We made some mistakes and we were punished for that.”

Some of Chelsea’s travelling fans reacted angrily to the defeat at full-time.

“If we assess the performance, overall we were the better side, we create more chances, we have clear chances,” continued Pochettino.

“But we didn’t score and we were not clinical and that has happened a lot this season – so many games we didn’t win because we weren’t clinical enough.”

Chelsea striker Cole Palmer squandered a hat-trick of chances as Hayden Hackney handed Sky Bet Championship Middlesbrough a priceless first-leg lead in their Carabao Cup semi-final.

The England international, who had earlier been denied by Boro keeper Tom Glover, passed up three opportunities either side of Hackney’s 37th-minute strike, which ensured Michael Carrick’s men will head for Stamford Bridge in a fortnight’s time with a 1-0 lead.

On a night when the 2004 winners managed to frustrate the side who beat them in the 1998 final for long periods, the big-spending Premier League club failed to find top gear despite boss Mauricio Pochettino naming Thiago Silva, Levi Colwill, Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Conor Gallagher, Raheem Sterling and Palmer in a strong starting line-up.

For their part, the Teessiders were organised, dogged and a threat on the break, and reaped the rewards three days after suffering a heartbreaking late defeat by top-flight Aston Villa in the FA Cup.

The visitors’ goal came under threat within seconds of kick-off when Colwill’s poorly-directed header delivered the ball straight into the path of Emmanuel Latte Lath, although the striker scuffed his shot straight at keeper Djordje Petrovic as defender Axel Disasi tried desperately to close him down and caught him in his follow-through.

The Boro frontman struggled on after treatment, but eventually limped off to be replaced by Josh Coburn with just five minutes gone.

Palmer forced Glover into a full-length save as Chelsea responded, but with widemen Isaiah Jones and Alex Bangura – whose evening was ended prematurely minutes later by a hamstring injury – enjoying the space afforded to them, the Teessiders made early inroads.

The occasional flurry from Noni Madueke aside, neither team was able to create a chance of note until Colwill headed over from Palmer’s 29th-minute cross, but Jonny Howson was fortunate to get away with a dreadful crossfield pass which put Palmer in on goal two minutes later, only for the 21-year-old to drag his shot wastefully wide.

Chelsea were made to pay with eight minutes of the first half remaining when Dan Barlaser played Jones in behind Colwill and he crossed to Hackney at the near post to stab past Petrovic.

Palmer had two glorious opportunities to level in stoppage time when he spooned the ball over the top after Glover had spilled Enzo Fernandez’s shot from distance, and then failed to beat the keeper after cutting inside from the right.

The visitors remained patient on their return but largely played in front of Boro, who looked comfortable in their shape as they protected a precious advantage with little fuss.

Madueke headed straight at Glover from Fernandez’s 53rd-minute cross and then flashed the ball dangerously across goal after worming his way in from the right, and Gallagher fired wide on the turn eight minutes later amid relentless pressure.

Mykhailo Mudryk and Armando Broja were introduced with little sign of an equaliser imminent and after Barlaser had shot high and wide from a pacy counter-attack, Glover needed two attempts to collect Mudryk’s 73rd-minute attempt.

However, that was as good as it got for Pochettino’s misfiring side, who have work to do on home soil in the deciding leg.