Preston moved to within goal difference of the Sky Bet Championship play-offs after beating Middlesbrough 2-1 to claim a third consecutive win.

Emil Riis scored the winner in the 60th minute after Finn Azaz’s superb strike cancelled out Liam Millar’s first-half opener.

The victory secures a vital three points for Preston on a night when the club marked the 10th anniversary of the death of Sir Tom Finney with a rousing seventh-minute applause.

The visitors started well and nearly took the lead in the 11th minute, when Sam Greenwood’s deflected shot forced a good save out of Freddie Woodman after an interception from defender Greg Cunningham – an early substitute for the injured Andrew Hughes – fell into his path.

The pressure kept on building thereafter and it was completely against the run of play that the Lilywhites, sporting a special edition kit in memory of Finney, went in front in the 23rd minute.

Millar brought down Matt Clarke’s attempted clearance with his right foot and fired a left-footed shot past Tom Glover from just outside the box.

Leeds loanee Greenwood came close to equalising just beyond the half-hour mark, but his well-struck effort from distance went narrowly wide.

Shortly after the half-time interval, January signing Azaz’s attempt deflected wide as Boro continued to push for the leveller.

And it arrived through the same player in the 57th minute, opening his account for the club with a rocket of a shot into the top corner from 20 yards out.

Boro soon found themselves behind again, though, with Riis tapping home on the hour-mark – his sixth goal in as many games for Preston against Boro – after Will Keane’s shot fell very kindly to him.

Michael Carrick’s side did not let their heads drop and came close to equalising once more moments later, with captain Jonny Howson’s attempt only being directed off target by a defensive header.

Woodman had to be alert again in the 70th minute to keep out Marcus Forss’ volley from close range.

Luke Thomas worked space for a shot inside the final 10 minutes, but the Leicester loanee dragged his attempt past the post and that proved to be their last real opportunity.

Preston are now in ninth place on 48 points – level with sixth-placed Coventry, seventh-placed Norwich and eighth-placed Hull – while Boro are seven points back.

Liam Manning praised Bristol City’s players for delivering a first Sky Bet Championship win of 2024 just days after coming through 120 minutes of FA Cup action.

Despite losing on penalties at Nottingham Forest on Wednesday night, the Robins were able to bounce back with a much-needed win at Middlesbrough.

Jason Knight’s cool finish in the 16th minute after he had been put through by Lukas Engel put Bristol City in charge.

Less than two minutes later Matty James fired in the second in off the post following a misplaced Hayden Hackney pass.

Middlesbrough could not find a way back into the contest, despite pulling one back in stoppage-time when Finn Azaz’s effort deflected in off the back of Samuel Silvera.

Manning, whose side had not won in the league since Boxing Day, was relieved to finally see his side claim three points.

He said: “We had six changes from Wednesday and the lads put in so much to Wednesday, so we needed everybody.

“The fact we found a way to win in a variety of ways is something to learn from. I made two changes early second half too because I felt energy was going to be important.

“We played 120 minutes on Wednesday, plus the travel, it has been a relentless programme for us. We came here with no excuses and you have to max out. I enjoyed it.

“The first half plan worked. The players did a terrific job in implementing it.

“We knew they would have a lot of possession and we were happy to give them it in front of us. We did an excellent job of counter attacking.

“We did an outstanding job of competing, we had blocked shots and crosses, we showed a great togetherness second half.

“They had very few chances really. I was pleased with the second half for different reasons.”

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick felt that his side had given themselves too much work to do after falling two behind.

Carrick’s side have now won just one of their last seven league matches at the Riverside – leaving them six points off the play-offs.

Carrick said: “I thought there was enough in the game for us to get something.

“In the end we didn’t start particularly well, we didn’t start like us and paid the price.

“Those two quick goals gave them a massive start in the game. My players showed character and ended up playing good football, it just didn’t go for us. In the end it was too much.

“We finished the first half with good signs, the boys looked like themselves and we carried that on. I still thought we looked a threat, we just didn’t end up finishing it off.

“I have belief in the boys, there is s still a lot of good things going on in the game. I know they are capable of taking the chances. We have to believe it will turn.”

Two goals in two first-half minutes earned Bristol City a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough – their first of 2024 in the Sky Bet Championship.

Jason Knight’s cool finish in the 16th minute was followed by Matty James’ drive in off the woodwork as Boro failed to get going.

Bristol City’s first league win since Boxing Day was enough to lift Liam Manning’s side level on points with the Teessiders in mid-table.

Middlesbrough did create chances and Samuel Silvera made things interesting in the closing seconds by pulling one back, without knowing much about it.

But head coach Michael Carrick had to suffer another defeat, with Boro having won only one of their last seven home league games. They have also picked up just five points from the last available 15.

Even though the Robins – who came through 120 minutes of FA Cup football against Nottingham Forest in midweek – had not won since Boxing Day, they were quick to make an impression.

George Tanner had already volleyed into the arms of goalkeeper Tom Glover, who had also done well to dive to his right to deny Harry Cornick from hitting the opener soon after.

The only time Middlesbrough threatened during the first half was when Hayden Hackney failed to bring the ball down quickly enough when he was picked out at the back post by Luke Ayling.

And City’s quickfire double came along shortly after. Defender Rob Dickie picked out Knight with an incisive through pass.

With just Glover to beat, Knight turned and spun away from the goalkeeper and Lukas Engel before finding the empty net.

Within two minutes Bristol City were two up. Highly-rated Hackney was at fault for gifting possession to James and the visitors’ captain fired in off the post from 20 yards.

Hackney tried to make amends 14 minutes later when his effort from 25 yards curled away from the far post, with goalkeeper Max O’Leary diving to cover.

But City should have been three up before the break. Cornick’s excellent run and pass from inside his own half put Sam Bell clear.

Rather than round Glover, Bell tried to beat him with a shot and the goalkeeper was big enough to thwart. That was followed by an O’Leary low save at the other end from Finn Azaz.

O’Leary had to be alert to make a strong save from Greenwood at the start of the second half after he had been picked out by Azaz in the box.

The Bristol City keeper made an even better save soon after by rushing off his line to deny Greenwood, who had been played in behind by Azaz. Marcus Forss also drilled an effort on the turn narrowly wide.

Middlesbrough tried different things but Manning’s men defended well. O’Leary also had to make another strong save to stop Rav van den Berg’s 25-yard drive from flying in.

Greenwood thought he had scored with 12 minutes to go only for the officials to rule it out for a very close offside call.

Middlesbrough did pull one back in stoppage-time when Azaz’s shot hit the back of substitute Silvera before bouncing in but it proved too little, too late.

Sunderland boss Michael Beale paid tribute to derby saviour Nazariy Rusyn after seeing him come off the bench to rescue a point at Middlesbrough.

The Ukrainian striker has taken his time to settle on Wearside after initially arriving without his family from Zorya Luhansk in September. However, he took a significant step forward on Sunday afternoon by blasting a late equaliser to snatch a 1-1 Sky Bet Championship draw at the Riverside Stadium.

Beale said: “I have seen a difference in him – and you would, if you are a father. Living away is different if you’re living in different parts of the UK, but obviously where he is from there is a war going on and he was a long way away from his wife and child.

“They are here now, which is fantastic for him on a personal level. All the time his English improves, he will have better connection with his team-mates on the pitch.”

Rusyn’s intervention came in the nick of time with Boro threatening to complete a double over their neighbours.

Both sides squandered good first-half opportunities with Finn Azaz blazing over an open goal after Sam Greenwood’s attempt had been saved and Abdoullah Ba failing to direct his attempt past defender Rav van den Berg on the line.

The deadlock was finally broken in the 61st minute when Forss blasted past Anthony Patterson but that proved insufficient to claim the points when 25-year-old Rusyn squeezed a dipping shot through goalkeeper Tom Glover with seven minutes remaining.

Beale said: “Our reaction, I thought, was fantastic and we go and and score a goal and then after that, I thought that with one or two of the moments we had, certainly with [Jack] Clarke getting in down the left, that maybe we should do better again.

“But if you can’t win… It’s a big point, How big, we won’t know for another few weeks yet.”

Middlesbrough boss Michael Carrick admitted his frustration at dropping precious points from a winning position.

Asked about his emotions, Carrick said: “Yes, definitely, frustration and there’s a little bit of we need to get what we deserve from games and performances. It feels like we’re losing points that we definitely should be gaining.

“I feel for the boys because they put a lot into the game and showed a lot of quality, especially second half to control it fully, and not to come away with the win is disappointing.”

Substitute Nazariy Rusyn denied Middlesbrough derby-day victory as Sunderland hit back late to snatch a point at the Riverside Stadium.

Boro looked to be heading for a Sky Bet Championship double over their neighbours courtesy of Marcus Forss’ 61st-minute strike until the Ukrainian striker sent a dipping 83rd-minute shot past Tom Glover at his near post to snatch a 1-1 draw which leaves the Black Cats just a point shy of the play-off places.

The Teessiders, who have a game in hand, remain three points worse off after allowing two to slip from their grasp on a day when Finn Azaz and Abdoullah Ba passed up glorious first-half chances for their respective sides.

Azaz might have put Boro ahead with nine minutes gone after Sam Greenwood had raced clear of defender Dan Ballard on to Lukas Engel’s long ball and forced a block from keeper Anthony Patterson, but he skied over from the rebound with the goal yawning.

Boro keeper Glover saved from Jack Clarke and Trai Hume with the pace and trickery of Clarke and Ba keeping the Boro defence on its toes and the interplay between Jonny Howson, Hayden Hackney and Greenwood similarly occupying their opposite numbers.

Hackney dragged a 29th-minute attempt after robbing Jobe Bellingham and Ba warmed Glover’s hands with a rising drive two minutes later before firing wastefully into the side netting when he might have had better options in the middle.

Sunderland should have been ahead five minutes before the break when Bellingham and Clarke mesmerised the home defence to seemingly present Ba with a tap-in at the far post, but Rav van den Berg somehow got across to block his effort on the line.

Luke Ayling was denied by Hume after linking promisingly with Hackney and Forss down the right, and the Boro full-back curled another effort wide with the Teessiders dominating immediately after the restart.

Patterson was fortunate to escape unpunished after dallying on a back-pass as Greenwood and Forss closed him down, but his luck ran out with 61 minutes gone.

Dan Barlaser played a free-kick short to Hackney, who laid it off to Greenwood and his scuffed shot was controlled by Forss before he smashed the ball past the helpless keeper.

Greenwood could have made it 2-0, but steered his shot across the face of goal with just Patterson to beat, and his side was made to pay when Rusyn squeezed his shot past Glover to level.

It has been an unusually quiet transfer deadline day as some Premier League club’s look to get new signings in ahead of the 11pm deadline.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best deals done so far.

Rogers makes Villa switch

Aston Villa have completed a move for Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough, with the forward having impressed in the Sky Bet Championship so far this season with seven goals and eight assists to his name.

The 21-year-old arrived at Villa Park after Middlesbrough finally succumbed to an offer in the region of £16million.

Rogers will now line up in the Premier League to help Unai Emery’s side pursue a spot in Europe come the end of the season.

Rodrigo Ribeiro becomes Nuno’s first

Nottingham Forest captured 18-year-old forward Ruben Ribeiro from Sporting Lisbon as Nuno Espirito Santo made his first signing as Forest boss.

The 18-year-old striker has joined the club on loan for the remainder of the season, in a deal which could be made permanent.

Ribeiro has turned out seven times for Sporting so far this campaign and has even played in the Champions League, making his debut against Manchester City in March 2022.

Gio Reyna added to Forest ranks

Nottingham Forest have once again been one of the busier clubs on deadline day and completed a second loan signing of USA midfielder Reyna from Borussia Dortmund.

Reyna has made 121 appearances for Dortmund since 2019 and has already earned 24 caps in international colours.

Reyna will bring a wealth of experience from the Bundesliga and Champions League as Forest aim to bolster their bid to survive in the Premier League.

Dahoud goes back to Germany

Midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud joined Brighton from Borussia Dortmund in the summer but will now head back to Germany on loan at Stuttgart until the end of the season.

The 28-year-old German has made 14 appearances in all competitions but has fallen out of favour since receiving a red card against Sheffield United in November and has not featured for the Seagulls since a 1-1 draw with Burnley at the start of December.

Technical director David Weir said: “This is a good move for Mahmoud. It will give him an opportunity to play regularly for a side doing very well towards the top of the Bundesliga. We wish him well for the rest of the campaign.”

Mowbray secures Pritchard

In a sign of how quiet things have been, a Championship deal cracks the top five.

Midfielder Alex Pritchard becomes Birmingham’s third signing of the January transfer window.

The 30-year-old will link up with former boss Tony Mowbray on a two-and-a-half year contract

1105 – DONE DEAL – It’s official, Morgan Rogers has joined Aston Villa from Middlesbrough.

The 21-year-old moves to the Premier League side for an undisclosed fee.

1100 – DONE DEAL – Shortly after announcing Pritchard’s departure, Sunderland have brought a player through the door.

Winger Romaine Mundle arrives from Belgian side Standard Liege on a four-and-a-half-year deal.

1015 –  In Scotland, there could be big news at Rangers amid reports from Italy that Hellas Verona are set to launch a bid to sign striker Cyriel Dessers.

1000 – DONE DEAL – Birmingham have swooped for Alex Pritchard, signing the Sunderland midfielder for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to reunite with former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

“I am happy,” Pritchard told BluesTV.

0945 – Motherwell have not ruled out a last-minute return for Kevin van Veen during this transfer window, according to assistant manager Stephen Frail.

Groningen are open to offers for the out-of-favour striker and a loan could be their only option as the transfer deadline approaches.

0925 – DONE DEAL – Wrexham have made another signing.

This time they have boosted their attacking options by bringing in Jack Marriott from Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee.

The Hollywood-owned club, who sit second in the League Two table, are having a busy deadline day.

0915 – DONE DEAL – In League Two, high-flying Wrexham have signed Luke Bolton from Salford, with the defender joining for an undisclosed fee.

0900 – DONE DEAL – There has been a flurry of early activity.

Nottingham Forest have bolstered their squad, bringing in striker Rodrigo Ribeiro on loan from Sporting Lisbon, while Brighton’s Mahmoud Dahoud has joined Stuttgart on loan for the rest of the season.

Ribeiro, 18, has joined the Premier League strugglers on loan until the end of the season in a deal which could become permanent.

0845 – There could be some departures at West Ham today, with Said Benrahma and Pablo Fornals linked with moves.

Lyon are said to be keen on Algeria forward Benrahma, while Real Betis have been linked with Fornals.

0830 – Some deals were done the evening before transfer deadline day, with Nottingham Forest bringing in United States midfielder Giovanni Reyna on loan from Borussia Dortmund until the end of the season.

Elsewhere, Facundo Pellistri made a loan switch away from Manchester United on Wednesday night, joining Granada for the rest of the season.

0815 – Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic seem likely to add to their squad on deadline day.

They are closing in on the loan signing of Norwich striker Adam Idah, with the 22-year-old Republic of Ireland international reportedly arriving in Glasgow on Wednesday to seal his move to the Hoops until the end of the season.

0750 – Crystal Palace also look set to sign a player from the Championship today, with Blackburn midfielder Adam Wharton said to be close to swapping Lancashire for South London.

Palace have reportedly agreed a fee of £18million plus £4m for Wharton, who could sign a five-and-a-half-year deal at Selhurst Park.

0730 – Aston Villa are expected to strengthen their squad before the window slams shut.

Middlesbrough winger Morgan Rogers is the man they want, and the deal could be worth £16million.

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0715 – Welcome to the PA news agency’s live transfer deadline day blog.

The winter transfer window closes this evening at 11pm for Premier League and EFL clubs while it is 11.30pm for teams in Scotland.

There are plenty of deals in the pipeline, with Fulham linked with a deadline-day loan move for Chelsea striker Armando Broja and Rangers expected to complete the signing of Colombian winger Oscar Cortes on loan from Lens.

Chelsea’s potential outgoings could dominate transfer deadline day with speculation over Conor Gallagher and Armando Broja’s futures at the club yet to subside.

West London rivals Fulham have been linked to Broja over the last few days of the January window, while England midfielder Gallagher has been linked with a move to Tottenham throughout the month.

Spurs have been one of the busier clubs in a seemingly quieter January transfer window so far, with Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner arriving in north London, but head coach Ange Postecoglou suggested on Tuesday it would be “unlikely” to see any more signings

Financial services firm Deloitte suggested that clubs’ desire to avoid tough sanctions for financial rule breaches could be a factor in a general drop in Premier League transfer spending this month, but did not rule out a “late flurry” of activity before the 11pm deadline on Thursday.

Aston Villa have been active in the final stages of the window, with winger Morgan Rogers expected to join from Middlesbrough in a deal worth £16million.

Forward Jhon Duran has been linked with Chelsea, while Unai Emery is also keen to keep hold of Jacob Ramsey, who has been linked with Tottenham and Bayern Munich.

Speaking about the midfielder at a press conference on Monday, Emery said: “Jacob Ramsey is a very important player. He grew up in the academy and his progression is getting better.

“His level is increasing a lot and I want to keep him here with us. Of course, there are movements (speculation) around him.

“Maybe there are teams involved in the possibility to sign him because he has a big, big potential at Villa and in England. I want to keep him here, 100 per cent.”

Newcastle were another club linked with Ramsey, but Eddie Howe insisted on Monday that the Magpies had made no approach for the 22-year-old.

Howe added he is determined to keep his squad “intact” amid speculation over the futures of Kieran Trippier, Callum Wilson and Miguel Almiron throughout the window.

After securing Kalvin Phillips on loan, Portuguese winger Jota is reportedly a target for West Ham to replace Algeria winger Said Benrahma, who is likely to leave before deadline day.

Pablo Fornals could be another player to leave the Hammers and he is reportedly close to sealing a move to Real Betis.

Brighton have been linked with a move for Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, but Seagulls boss Roberto De Zerbi remains tight-lipped about the speculation.

“I don’t know anything about him (personally); I know him as a player,” he said.

“He has great quality but it’s not my business speaking about other players, especially because (Foxes boss) Enzo Maresca is my friend and I want to be correct with him.”

There could be activity towards the bottom end of the Premier League table as Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder admitted the club will be working “frantically” to improve their squad before Thursday, while Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo is also hoping to bring in reinforcements.

Mauricio Pochettino is looking to “build a team that can match the mentality” of Chelsea after his side reached the Carabao Cup final with a 6-1 semi-final second-leg victory over Middlesbrough.

Jonny Howson’s own goal settled the Blues’ early nerves as further strikes from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi, Noni Madueke and a Cole Palmer brace booked their place at Wembley on February 25 against either Liverpool or Fulham.

Boss Pochettino said: “The most important thing is keeping the focus, seeing reality in the way we need to see the reality and see the difference between what is Chelsea and what is the team we are building.

“They are two different things. Our challenge is the history of Chelsea, the capacity to win titles and build a team that can match the mentality of this club.”

Ben Chilwell started for the first time since recovering from a hamstring injury and impressed at left-back.

Pochettino felt Chilwell and goalscorer Disasi set a standard with their performances and now wants to see such displays consistently.

“They were important today but we need to be consistent,” Pochettino added.

“Players like Chilly could do 65 minutes but the objective is to arrive at 80 minutes, hopefully do the 90 minutes, and then be consistent playing every two or three days. That is the most important thing.

“Now we need to help players like him to get their best form, but at the same time we are competing. We can think we are going to play with Chilly or Reece (James), but we know then after 10 or 15 minutes of the second half we have players that we need to change.

“They were important but with Chilly it is after five months we couldn’t use him. We were using different players like Levi Colwill or Marc Cucurella, who is also injured. We have two right-backs that today we couldn’t count on in Reece James and Malo Gusto, so we are using Axel.”

Chelsea’s recent upturn in form has seen them pick up three successive Premier League wins and they now have a cup final to look forward to.

Pochettino has seen a marked improvement in his side since the beginning of the season and said reaching Wembley was an objective from the start.

“The results are good, we are improving since the beginning of the season,” Pochettino added. “In all the circumstances we need to be happy because we are competing with a lot of things going on again and to reach the final was the first objective from the beginning.”

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.”

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.

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.”

Michael Carrick could not understand why the officials made the two “massive” offside decisions they did as Middlesbrough came from behind to claim a point from a 1-1 draw with Rotherham.

The Millers had taken a 59th-minute lead when Cafu finished brilliantly after he was played in behind the defence by former Boro striker Jordan Hugill – despite Carrick’s claims the striker was offside in the build-up.

But Rotherham’s hopes of a first away win since November 2022 were dashed when Marcus Forss equalised with eight minutes remaining.

Boro could also have won it when Josh Coburn turned in at the end, only for the officials to blow for offside because Matt Crooks attempted to go for the ball at the near post first.

Carrick said: “It’s disappointing because we have had two games against them now and came away with a point. It’s difficult to understand but credit to them for making things difficult.

“There were bright moments, some good football in the game, but the second half was stop-start, free-kicks, throw-ins, not a real flow in the game, so it was difficult to get going.

“Credit to the boys, it wasn’t easy. We finished strong and we scored a perfectly good goal to win 2-1. You always find a way to take a positive. It could have been more frustrating as the game went on, they never gave up.

“The story of the game for me is that their goal is offside. Hugill is offside in build up, right in front of the linesman. Crooks is onside at the end. Key moments.

“I was shouting for offside in build up to their goal, the officials didn’t flinch, and led to a goal from nowhere. Two massive decisions.”

Morgan Rogers, reportedly the subject of bids from Aston Villa this week, cleverly flicked into the path of Forss for the equaliser.

Carrick, who revealed Isaiah Jones faces a battle to be fit to face Chelsea in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final after going off with a hamstring problem, added: “It is that funny season, there’s rumours and speculation. Morgan played well, there’s nothing from my point of view on that one.

“There is no reason (not to play him)… he is our player and a massive part of the group. Speculation is speculation. You get on with the job. This is what we do. I’m only interested in the players I have got to choose from.”

Middlesbrough are three points behind sixth-placed Coventry and remain in the hunt for promotion.

Rotherham, who have only won one of their last 16 matches, are eight points shy of safety.

Head coach Leam Richardson, who took over before Christmas, said: “I feel a little bit pleased with our structure, the competitive nature and the account we have given of ourselves.

“I’m also mindful of the quality of the opposition and the environment we are playing in.

“We have to play a certain way to get the best out of the players we have. Everyone adapts slightly with the opposition, and credit to the players for the output they have given against a team pushing for the play-offs, and in a cup semi-final.

“When it goes so late you are disappointed. After the game your emotions can take you either way and I am a manager-coach who likes to look back and evolve.

“The goal was avoidable, they all are. We probably could have been more mindful late on in possession.

“If we work as hard as we can and the lads have given full attention since I arrived in the building, we are not blessed with facilities, so we have been adapting, learning different things, and if we keep performing like that I believe we will give ourselves a better fighting chance. We might as well give it a go rather than roll over.”