Chelsea were beaten in one of their most important matches of the season, losing the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final to Middlesbrough.
Hayden Hackney scored the goal of the match, with Chelsea comfortably having the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Mauricio Pochettino had told his team to take their Championship opposition seriously and they started well, but ultimately cracked in a fiery atmosphere in the North East.
It was Chelsea’s first defeat to a lower-league opponent in 16 domestic cup matches.
Colwill is a left-back
Michael Carrick knew Levi Colwill would play at left-back and his game plan to exploit that.
Winger Isaiah Jones had the beating of the 20-year-old and gave them the outlet they needed to release the pressure.
Jones scored Middlesbrough’s goal in front of Colwill before returning it to Hackney midfield.
On the night Ian Maatsen flew in to complete his loan spell at Dortmund, Chelsea seemed to be in need of a left-back.
False Nine Experience
Cole Palmer started up front for Chelsea as Armando Broja was left on the bench.
He missed chances, adding an open goal, a one-on-one and several attempts from the edge of the area, which he usually takes advantage of.
Palmer didn’t seem like the most productive option as a striker, while Broja could have been that target man. When Broja entered the field, Les Bleus had made 21 crosses but had no target to hit.
If Pochettino doesn’t accept Broja as true in one of the most important games of the season, with Nicolas Jackson at the Africa Cup of Nations for another month, perhaps they deserve to turn their attention to the transfer market.
Weak Mindset
Chelsea were not so deficient in the first half, but missed great opportunities.
They were punished by a goal against the run of play, but normally when that happens to big teams, they keep playing their football.
Instead, Chelsea collapsed and worsened in the second half, creating few chances and finishing as a team that deserved to lose.
A tremendous shot by Axel Disasi from 30 meters summed up the resignation of many players who break at the first sign of difficulty.
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