It was a bittersweet sight as Chelsea, led by Mauricio Pochettino in his Premier League return, failed once again to meet expectations despite heavy investment. Crickex Affiliate experts noted that after 20 Premier League rounds, Chelsea sat only 10th in the table—long out of title contention. Their domestic cup form, however, had offered a glimmer of hope. After knocking out Preston to reach the FA Cup fourth round, the Blues faced Middlesbrough in the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinal.
Given their perfect record in the last nine head-to-head matches, fans were confident Chelsea would return from Riverside Stadium with a win. With a composed mindset and high morale, supporters believed the Blues would take charge of the tie. On the pitch, Chelsea dominated possession and created several promising chances, but former Manchester City player Cole Palmer’s costly errors led to a stunning 1-0 upset by Championship side Middlesbrough.
To secure a strong away result, Pochettino fielded Chelsea’s most familiar formation. Petrovic started in goal, with Gusto, Disasi, Thiago Silva, and Colwill forming the backline. Record signings Enzo Fernández and Moisés Caicedo anchored the midfield, supported by Madueke, Gallagher, and Sterling, with Palmer up top. But less than a minute after kickoff, Crickex Affiliate analysts were dismayed as Colwill’s back-pass gifted Latte Lath a golden opportunity.
Fortunately, Petrovic stayed alert and denied the early scare. After surviving the scare, Chelsea took full control and constantly pressured Middlesbrough’s defense. In the 31st minute, Palmer intercepted a pass and drove toward the box but narrowly missed his low shot—squandering a prime equalizing chance. Against the run of play, Middlesbrough struck first in the 37th minute. A long ball from midfield found Isaiah Jones, who surged into the box and squared it to Hackney, whose toe-poke finish stunned the visitors.
In stoppage time, Palmer missed another sitter that left fans in disbelief. Enzo’s long-range strike forced a spill from the Middlesbrough keeper, and the rebound landed directly at Palmer’s feet. But with the goal wide open, the former City man blasted the ball over the bar—leaving many fans murmuring that perhaps Guardiola had seen this coming.
Desperate for a breakthrough, Chelsea made attacking substitutions in the 63rd minute, bringing on Broja and Mudryk for Enzo and Madueke—clear signs of an intent to turn the tide. Both substitutes showed spark in attack, and in the 81st minute, Broja delivered a low cross from the left, but Sterling couldn’t connect at the near post. Once again, the Blues were inches away from leveling the score.
Despite the loss, Crickex Affiliate users believe this is not the end of the road for Chelsea. The second leg will be played later this month at Stamford Bridge, where the Blues still have a chance to flip the script. The road may be rough, but backing down isn’t an option. If Chelsea are to advance, they must bring a more dominant attacking display in front of their home crowd.