Middlesbrough secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Riverside Stadium in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
Hayden Hackney’s first-half goal gave Michael Carrick’s Championship side a one-goal lead, delighting the home crowd.
Despite dominating possession, Mauricio Pochettino’s team failed to find an equalizer, resulting in their fifth away defeat in six matches.
With this win, Middlesbrough holds a one-goal advantage heading into the second leg, leaving Chelsea with work to do to reach the Wembley final.
The home team is cautiously optimistic, recognizing that there is still much to be done.
“We stuck to the plan and tried to keep it tight and catch them on the counter. It was a great ball, I just got on the end of it. I think we did well tonight,” Hackney said.
Chelsea escape with lucky win at Luton to claim 10th place
On December 30, 2023, Chelsea held off a late scare from Luton Town to claim a 3-2 win over the hosts in their Premier League tie and end their four-match losing streak on away soil.
The game started well for Chelsea as Cole Palmer capitalized on Issa Kabore’s pass to score the opening goal after 12 minutes.
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Noni Madueke added a second goal eight minutes before halftime, making it tough for Luton. Palmer then extended the visitors’ lead to three goals with a calm finish 20 minutes before the end.
