Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has played down his side’s 1-0 loss to the Championship side Middlesbrough in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday, January 9, 2024.

Pochettino, who witnessed his team fall to Hayden Hackney’s 37th-minute goal, asserts that a defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough should not be considered surprising, as many Premier League teams have already faced a similar fate.

“Other Premier League teams have suffered losses to Middlesbrough in recent years. Moises Caicedo was telling me, ‘Last season, we lost at Middlesbrough with Brighton!’ A lot of Premier League teams, when they play there, end up losing,” Pochettino explained.

Middlesbrough beat Chelsea in Carabao Cup semi-final

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.

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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.