24 January 2024 , 08:28
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Cole Palmer admitted he was determined to put Middlesbrough to the sword after spurning several golden chances in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final.
The Championship outfit arrived at Stamford Bridge for the second leg with a 1-0 aggregate lead after Chelsea failed to breach the Boro goal a fortnight ago at the Riverside Stadium.
But the Blues were ruthless on Tuesday night, plundering six goals past Michael Carrick's side to seal a 6-2 win on aggregate and a place in the Carabao Cup final. Palmer scored twice with further goals coming from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Noni Madueke. The unfortunate Jonny Howson opened the scoring with an own goal.
Speaking after the match, Palmer referenced the hatful of chances he missed in the previous match and admitted they were the driving factor for him heading into the deciding leg.
He told Sky Sports: "After the first game, we knew it'd be difficult but to get the win and go to Wembley for the first time this season, it's going to be a good day.
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"I missed three sitters in the first game so it was always in the back of my mind coming into this game. To score two and go through to Wembley, I'm happy. We've not had the best of starts, there is no hiding it but to go to Wembley is a great opportunity to get a trophy and we're looking forward to it."
Chelsea head coach Mauricio Pochettino also alluded to Chelsea's poor start of the season, admitting that the opportunity to win silverware in his first season is "really important". He told the broadcaster: "It is really important. Sometimes we can think about the history of Chelsea and the missing players. We are young and we need to grow.
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Palmer bagged a brace as Chelsea booked their spot in the Carabao Cup final (PA)"These types of games are a good experience for young players and it is about now growing and it will help us to compete. We are building a very good team. The mentality is good. We have plenty but we need time.
"I think the performance, I was never disappointed with the performance - it was because we were not clinical. Today I think is our ninth game unbeaten and it is really good. It is a new project. We are building a team and sometimes it is normal to play worse. We played well and we didn't win but now it will be a big boost for us.
"We don't have much time to prepare for Aston Villa and also with many injuries, I think we are very happy. People need to believe and trust in us and we go to the final with the chance of winning the first trophy of the season."