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Five Positives From Chelsea's 6-1 Win Over Middlesborough

Chelsea cruised into the Carabao Cup Final, demolishing Middlesborough 6-2 on aggregate along the way. The Blues have now reached the League Cup Final for the 10th time in their history, with only Liverpool making more appearances in the competition's final (13).

By Ishan Shah

Chelsea v Middlesbrough - Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg
Chelsea v Middlesbrough - Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg / Vince Mignott/MB Media/GettyImages
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5. One Step Closer To European Football

Mauricio Pochettino
Vince Mignott/MB Media/GettyImages

Reaching the Carabao Cup Final brings Chelsea one step closer to securing European Football for next season as the winner of this competition automatically qualifies for the UEFA Conference League regardless of their League position.

Chelsea currently sit in 9th place in the Premier League, 12 points off the top four. While both the fans and owners would ideally want to be playing in the Champions League next season, it is not a guarantee that Chelsea will even qualify for the Conference League through their League position at this stage. The Carabao Cup Final presents a great opportunity for Chelsea. Not only will it help the club bring in additional revenue which will go a long way in complying with UEFA's Financial Fair Play laws and the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability Rules, but it will also have several on-pitch impacts that could go beyond this season.

There has been a tremendous amount of pressure on Chelsea's young squad to perform and replicate some of the success of the past. But the reality is that many of the new signings have been fast-tracked into a club of Chelsea's stature. Winning the Cup will ease a lot of the pressure that is on these players, and with the weight of expectation off their backs, maybe they will be able to play more freely and make strides towards reaching their full potential.

Additionally for Pochettino, winning his first piece of silverware in England could be the difference between being sacked or staying on as Chelsea Manager beyond this season. One only needs to think back to Arsenal's 2019/20 FA Cup Final win over Chelsea which kept Mikel Arteta in his job despite a poor Premier League campaign. Pochettino claims that he is "desperate" to win the Carabao Cup, and it is not difficult to understand why. Everybody connected with Chelsea will also be desperate for him to win this trophy, be it owners, fans, players, or ex-players in the media.

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