Chelsea lost 0-1 to Middlesbrough in the first leg of the semifinals of the English Football League Cup (EFL Cup) at Riverside Stadium in Middlesbrough, England, at 5 a.m. on the 10th (Korea time).
Chelsea were expected to play a dominant game, but they were rather beaten. In the 36th minute of the first half, Isaiah Jones, who received a pass from Dan Balazer from the rear line, passed it to penetrating Hayden Hekney, who took the lead with a clean finish.
Chelsea, who allowed the first goal, actively occupied the ball and scored. In the extra time of the first half, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer had a decisive opportunity, but neither led to a goal and finished the first half with an 0-1 lead.
The game didn't change much in the second half either. Chelsea focused on the attack, while Middlesbrough locked the back door firmly. And Middlesbrough succeeded in completely fending off Chelsea's offensive, ending the match with a 0-1 Chelsea defeat.
It was a shocking defeat, which was beyond everyone's expectations. Although Chelsea has been showing poor performance in the league this season, it was a must-win game considering that its opponent is in the secondary league.
While it is true that all players showed poor performance overall, Caicedo came under fire for criticism. He was complacent in the scene where he lost the first goal. "In the scene where Middlesbrough scored the first goal, Hekney penetrated the penalty box without anyone interrupting him. And Ripley's results revealed that Caicedo was responsible for Hekney's free run. He made no effort to narrow the distance between Hekney and himself," the Sun reported.
Chelsea fans also expressed their anger at Caicedo's performance. "One Chelsea fan commented, 'Caicedo, what the hell are you doing?' and another said, 'Caicedo is an over-the-top player. He doesn't run very hard every season, he doesn't even position himself for passes,'" The Sun said.
BY: 메이저 토토사이트