London (AFP) – Chelsea stormed into the League Cup final with a 6-1 thrashing of second-tier Middlesbrough to easily overturn a 1-0 first leg deficit at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
The Blues struck four times before half-time as Jonny Howson's own goal, Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer put Mauricio Pochettino's men on the road to Wembley next month.
Palmer and Noni Madueke piled the pain on Middlesbrough in the closing stages on a night that could prove the turning point in Pochettino's early reign in charge.
A much tougher test awaits against either Premier League leaders Liverpool or local rivals Fulham on February 25, but there are promising signs for the Argentine that an expensively-assembled yet still raw squad is beginning to come together.
"Today we were very clinical in front of goal. We missed that in the first leg and we were disappointed. Today we were really good and I think that is the difference," said Pochettino.