Carabao Cup Semi-Final First Leg: Middlesbrough 1-0 Chelsea - Player Ratings as Woeful Blues Suffer Defeat

In the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday, Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat due to their own wastefulness against Middlesbrough.

Cole Palmer missed three significant opportunities in the first half, allowing Hayden Hackney to capitalize and score, leading the home team to their win.

Despite Chelsea dominating the game in terms of possession and statistics, Mauricio Pochettino's team put on an underwhelming performance, lacking creativity and seeming uninspired.

Boro started the game with a lot of energy which initially unsettled Chelsea. This momentum was somewhat slowed due to early injuries to their players Emmanuel Latte Lath and Alex Bangura, allowing Chelsea to command the game in terms of possession.

Cole Palmer had an early chance with Thomas Glover blocking his shot, and Levi Colwill being off target thirty minutes into the game. The game's first substantial opportunity came when Palmer took advantage of a loose pass from Jonny Howson, but his shot was off target.

Contrarily to the ongoing pace, Boro managed to get a lead with a long ball over the top finding Isaiah Jones, who then assisted Hackney for the opening goal.

As the first half came to an end, Enzo Fernandez's weak shot from a distance was spilled by Glover, and Palmer once again missed the opportunity, shooting over the bar, and thereby maintaining Boro's lead.

In the beginning of the second half, Noni Madueke's header was comfortably blocked by Glover. Conor Gallagher's volley also went wide of the post.

Chelsea's ongoing struggle for an equalizer was marked by poor performance with weak shots, aimless dribbles, and poor passing, resulting in Boro being able to easily defend.

Throughout the game, Chelsea struggled to score despite their lack of deserving play.

Despite difficult moments, Thomas Glover managed to make crucial saves when needed for Boro. Rav van den Berg and Dael Fry provided a solid defensive performance, with Lukas Engel excelling both in defense and attack. Isaiah Jones proved to be a constant threat down the right side, playing a key role in the opening goal. Daniel Barlaser perfectly controlled the midfield battle, while Alex Bangura was lively but was forced off due to an injury. Despite Hayden Hackney's effective play, Emmanuel Latte Lath was unable to contribute due to an early injury. Josh Coburn and Matt Clarke went on as substitutes.

Michael Carrick made the smart choice in accepting his team's position and adjusted accordingly, leading to a favorable outcome despite early injuries. Djordje Petrovic, despite not being able to prevent the opening goal, had a relatively quiet game. There was a constant attempt of making impact from Malo Gusto, while Axel Disasi showed some nervousness. Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill gave below par performances, along with Moises Caicedo who had a quiet role in both attack and defense.