Championship side Middlesbrough have an upper hand in the EFL Cup semi-finals after beating Chelsea 1-0 on Tuesday night.
Chelsea had enjoyed a lion’s share of possession in the earlier proceedings and should have gone ahead through Cole Palmer who dragged his shot off target after a defensive mistake by Jonny Howson allowed him to steal the ball.
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The Michael Carrick side soon made the Blues pay for that miss when Hayden Hackney slipped the ball home from Isiah Jones’ cross for the opener just six minutes later.
Palmer spurned another chance as the visitors went in search of an equalizer during first-half added time as he blazed over with an open goal at his mercy.
The misses continued for Chelsea in the second half where Palmer, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Raheem Sterling all fluffed their lines but the Premier League side have an advantage in the second leg when they welcome Boro for return leg at Stamford Bridge on 23 January.
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