Chelsea will bid to take a giant step towards the Carabao Cup final when they take on Middlesbrough in their semi-final first leg this week.
Mauricio Pochettino has overseen an indifferent first season in charge of the Blues but his side are still favourites to reachnext month's Wembley showpiece.
Chelsea avoided ties against Premier League rivals Liverpool and neighbours Fulham after being drawn against Boro, who are languishing in mid-table in the Championship.
Pochettino had a poor record in the domestic cups when at Tottenham, but a lack of European football will mean he can't avoid to take Michael Carrick's side lightly in pursuit of silverware.
Particurally as it will be Chelsea's first game of the season playing without VAR, with Middlesbrough not having the relevant technology installed.
Carrick's Boro will be well aware of the task ahead of them, having lost their last nine in a row against the Blues.
These two teams have only faced each other three times in the last decade, however, their last nine games have seen Chelsea win by an aggregate score of 21-0.
In 2017, Pochettino famously claimed it would be a mistake for Tottenham to win a cup at the expense of their Premier League form.
However, the Argentine manager has also never been one to dish out any favours in the domestic competitions.
Pochettino has never lost against lower-division opposition in the League Cup, winning nine and drawing two.
At the very least, one of those two draws did result in a penalty shootout elimination — against Colchester in September 2019.
Middlesbrough wins: 31
Draws: 29
Chelsea wins: 57
Boro boss Carrick believes his side's display in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Premier League high-flyers Aston Villa in the FA Cup bodes well for this game.
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