The Regista - Middlesbrough vs Chelsea tactical review: Carrick targeted Colwill; Enzo change baffling

Tribalfootball.com's tactics expert Connor Holden examines Middlsbrough's victory over Chelsea on Tuesday night and says Boro's players performed Michael Carrick's gameplan perfectly.

Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough managed a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semifinal, leaving them 90 minutes away from Wembley.

However what is it that Carrick did to target Chelsea's weaknesses? And what did Mauricio Pochettino get wrong? Let's take a look...

CHELSEA TACTICAL ISSUES

In this game, Pochettino opted for Cole Palmer as the “false 9" something he has performed to good effect already this season in their 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

However the movement in attacking areas was far too static, Palmer having to drop deep to receive the ball, a lack of balls in behind the Middlesbrough defenders and therefore they were able to sit higher and have the ball played in front of them.

Palmer, of course, had some great chances in the first half, but those mainly came from Middlesbrough mistakes trying to play out, rather than any decisive attacking patterns from Chelsea.

The substitutions were also very baffling, as Chelsea were looking to break down a low block defensive unit, and decided to take off their most progressive passer, opting to drop Conor Gallagher deeper in midfield and bring on Mykhaylo Mudryk and Armando Broja for Enzo Fernandez and Noni Madueke.

This saw Chelsea recycling the ball sideways very often, struggling to find line breaking passes. They managed to sustain pressure in the Middlesbrough half due to having two ball winners keeping the ball from breaking out of the half, but this sustained pressure came to nothing with a lack of creativity and ideas in those forward zones.