Michael Carrick expressed pride in his Middlesbrough team after they beat Chelsea in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final tie, pledging to attack the second leg as he said: “Football is about dreaming”.
Middlesbrough will take a 1-0 lead to Stamford Bridge for the second leg on January 23 after Hayden Hackney’s first-half goal proved enough to down the Blues at the Riverside Stadium on Tuesday.
The Championship outfit had to ride their luck in the first half as Cole Palmer missed three glaring chances for Chelsea, but they were relatively comfortable against a stuttering Blues attack after the interval.
Read our other EFL Cup news stories here:
Middlesbrough 1-0 Chelsea: Hackney stuns wasteful Blues
Pochettino demands Chelsea become more clinical after Boro loss
Liverpool vs Fulham: Preview, expected line-ups and prediction
Middlesbrough saw off Arsenal’s Invincibles in the last four as they lifted the EFL Cup under Steve McLaren in 2003-04, and Carrick sees no reason why they cannot complete another memorable semi-final triumph later this month.
“The way they stuck together was very special and it makes me proud to see that. It was great to see and a great feeling,” the former Manchester United midfielder told Sky Sports.
“I thought we managed the spaces well, but they had some opportunities and we had to ride our luck a bit at times. We had to show a bit of everything and I’m buzzing.
The goal that has us ahead in the tie ✨ #UTB pic.twitter.com/MAZVOf5wv6
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) January 9, 2024
“I know what it means to everyone, it was fantastic for me to see so many people so happy and it’s pretty special.
“We know the task ahead of us. We will enjoy tonight but then we have another massive game on Saturday [against Millwall in the Championship].
“We will be ready for the second leg and we’ll attack the game and see what happens.
“Football is about dreaming and things happen like tonight which probably shouldn’t happen. We’ll go there with our eyes wide open, knowing what to expect, but it won’t stop us trying.”
Superb, you lot ❤️ #UTB pic.twitter.com/CgCSxv8C7E
— Middlesbrough FC (@Boro) January 9, 2024
