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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Dan Kilpatrick

Mauricio Pochettino 'desperate' to lead Chelsea to Carabao Cup glory after failing to win trophy at Tottenham

Mauricio Pochettino says he is "desperate" to win a first piece of silverware in English football with Chelsea after his side booked their place in the Carabao Cup final, and believes playing at Wembley will do wonders for his young squad.

Chelsea will face Liverpool or Fulham in the final on February 25 after thrashing Middlesbrough 6-1 in the semi-final decider on Tuesday.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg at the Riverside Stadium, Chelsea killed the tie as a contest by half-time through a Jonny Howson own goal and strikes by Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi and Cole Palmer.

Conor Gallagher came off the bench to set up late goals for Palmer and fellow substitute Noni Madueke before Morgan Rogers' late consolation for Boro.

Pochettino led Paris Saint-Germain to a league title and two domestic cups in 18 months in France but failed to win a trophy in five-and-a-half years with Tottenham, losing in the finals of the League Cup and Champions League.

Chelsea blew Middlesbrough away in the first 45 minutes (PA)

"I am desperate to win a title here," the Argentine said. "We won in one year and a half in Paris three trophies and we want to win here. I am desperate to win of course.

"[Reaching the final] is very important for us. We are going to have Liverpool or Fulham, it is going to be difficult but now is the moment to believe we can win. It is an important step for us, for the confidence, for the belief in ourselves, I think it is so important. It is going to help the motivation. Players that are close to coming back in the team are going to look tomorrow and want to come for training, seeing the final there close.

"I think with this type of experience to go to Wembley, we're going to build our trust, confidence and mentality as a team. Not as a club. Because the club, at Chelsea, the mentality and the culture is amazing. It's to win.

"But as a new team we need to build this confidence and trust and feel what it means to play a final with Liverpool and Fulham."

Pochettino played down the significance of the domestic cups during his time at Spurs, once saying that winning lesser trophies once "builds your ego".

He admitted he had agreed with the north London club to prioritise the top four but says it is a different story at Chelsea.

"[At Tottenham] we put everything to try to play Champions League because it was -- I don't want to be wrong -- but I think it was the way to help the club achieve the objectives the club wanted -- to build a new stadium," Pochettino said.

"Of course, we prioritised the Champions League with the club, with Daniel, with everyone to say yes, we prioritise to be in the Champions League. I didn't say it's not helping.

"I think today, with this team, it's going to help. Because today we don't have the possibility to play in the Champions League or be in Europe. I think today it's important because this [is a ] young team."

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