Mauricio Pochettino has issued a warning to his Chelsea players, stating that if they start the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg against Middlesbrough the same way they started the FA Cup match against Preston on Saturday, they would lose badly.

At Stamford Bridge, the Championship team kept the Blues at bay in the first half.

The hosts didn’t look particularly dangerous offensively, but they picked up their game in the second half and won 4-0.

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Ryan Lowe’s team’s determination was finally broken by Armando Broja, Thiago Silva, and Raheem Sterling in an 11-minute second-half burst, with Enzo Fernandez adding a fourth goal in the closing seconds.

Additionally, Pochettino’s decision to play Chelsea again at the Riverside against Michael Carrick’s squad on Tuesday may cost Chelsea the chance to make

The 51-year-old Blues manager stated: “It’s going to be hard.

The Middlesbrough team is one that deserves our respect.

“Saturday was a great example that we need to respect the opponent if we want to beat them.

“If we start the game like against Preston, we will find it difficult.

“We need to use this as an example that we need to start like we played the second half.

“We need to be respectful, not to approach the game showing not the right attitude.

“The first half upset me but the players were disappointed also at half-time.

“The attitude was completely different in the second half.”

Seven months after defeating Manchester City in the Champions League final in Porto, Chelsea’s last trophy came in December 2021 when they defeated Palmeiras of Brazil to win the Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi.