Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell recently shared what the club's co-owner Behdad Eghbhali said in the dressing room after their EFL Cup semi-final win over Middlesbrough.
The Blues went into the second leg at Stamford Bridge 1-0 down on aggregate but fought back emphatically to register an easy 6-1 win and book their spot in the final of the competition.
Chilwell, who returned from a long-term hamstring injury earlier this month, was leading the side in the important game. After the win, he was quizzed about what Eghbhali told the players in the dressing room.
In reply, he said (via @CFCPys):
“He came in and pretty much just said congratulations to the team. Well done on the performance and well done on the results and personally he said it was good to have me back.”
The left-back missed 18 games across competitions for the Blues before returning as a substitute in their 1-0 Premier League win over Fulham on January 13. His start against Middlesbrough was his first since late September last year.
Chilwell has had an injury-ridden time at Stamford Bridge. Since joining Chelsea from Leicester City in 2020, he has missed over 80 matches across competitions (via Transfermarkt).
Chelsea to face Liverpool in EFL Cup final
Chelsea's emphatic 6-1 win over Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup semi-final on January 23 saw them go through to the final of the tournament, where they will face Liverpool on Sunday, February 25 at the Wembley Stadium.
Jonny Howson's own goal gave the Blues a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute of the encounter before Enzo Fernandez doubled their lead just 14 minutes later. Axel Diasai scored the third before Cole Palmer hit a brace and Noni Madueke completed the rout. Morgan Rogers scored the only goal for Boro in the 88th minute.
Liverpool, on the other hand, saw off Fulham in the semi-final. After the first leg at Anfield finished 2-1 in the Reds' favor, they managed a 1-1 draw in the second leg at Craven Cottage on January 24 to book a spot in the final.