In the EFL Cup match held on 23rd January 2024 at 20:00 EEST, Chelsea delivered an unwavering performance against Middlesbrough, sealing a triumphant 6-1 victory. Not only did the home team show impressive attacking capabilities with six goals scored, but they also displayed a highly-disciplined defence, resulting in the away team being limited to a single, late goal.

Observing the goals' timing, Chelsea made a pronounced impact early on in the game, with four goals within the first half. This early dominance likely had an intimidating factor on Middlesbrough’s confidence, restraining their striking and rest of the game performance. Moreover, Middlesbrough's solitary goal came later in the game at 01:27:59 into the second half when the match was essentially in Chelsea's grasp.

The vigorous pressure from Chelsea was not only seen through the goals; the home team claimed seven corner kicks throughout the match, compared to the away team's lone one. These figures imply that Chelsea had a higher share of possession close to the opponents' goal, necessitating Middlesbrough's defence to make a considerable effort to prevent further goals.

However, Middlesbrough had six offsides, much higher than Chelsea's one, reflecting Middlesbrough’s more aggressive – and perhaps desperate – attempts to break through Chelsea's defence. Despite the relatively balanced number of five fouls committed by each team, this particular instance highlights their contrasting strategies; Middlesbrough having to gamble with their offside plays while Chelsea dominated comfortably.

Both teams received two yellow cards each, indicative of a heated match environment. Noteworthy is Chelsea’s yellow card at 00:11:02, shortly before their first goal. This might suggest that the early tension didn’t deter Chelsea but instead potentially galvanized their determination.

In conclusion, Chelsea's dominant attacking display, coupled with a disciplined defence, were the major factors leading to their commanding 6-1 victory. Middlesbrough's higher offside count and relatively low number of corner kicks indicate an unsuccessful strategy and performance against the confident Chelsea squad. On this basis, future teams facing against a similar strategy by Chelsea might wish to reconsider their tactical line-up to counter such an onslaught.

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