We’ve reached the semi-final stage of the Carabao Cup, which means the first silverware of the domestic season is not far away from being lifted.
In the second of the round’s two ties (Manchester City and cup holders Newcastle are contesting the other), Chelsea host London rivals Arsenal at Stamford Bridge tonight (Wednesday) before the return leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, February 3.
Mikel Arteta’s team are top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables while Chelsea are under the new stewardship of Liam Rosenior after the exit of head coach Enzo Maresca earlier this month. Arsenal remain in four competitions this season and are chasing their first trophy since the 2019-20 FA Cup, while the home side are looking to follow up last season’s triumphs in the UEFA Conference League and Club World Cup.
Here, our Chelsea writer Cerys Jones and her Arsenal counterpart Dan Sheldon discuss the talking points for this game.
How important is the Carabao Cup in each club’s season?
Cerys Jones: Progressing to the latter stages of the Champions League and qualifying for next season’s edition of that competition will be the priorities for Chelsea. But ending their almost eight-year wait for domestic silverware would be a perfect way for Liam Rosenior to bond with supporters.
Lifting the Conference League and Club World Cup in May and July last year under Enzo Maresca were important victories for Chelsea’s squad but the status of those two competitions did not give their fans any real bragging rights over domestic rivals. Overcoming Arsenal in this tie, and then either Newcastle United or Manchester City at Wembley in the final on March 22, would be an excellent way for Rosenior to start winning doubters over and should reassure supporters of both his and his squad’s ability to go toe-to-toe with the kinds of clubs Chelsea want to challenge for the major honours.
Chelsea won the first edition of the expanded FIFA Club World Cup in the summer (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Dan Sheldon: While it may not be the most popular cup competition, the Carabao Cup remains important and, should they beat Chelsea over two legs and reach the final, then it will be Arsenal’s first chance this season to get their hands on silverware, which would set them up nicely for the title run-in and the knockout stages of the Champions League.
It would also be good for Arteta to win what would be only his second trophy since being appointed over six years ago and end the criticism that, for as good as Arsenal have been under his stewardship, they always fall short when it comes to winning things.
How do you think Rosenior’s appointment will affect this tie? Who will Arteta pick up front?
Cerys: One way to look at this is that Rosenior is being thrown in at the deep end, without any experience managing a fixture of this magnitude, and he and his players could be overawed by the occasion.
The more optimistic view is that Chelsea matched — and arguably outperformed — Arsenal in a 1-1 Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge in late November, despite playing with 10 men for most of it, so Rosenior does not need to come up with a completely new strategy but instead simply galvanise his team (and remind them of the importance of all 11 staying on the pitch for the full 90 minutes).
A new, largely-unknown head coach adds to a sense that Chelsea are the underdogs in this tie and it is from that position — against Barcelona, Arsenal in the game above and Liverpool — that they have played some of their best games this season.
Dan: Off the back of dismantling Championship hosts Portsmouth on Sunday with a much-changed team, there’s every chance Viktor Gyokeres returns to the starting XI up front.
After Kai Havertz made his long-awaited return in that FA Cup third-round win after being out since the opening weekend of the season, Areta won’t want to rush the Germany international — who is going to be pivotal in the coming months if the club continue to fight on all four fronts — and risk another setback.
An argument could be made that Gabriel Jesus hasn’t yet done enough when coming off the bench, nor did he set Fratton Park alight at the weekend, to force his way into the side, so Gyokeres coming back in to lead the line makes sense.
Gyokeres could return up front from Arsenal against Chelsea (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
Who is the most dangerous player in the opposition team?
Cerys: My answer to this largely hinges on the weaknesses that keep cropping up for Chelsea this season: defending their box from crosses and set pieces, and teams getting in behind them too easily on the transition. Bukayo Saka is a concern in all of the above situations.
Saka has form for undoing Chelsea too, having provided three assists in his past four appearances against them. The threat of his pace on the counter-attack may make it more difficult for Marc Cucurella to advance — which is a key way Chelsea try to create a numerical advantage in attack — and his deliveries into the box will be a worry for a team who often look vulnerable defending a crowded box.
Saka is expected to be a threat against Chelsea tonight (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Dan: The most logical answer is to say one of Chelsea’s many attacking players. Yet, in Moises Caicedo, Rosenior has one of the best defensive midfielders — globally — at his disposal.
Should both players start, the battle between him and Declan Rice to dominate the midfield and, in turn, this match, has the potential to be unmissable. Especially after Caicedo received a red card in that November league game between these clubs.
Caicedo’s never-ending pot of energy and love for a tackle means he has the potential to be a thorn in Arsenal’s side this evening.
How do fans of each club feel about their prospects for the rest of the season?
Cerys: Chelsea supporters will be reserving judgment on this for the moment. Beating second-division strugglers Charlton Athletic 5-1 away in the FA Cup on Saturday was a good start for Rosenior on his debut but does not prove anything about how he is going to stand up to the level of opposition Chelsea are going to need to compete with week after week.
Results in the Champions League before his arrival mean automatic progress to the last-16 stage is out of his hands (they are 13th, with the top eight advancing directly and the next 16 entering February’s play-offs) — but if he can produce results against Italian title holders Napoli and Pafos of Cyprus in their two remaining league-phase matches and turn around the downward momentum in the Premier League, the top four and a deep European run will feel far more attainable.
Dan: The season to date has been superb, and Arsenal supporters should be feeling incredibly optimistic about the coming months.
The club has a healthy six-point lead over second-place Manchester City in the Premier League, they are top of the Champions League, three points ahead of Bayern Munich, and are into the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Arsenal are in a fantastic position to make the 2025-26 campaign a memorable one by ending their more than two-decade wait to win the Premier League, while also pushing for success in Europe and the two other domestic competitions.
Match predictions?
Cerys: A 2-2 draw, with both sides to take the lead before getting pegged back. Enzo Fernandez and Pedro Neto to score for the home side; Saka and Leandro Trossard for the visitors.
Dan: Chelsea 1-3 Arsenal — Liam Delap; Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli and Saka.