Arsenal and Chelsea meet at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final, with the Gunners holding a slender 3-2 advantage following the first-leg clash at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea face the challenge of overturning the deficit as they aim to reach the final.
Arsenal are enjoying a remarkable 2025-26 season, still competing on all four fronts. Under Mikel Arteta, the Gunners sit atop the Premier League, topped their Champions League group, advanced to the fourth round of the FA Cup, and are on course for an EFL Cup final appearance.
In the EFL Cup, Arsenal progressed comfortably past Port Vale (2-0) and Brighton (2-0) before a 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals. A dramatic penalty shootout win (8-7) over Palace secured their semi-final berth against Chelsea.
At Stamford Bridge in the first leg, Arsenal raced into a 1-0 lead within seven minutes, doubled it early in the second half through Viktor Gyokeres, but Alejandro Garnacho’s strike cut the lead. Martin Zubimendi restored Arsenal’s two-goal advantage before Garnacho struck again, leaving the Gunners with a narrow 3-2 lead.
Arsenal’s domestic form has been mixed since, drawing 0-0 with Nottingham Forest and losing 3-2 to Manchester United. However, they bounced back with a commanding 4-0 win against Leeds United at Elland Road last weekend, giving them momentum heading into this crucial semi-final.
Liam Rosenior, appointed following Enzo Maresca’s departure, has quickly won over Chelsea fans. The Blues have claimed six wins from seven matches in all competitions under Rosenior, with the only defeat coming against Arsenal in the first leg.
Chelsea arrive in confident form, riding a five-game winning streak, including an impressive victory over Napoli in the Champions League and a thrilling 3-2 comeback at West Ham United, secured by a 92nd-minute strike from Enzo Fernandez.
Despite this, Chelsea’s recent record against Arsenal is poor. The Blues have not beaten the Gunners in their last ten meetings across all competitions and have suffered three consecutive defeats at the Emirates.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Arsenal will be without Max Dowman due to an ankle injury. Bukayo Saka remains doubtful, while Mikel Merino could miss the rest of the season with a foot problem. Noni Madueke may fill the right-wing role in Saka’s absence, joining Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres in attack. Zubimendi and Declan Rice are expected to continue in midfield, with the backline likely unchanged from the 4-0 win over Leeds.Chelsea have several injury concerns, with Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, and Jamie Gittens unlikely to feature. Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro, and Reece James, all impact substitutes in the win over West Ham, should start, while Malo Gusto, Benoit Badiashile, Jorrel Hato, and Alejandro Garnacho could drop to the bench.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Arsenal possible starting lineup:Arrizabalaga; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Pedro; Delap
EXPERT PREDICTION
Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea
