Fresh from emphatic away wins in their respective FA Cup assignments, Chelsea and Arsenal turn their attention to domestic cup duty as they lock horns in Wednesday’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea come into the tie after dispatching Cardiff City in the quarter-finals, while Arsenal were taken all the way to penalties by Crystal Palace before squeezing into the last four. With a Wembley final now firmly in sight, both sides know the importance of gaining an early advantage in this two-legged affair.
Few could have predicted the chain of events that followed Chelsea’s 3-1 quarter-final victory over Cardiff, which ultimately proved to be Enzo Maresca’s final win as Blues head coach. Just weeks later, the Italian departed amid a turbulent breakdown in relations with the club’s hierarchy, closing a brief and chaotic chapter at Stamford Bridge.
Before his exit, Maresca had guided Chelsea past Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in earlier rounds of the competition, though not always convincingly. Wednesday’s clash marks Chelsea’s first home EFL Cup match of the 2025–26 campaign, and history suggests they often thrive at this stage. The Blues have progressed from four of their last five EFL Cup semi-finals, with the lone failure coming against Arsenal in 2017–18.
Rosenior, now tasked with steadying the ship, oversaw an impressive 5-1 dismantling of Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round at the weekend, a result that snapped a five-game winless run and injected renewed confidence into his reshaped squad. Despite ongoing off-field uncertainty, Chelsea have continued to deliver goals, scoring and conceding in each of their last seven matches in all competitions and finding the net in their previous 12 home games.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are no strangers to EFL Cup drama at Stamford Bridge. Almost a year on from eliminating Chelsea at this stage, memories still linger of the 2018–19 final loss to Manchester City, a match overshadowed by the infamous Kepa Arrizabalaga substitution saga. The Spaniard has since enjoyed a measure of redemption, saving a crucial penalty from Maxence Lacroix as the Gunners edged past Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals following a drab goalless draw.
Now potentially 270 minutes away from a first League Cup triumph under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal will hope third time proves the charm after semi-final exits to Liverpool in 2021–22 and Newcastle United last season. The North London side are in excellent form, having won eight of their last nine matches across all competitions. At the weekend, they came from behind to overwhelm Portsmouth 4-1 in the FA Cup, inspired by Gabriel Martinelli’s first senior hat-trick for the club.
Arsenal’s attacking consistency on the road is particularly noteworthy, with the Gunners scoring in 13 consecutive away matches. That run includes a 1-1 Premier League draw at Stamford Bridge in November, a result that extended their unbeaten streak against Chelsea to eight games. The Blues have not beaten Arsenal at home since August 2018.
INJURIES & SUSPENSIONS
Chelsea will be without Moises Caicedo, who is suspended after picking up his second yellow card of the EFL Cup campaign against Cardiff. Marc Cucurella returns from a one-match ban, but Mykhaylo Mudryk remains sidelined due to a doping suspension, while Romeo Lavia (thigh) and Levi Colwill (knee) are still unavailable.Rosenior rested several key players at the weekend, including Malo Gusto, Reece James and Cole Palmer, though all three are expected to be fit and in contention to start as Chelsea field a near full-strength side.
Arsenal received a boost with Kai Havertz making his long-awaited return from a knee injury off the bench against Portsmouth. Viktor Gyokeres is still expected to lead the line despite recent struggles for form. Defensive trio Piero Hincapie, Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera are all fitness doubts, while teenage prospect Max Dowman remains out.
Arteta has shown strong faith in Kepa throughout the cup competitions, and despite a shaky moment at the weekend, the former Chelsea goalkeeper is likely to retain his place between the posts.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Chelsea:Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; James, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Delap
Arsenal:
Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
EXPERT PREDICTION
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
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