Chelsea and Arsenal are set to square off on Wednesday, Jan. 14, in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semifinal at Stamford Bridge. In a heated London derby, both sides will be eager to take a decisive step toward the final as they chase the first piece of silverware of the season.
Chelsea enter the match searching for stability following the departure of Enzo Maresca, having managed just one win (an FA Cup victory over Charlton Athletic) in their last six matches. With Liam Rosenior now tasked with leading the club forward, the clash against Arsenal represents a major litmus test for what lies ahead in the campaign.
Arsenal, meanwhile, are enjoying one of their strongest runs in recent years, sitting atop both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League table. After playing Chelsea to a 1-1 draw earlier this season on Matchday 13, the Gunners will look to seize control of the tie in the first leg, with the return match set for the Emirates Stadium.
Liam Rosenior, Chelsea’s new bet
Following Maresca’s departure due to disagreements with the club’s board, attention quickly shifted to Liam Rosenior, who arrived from Racing Strasbourg, a fellow BlueCo-owned club. The English manager began his tenure on a positive note with a 5-1 win over second-division Charlton Athletic, but the showdown with Arsenal will represent his first true measuring stick at Stamford Bridge.
Liam Rosenior, head coach of Chelsea.
Speaking after the Charlton match, Rosenior outlined his preparation for the challenge ahead: “We’ve been working tactically on Arsenal from the moment I came into the club. Watched all of their games, analyzed every aspect of their game, including set plays, at which they’re very good at.”
see also
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Confirmed lineups for Chelsea and Arsenal
Chelsea confirmed lineup (4-2-3-1): Robert Sánchez; Josh Acheampong, Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella; Enzo Fernández, Andrey Santos; Estêvão, João Pedro, Pedro Neto; Marc Guiu.
Head coach: Liam Rosenior.
Arsenal confirmed lineup (4-3-3): Kepa Arrizabalaga; Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurriën Timber; Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, Martin Ødegaard; Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Leandro Trossard..
Head coach: Mikel Arteta.
