Chelsea vs Arsenal: League Cup Semi-Final Preview – Lineups & How to Watch

Chelsea hosts Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final this Wednesday (14/01), when they face off at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues secured a place in the top four by beating Cardiff City in the quarter-finals away from home. Interestingly, the 3-1 victory over Cardiff marked Enzo Maresca’s last victory in charge of Chelsea, shortly before the Italian coach’s definitive break with the club’s board.

CARDIFF, WALES – DECEMBER 16: Pedro Neto of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Carabao Cup Quarter Final match between Cardiff City and Chelsea at Cardiff City Stadium on December 16, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Before his troubled exit, Maresca had also guided the team to unconvincing victories over Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in the earlier stages of the League Cup.

Now, under new management, Chelsea will play their first home match in the 2025/26 edition of the Carabao Cup, trying to take another step towards Wembley.

And the recent history encourages the blue fans. Chelsea have advanced to the final in four of the last five EFL Cup semi-finals they have played in, with the only elimination in that period coming against Arsenal, in the 2017/18 season.

On the other hand, the duel will mark Liam Rosenior’s first match against an elite opponent since taking charge of the Blues, and will also be his first match at Stamford Bridge for the club.

Despite the numerous changes and the recent turbulent scenario, Chelsea arrived with a 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the third round of the FA Cup, a result that ended a run of five games without a win.

On and off the field, the winter has been marked by instability at Chelsea. Still, the team remains dangerous offensively: the Blues have scored and conceded goals in seven consecutive games in all competitions and have found the net in each of the last 12 matches played at Stamford Bridge.

With two London giants facing each other and a place at Wembley at stake, the expectation is for an intense first chapter in this semi-final.

Almost seven years after a remarkable chapter involving penalty decisions, Kepa was once again a protagonist when he saved Maxence Lacroix’s shot, ensuring Arsenal’s qualification against Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. The goalless draw in normal time led to a tense outcome, which kept the Gunners’ dreams in the tournament alive.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 30: Pedro Neto of Chelsea is challenged by Declan Rice of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on November 30, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Mikel Arteta’s club fell by the wayside at this same stage against Liverpool in 2021/22 and against Newcastle United last season — a history that adds even more weight to this Wednesday’s duel at Stamford Bridge.

Experiencing a solid moment in multiple competitions, Arsenal remains strong on four fronts and has won eight of the last nine games in all competitions. At the weekend, the team showed strength by turning around and thrashing Portsmouth 4-1 in the FA Cup, highlighted by Gabriel Martinelli’s first hat-trick in the red and white shirt.

Arsenal arrives with impressive numbers away from home: 13 consecutive matches scoring goals away from home, including the 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the Premier League, at the end of November, when the Blues played with one less player.

That result, although less than exciting for the Gunners, extended their unbeaten run against Chelsea to eight games, and Arsenal have not lost at Stamford Bridge since August 2018.

TEAM INFORMATION

Chelsea will have important absences for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal, this Wednesday. Although individual yellow cards will be reset after the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup, Moisés Caicedo will be out of the match due to suspension, after receiving a decisive warning in the previous phase — interestingly in the game in which he scored his second goal of the tournament, in the victory over Cardiff City.

On the other hand, Liam Rosenior receives good news in the defensive sector. Marc Cucurella is available again after serving a suspension against Charlton in the FA Cup, reinforcing a squad that is already dealing with other relevant absences. In addition to Caicedo, Mykhaylo Mudryk (suspension related to doping), Romeo Lavia (thigh injury) and Levi Colwill (knee problem) remain out.

The base of the team that took to the field against Charlton was practically the same as that used in the quarter-finals of the League Cup against Cardiff, with ten repeated starters.

Thinking about physical wear and tear, Malo Gusto, Reece James and Cole Palmer were rested at the weekend as a preventative measure, but the club is not concerned about the condition of the trio, who should be fit for the London derby at Stamford Bridge.

On the Arsenal side, Kai Havertz, formerly of Chelsea, made his return to action on Sunday after a knee injury, coming on as a substitute. However, Viktor Gyökeres remains the most popular name to start the match in charge of the Gunners’ attack.

Mikel Arteta’s medical department remains full: Piero Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori, Max Dowman and Cristhian Mosquera remain out for a few more weeks, while William Saliba and Leandro Trossard were mentioned as doubts in the pre-match press conference.

In goal, Arteta has maintained confidence in Kepa Arrizabalaga in cup competitions. Although he could have reacted better to the goal conceded against Portsmouth at the weekend, the Spaniard continues to be respected by the coach and should once again be chosen to start the duel at Stamford Bridge.

Liam Rosenior should send the following team to the field to face Arsenal:

CHELSEA: Sanchez; Gusto, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; James, Fernandez; Estêvão, Palmer, Neto; Delap;

The Arsenal team must enter the field with the following formation:

ARSENAL: Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli;

This Wednesday’s match (14/01) will take place at 5:00 pm (Brasília time) at Stamford Bridge with official broadcast on ESPN and the Disney+ streaming service.

You can also follow our full coverage on our social media and the real time of the match on our X @ChelseaFansBra e no Threads @Chelseafansbrasil.