EFL Cup semi-final: Arsenal vs Chelsea, The Blues come with a mission of revenge at the Emirates
JAKARTA - Arsenal and Chelsea will clash again in the second leg of the English League Cup (EFL Cup) semi-final at the Emirates Stadium, Tuesday night, February 3. This London derby duel is sure to be fierce, considering the Gunners only narrowly beat the Blues 3-2 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge.
The aggregate advantage puts Arsenal in an ideal position to advance to the final and have the chance to secure their first trophy in the 2025-26 season. However, Chelsea came to North London with high confidence and great ambition to turn things around.
Arsenal are having a near-perfect season. Mikel Arteta's men are still competing in all the competitions they are in: topping the Premier League table, finishing top of the Champions League group stage, qualifying for the fourth round of the FA Cup, and now on the verge of the EFL Cup final.
Arsenal's journey in the League Cup has been solid. They eliminated Port Vale and Brighton & Hove Albion with identical scores of 2-0, before passing Crystal Palace through a dramatic penalty shootout 8-7 after drawing 1-1 in the quarterfinal.
In the first leg of the semi-final, Arsenal performed sharply at Chelsea's home. They were ahead quickly before Viktor Gyokeres doubled the score after the break. Chelsea managed to rise through two goals from Alejandro Garnacho, but Martin Zubimendi's goal ensured Arsenal returned with a 3-2 victory.
After the match, the domestic competition was stalled, including a goalless draw against Nottingham Forest and a 2-3 defeat against Manchester United at the Emirates, Arsenal returned to the winning track by beating Leeds United 4-0 at Elland Road. The result was a moral injection ahead of this decisive match.
Chelsea Rise With Rosenior
Chelsea also cannot be taken lightly. Since being handled by Liam Rosenior after the departure of Enzo Maresca, The Blues' performance has shown an upward graph. From his first seven matches, Rosenior managed to win six victories, with the only defeat coming from Arsenal in the first leg of this semifinal.
Chelsea now have five consecutive wins in all competitions. They even caught the attention of an important victory over Napoli at the opponent's home to secure a ticket to the last eight of the Champions League, then dramatically turned the tide when they defeated West Ham United 3-2 in the Premier League through Enzo Fernandez's 92nd-minute goal.
However, Chelsea is overshadowed by a bad record against Arsenal. They have never won in the last 10 meetings against their local rivals, including three consecutive defeats at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal are confirmed without Max Dowman who is still suffering from an ankle injury. Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka are also doubtful to appear. If Saka is absent, Noni Madueke has the opportunity to fill the right wing sector, accompanying Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Martinelli, and Viktor Gyokeres in the front line.
In midfield, the duo of Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice is expected to remain the mainstay, while the back line is likely to remain unchanged from the last match against Leeds.
Chelsea themselves lost a number of players due to injuries, including Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dario Essugo, Romeo Lavia, and Jamie Gittens. However, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, and Joao Pedro who impressed from the bench against West Ham are predicted to start immediately.
Chelsea is indeed in the best form and will perform to the fullest to reverse the aggregate. However, Arsenal's strength at home is still a differentiating factor.
With the full support of the Emirates public and the stability of the game they have, Arsenal are predicted to return to a narrow victory and secure a ticket to the final.
Expected line-up
Arsenal: Arrizabalaga; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Chelsea: Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Pedro; Delap
Final prediction: Arsenal 2-1 Chelsea