On Wednesday night, Chelsea are set to host Arsenal at Stamford Bridge for the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final. Both London teams want to make it to the final at Wembley on March 22. As new head coach Liam Rosenior gets ready for his first game against a top-flight team, the Blues will host their first home game of the 2025–26 tournament.
Chelsea have won four of their last five EFL Cup semi-finals, but the one they lost was against the same team they will play on Wednesday. Arsenal beat Chelsea at this point in the 2017–18 season, and the Gunners have now gone eight games without losing to Chelsea. Their last loss at Stamford Bridge was in August 2018.
After a rough patch in which Chelsea went five games without a win in any competition, Rosenior steadied the ship. His team beat Charlton Athletic 5–1 in the third round of the FA Cup over the weekend, giving us a taste of what might be possible with the former Derby and Hull manager. But the disorder that characterized Chelsea’s winter is still a worry. The Club World Cup winners have scored and given up goals in seven straight games. They have also scored in all 12 of their last games at Stamford Bridge.
Start Time: 8 p.m. GMT on Wednesday, January 14.
Where to Watch: Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event. You can stream it on Sky Go, the Sky Sports app, and Now TV.
Prediction: It could be a `1-1 draw in this home tie, with everything to win at the Emirates Stadium in the second leg.
A Look At Arsenal
The Gunners could be just 270 minutes away from finally winning the League Cup at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal last won this trophy in 1992–93, when they beat Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 in the final as part of a domestic cup double under George Graham.
Mikel Arteta’s team have lost in the semi-finals twice in the last few years, first to Liverpool in 2021–22 and then to Newcastle United last season. But people are feeling good after the Gunners won eight of their last nine games in all competitions; on Sunday, they came from behind to beat Portsmouth 4–1 in the FA Cup. Gabriel Martinelli scored three goals in that win, giving Arsenal’s already strong attack even more firepower.
Arsenal have lost more finals than any other team in the history of the EFL Cup, with six second-place finishes. That unwanted record gives Arteta’s team even more reason to finally do well this season. Arsenal will want to bring an advantage back to North London because the second game is on February 3 at the Emirates Stadium.
