Arsenal hold a 3–2 advantage when they welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium for the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.
The Gunners made the most of the Blues’ absences in the first leg last month, racing into 2–0 and 3–1 leads. However, Alejandro Garnacho’s brace leaves Liam Rosenior’s side with a fighting chance, even if they haven’t beaten the current Premier League leaders since 2021.
Arsenal have asserted impressive superiority over their London rivals in recent times, and anything but a surprise defeat will see the Gunners into their first domestic cup final since they won the FA Cup in 2020. Their fanbase is desperate for some silverware, and Mikel Arteta’s side are superbly positioned to enjoy a mightily prosperous conclusion to the 2025–26 campaign.
A 4–0 beatdown of Leeds United allayed fears of a potential title collapse, while Chelsea earned their fifth win on the bounce by coming from behind to beat West Ham United 3–2 on Saturday evening.
Like Arsenal, the Blues are alive on four fronts—even if they’re not quite in title contention but instead fighting for a top-four/five finish in the Premier League.
Here’s our preview of Tuesday night’s second leg.
What Time Does Arsenal vs. Chelsea Kick-Off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Emirates Stadium
- Date: Tuesday, Feb. 3
- Kick-off Time: 8 p.m. GMT / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT
- Referee: Peter Bankes
- VAR: James Bell
Arsenal vs. Chelsea Head-to-Head Record (Last Five Games)
- Arsenal: 3 wins
- Chelsea: 0 wins
- Draws: 2
Arsenal Team News
Mikel Merino’s foot injury requires surgery, and the Spaniard may miss the next couple of months as a result. Arteta will want to have the midfielder-cum-striker available for the run-in.
Bukayo Saka was set to start at Elland Road on Saturday, but the winger picked up an injury in the warm-up and was subsequently withdrawn from Arteta’s lineup and replaced by Noni Madueke.
Saka’s issue was only described as a “little niggle” by his manager, but the quick turnaround may see Madueke retain his place against his former employers. Max Dowman is unavailable due to injury.
Kepa Arrizabalaga will continue between the posts in this competition, while Ben White, Riccardo Calafiori, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus could all earn starts. Martin Ødegaard should come back into the XI, too.
Chelsea Team News
The games have come thick and fast for Chelsea at the start of Rosenior’s reign, and the new manager has constantly tinkered with his starting lineup.
The likes of João Pedro, Reece James and Marc Cucurella only featured off the bench against West Ham United, with Rosenior preserving this trio for Tuesday’s second leg. All three are expected to be back in Chelsea’s starting XI.
Jamie Gittens is a fresh injury concern for the visitors. He was forced off in the first half of Saturday’s win and is unlikely to play a part in midweek. Gittens joins Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Dário Essugo and Roméo Lavia on the sidelines.
Estêvão is also a doubt after missing the weekend game for personal reasons. The young winger has been back in Brazil on compassionate leave and Rosenior has admitted he may not be ready to return here.
