Arsenal will host Chelsea for their EFL Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates, as Mikel Arteta will want a passage into the final at Wembley. The Gunners were dominant in their victory in the reverse leg at Stamford Bridge, as they were with a 3-1 lead at one point.
Alejandro Garnacho’s brace took the final scoreline after the first leg to 3-2 in favour of Arsenal, which did deflate the earlier feeling of a dominant victory. The Gunners conceded those goals through errors of their own doing, with the Argentine international making no mistake for either strike from close range.
The Gunners enter the second leg at the Emirates at the back of a stellar 4-0 victory away at Leeds United. At the end of the matchweek in the Premier League, they find themselves six points clear at the top of the Premier League table, as Arteta will want a date set for the Wembley final in the Carabao Cup, as they could face either Manchester City or Newcastle United.
Meanwhile, Chelsea were down and out at half-time on Saturday as they hosted relegation-threatened West Ham United. Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville ensured the Hammers had a stellar lead, only for the Blues to stage a dramatic second-half comeback to steal three points and prepare for the Arsenal encounter in the best possible way.
However, the task they have in front ahead of the visit to the Emirates is a challenging one. Chelsea have not won at this venue nor against Arsenal since the start of the 2021/22 season, which does make them the underdogs heading into this final.
Liam Rosenior will want his players to put in a top-notch display away from home to turn the tables and get a berth in the final. The game is poised to be an entertaining affair, as both teams will put out a strong lineup in a bid to punch their ticket for Wembley.
The Gunners barely had an injury issue heading into the weekend, but they have since potentially lost two of their key members of the squad. Buyako Saka pulled out in the warm-up at the Leeds United game, which indicated a potential hip problem, with the extent of the problem still unclear.
The Arsenal winger might miss out on the Chelsea clash, and now Mikel Merino appears to have sustained a serious foot injury that might keep them out for a considerable period. Beyond that, Arteta may not have too many issues to deal with, and he may be tempted to start with the same lineup that won against Leeds United.
The one potential change he could make is to bring in Riccardo Calafiori for Piero Hincapie, although there is a chance the Ecuadorian international might retain his place at left-back. Ben White is also an option to start at right-back, but the importance of this semi-final could tempt Arteta into starting Timber.
The ideal way would be to keep the same frontline, as the midfield is likely to stay the same, including former Chelsea man Kai Havertz in place of Martin Odegaard. Noni Madueke will deputise for Saka on the right, while Viktor Gyokeres will likely lead the line for Arsenal against Chelsea on Tuesday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kepa; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Havertz, Trossard; Gyokeres
Liam Rosenior kept a host of his key players on the bench during the West Ham clash, but he had to call upon their services early in the second half to turn the game around. His substitutions did work, as the likes of Wesley Fofana, Marc Cucurella, Joao Pedro, and Reece James are all expected to start against Arsenal.
The latter will occupy his customary right-back role rather than playing in the midfield, with Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez likely to occupy the midfield berths. Pedro Neto and Estevao are also expected to return, while Cole Palmer will stick with his No.10 role.
Given the form and the occasion, Joao Pedro is best placed to lead the line for Chelsea against Arsenal ahead of Liam Delap. The away side will also have a strong bench with the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Delap and Andrey Santos among others.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Pedro
Rice will have to play a pivotal role in this game, as controlling the midfield area will give either team the keys to the Wembley final. This will be another clash where some of the best midfielders in the league will be together, and it is about who comes out on top.
Both teams are stacked with quality across the pitch, but it is Rice who will have the spotlight on him for helping Arsenal over the line. With the Gunners carrying a slender lead, the onus is on players like Rice and others to maintain the advantage and possibly help their teammates add more to the tally without conceding.
Chelsea will come into this clash with Arsenal under pressure to deliver a place in the EFL Cup final, following a league season in which they are only good enough to compete for a top-four race. The Carabao Cup also potentially represents their best chance to win a trophy, given the levels of their overall performances, as this could be a tough outing at the Emirates.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also under pressure to keep hold of their slender advantage, although Arteta’s side have the tools to extend that lead. Given how tough it has proved for teams to beat the Gunners at the Emirates, Chelsea’s record here since 2021 has been abysmal at best, which does make the North Londoners favourites to win this clash with a decent scoreline.
