Morning all.
The winter transfer window was quiet for Arsenal which was unsurprising after last summer. The academy snapped up 18 year old attacking player Evan Mooney from St Mirren. Having already played in the Scottish Premier League, I doubt it will be too long before he’s involved with the first team. Certainly in the training sessions. Rumour has it that defender Jaden Dixon has also joined our academy from Stoke City. (Nothing on Arsenal.com)
League Cup semi-final second leg at home against Chelsea, yes, it’s a big one. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only fan to push this competition to one side at the beginning of the season but this is why Arsenal invested heavily in the summer. Having a squad deep and strong enough allowed Mikel Arteta to compete in all four competitions rather than just take part.
Rosenior is likely to field his strongest eleven, his team selection at the weekend would suggest that and I’ve a feeling Mikel Arteta will do something similar. After all, a cup final is something he and the players need.
We are a goal up going into this match but I hope we approach it like we are 1-0 down.
Rosenior was without Cole Palmer, Reece James, Malo Gusto, Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and the suspended Moises Caicedo in the first leg. All bar Gittens are available tonight. Not what any Arsenal fan wants to hear I’m sure.
We know Mikel Merino is ruled out for the foreseeable and it seems Bukayo Saka won’t be fit enough for tonight although he could be back at the weekend. In typical Mikel Arteta form, he was vague.
Could Myles Lewis-Skelly step into midfield now Merino is ruled out?
MA – Yes, Myles has the qualities to play in different positions. He has played as a full-back, as a six or as an attacking midfielder even. So yes, that is an option that we have in his squad.
Why has he not been used in midfield more so far:
MA – Because I believed that he had the best chance to break into the first team playing in that position [left back] because I think he has unique qualities that we didn’t have in the squad to accommodate that and to give him the chance to play for us.
I think it’s going to be a feisty old battle again tonight with Caicedo at the heart of it. He’s big, strong and very physical, often too physical. Delap too can get stuck in a bit too much but as I often write, we cannot react however Chelsea behave. Let the officials take control of them should they need to.
The officials for tonight are:
Referee – Peter Bankes
Assistants – Edward Smart and Blake Antrobus
Fourth Official – Thomas Bramall
VAR – James Bell
Assistant VAR : Daniel Robathan
Writing in our matchday programme, Adrian Clarke said:
Liam Rosenior likes a 4-2-3-1 shape that is set up to utilise Chelsea’s pace and dynamism on the wings.
You will often see the Blues playing risky passes out from the back or in midfield, trying to break the lines, and from those positions, his side regularly looks to raid down the flanks, where Estevao, Pedro Neto, Alejandro Garnacho or Jamie Gittens are all encouraged to run at full-backs.
The new head coach has proven himself to be adaptable from a tactical perspective in his previous roles, so nothing is set in stone. What we do know, is that ideally, he wants his teams to be aggressive, attack-minded, and controlled in possession.
Tonight’s opponents create lots of chances, with their expected goals tally around the same as ours so far in Premier League action. They also finish very well, boasting the fourth best conversion rate in top-flight football during 2025/26.
When it comes to tucking away ‘big chances’ they are even more efficient, ranking second, with a success rate just shy of 50 per cent. Set pieces are also a core strength for the west Londoners, who scored from corners in each of our previous two meetings this season. Reece James’ near post deliveries have a lot of quality.
Rosenior has a great group of players, I think we’d all agree on that and under his management, he’s lost one fixture and that was against us in the first leg of this semi-final. Personally, I think it’s going to be a tough tough match for both sides tonight.
The Emirates faithful have been brilliant for a while now and the players will need them again tonight. An early Arsenal goal would certainly help raise their voices. As would a top notch performance from the first whistle. Don’t give Chelsea a chance to settle into any kind of rhythm and of course, be prolific in front of goal. Oh, and no faffing around at the back or sloppy passes.
There’s a good chance Madueke will be up against the ghastly Cucurella which could be an interesting battle if our winger is on form.
Wembley awaits the winners and all we can ask for is a performance which shows it’s the team in red and white who want to be there the most.
Catch up in the comments.
Morning rico, good preview. I really want League Cup, there’s only 4 real trophies and we have under-performed here for years. Read that Dixon has come on loads with coaching from Ryan Shawcross! Having said that, the last Dixon from Stoke wasn’t bad😆
Good morning Rico,
Looking at Adrian Clarke’s notes, our full backs need to be fully focused and positionaly aware. A back four of Timber, Saliba, Gabriel and Hincapie would be my pick.
Madueke knows all about Cucerella, that is a great matchup with the likelihood of a red and yellow card fest.
The Arsenal fans will have a big part to play tonight, get behind the team, keep the noise level high and no demonstrations of anxiety or groans when a pass goes astray or an attack peters out.
C’mon the Glorious Gunners!!!
Morning Andrew, Cicero. Thanks.
Ah yes, the last Dixon from Stoke was pretty special..
I think Arteta will go with Calafiori Cicero but like you, Hincapie would be my choice as he’s more defence minded and less likely to get booked. lol
Will he pick Kepa or Raya ?
Then it’s got to be our best team , there will be many interesting individual match ups that we have to win .
I too can see a red card somewhere tonight , for us or them , who knows ?
I think there is bad blood between Madueke and a lot of their squad so I will not be surprised to see him targeted especially by Cucurella.
Their forward pick will be interesting Joao Pedro or Delap against Gabriel or Saliba and ours too with Gyokeres against Chalobah and Fofana .
Caicedo and James a strong hard tackling midfield (dirty ) against Rice( strong) and Zubimendi ( not so much) I can see potentially 4 yellows here.
Which ever we need to be fully up for it and we must aim for goals because they are quite capable of scoring late ones and 1 nil may not be enough going in to the last 10 minutes.
For them I hope re the red card. My money is on Kepa starting.
Great preview,I can’t wait,we haven’t won the league cup since 1993 I think? In those years Man City,Liverpool,Chelsea have won,hell,even Swansea,even Spurs have won it. It would be massive for this team. Famously Chelsea won under Mourinho,then went on to win the premier league twice,back to back. We could do similar.
I know Chelsea fans look on this as a free swing. Their team will be very different from the first game,whereas we will probably be weaker ( assuming Saka won’t play) Madueke was very good anyway,I’m guessing the team will be similar to Saturday,Kepa will probably play though. He could be one of three ex Chelsea players,hopefully motivated to do well against that lot.
Yes a red card must be close to an even money bet. Hopefully not.
A great Emirates night to come,fingers crossed…
Thanks Limey.
I reckon Chelsea will start the game on the front foot and get stuck into us. Hopefully Bankes remembers which pocket his cards are in. Cucurella usually gets away with far too much.
Circular is a nasty cheating so and so! I hope Noni absolutely roasts him tonight. I’m nervously confident the boys won’t want to lose two in a row at home. The incentive of a Wembley final should see us through. 🤞🏻
I hope complacency doesn’t creep in,I agree Chelsea will start fast,a draw would be good enough,technically a one goal win for Chelsea could be enough,we would face extra time and the lottery of penalties.
Even the thought makes me nervous.
It won’t be easy,let’s smash the Chavs.
I’d be disappointed to see any complacency, especially after the Utd game. These players should want a trophy and work hard to get one.
Arsenal XI: Arrizabalaga, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Rice, Zubimendi, Eze, Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres.
Subs: Raya, Mosquera, White, Jesus, Norgaard, Trossard, Havertz, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly
And the captain is big Gabi. I simply luv it
Good evening Rico and all
A very good pre-match Rico.
Chelsea are very strong today. We have rotated. I love the defence how it is. Fingers crossed they will hold tight together. Yes and even the fact that Eze is playing in midfield instead of Odegaard.
Evening Devil, thanks.
Odegaard’s injured apparently.
Yawn!!!
Big yawn…
HT and its still 0-0.
Fingers crossed we keep a clean sheet.
Half time its beyond boring
Someone said this over the weekend. “Arteta’s job is not to entertain and dazzle us. His job is to win trophies by hook or by crook. By any means necessary.” I will take a trophy any day, no matter the style of play.
its very cagey. both are treating it as if it is a champions league tie. Subtle changes and tweaks here and there to counter each other
One goal, clean sheet, Wembley bound. Just another day at the office. 🔔
95 minutes of boredom was worth it, just to see Havertz kill his old club off…
Chavs negative tactics did them more harm than us…
Well done Arsenal….
Saka is injured ?
Yes Jm, could be back at the weekend.
Let’s have no inquest, Arteta got the tactics right Rosenior didn’t. We can all just enjoy the outcome.
Good night Gooners, everywhere. 😴
Amen to that..
Night guys..
Night all, with a smile! 0-0 would have done, how it carried on a full 7th minute was strange, but how lovely for Havertz
Just finished my post and blimey it was hard going to find anything to write about from that one, but do I care, do I feck, we’re going back to Wembley.
Sleep well everyone.
Morning guys
New post up.