This season’s League Cup presented Liam Rosenior with an opportunity to claim silverware early in his Chelsea career. Upon taking the vacant post left by Enzo Maresca, the Blues were already in the semi-finals, having defeated Cardiff, Wolves, and Lincoln City along the way. This relatively kind run of ties came to an end, however, as Chelsea were paired with London rivals Arsenal.
Having lost the first leg of the semi-final 3-2 at Stamford Bridge, it was always going to be a tough task to turn the tie around, given Arsenal’s strength at home. Although the Gunners had recently lost to Manchester United at the Emirates, it was their first home defeat of the season across all competitions.
As many expected, the task proved too difficult in the end, with Chelsea unable to break down a disciplined Arsenal defence. Despite the elimination, the Blues still have plenty to focus on for the remainder of the campaign. Alongside their push for a top-four finish, hopes remain alive in both the FA Cup and the Champions League.
First Leg Defeat Too Much to Overcome
It remains goalless at the Emirates.#CFC | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/pMTShOO6Wn
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 3, 2026
By all accounts, Chelsea put in a very solid performance at the Emirates on Tuesday night. The match lacked clear-cut chances, but Chelsea registered 14 shots to Arsenal’s five and enjoyed 56% possession. Although they struggled to create a golden opportunity, matching a strong Arsenal side toe to toe on their own turf was an encouraging display.
With Chelsea pushing late on, Arsenal broke forward in the dying seconds, and Kai Havertz rounded Robert Sanchez and slotted home in the 97th minute to secure the win. This situation only arose because Chelsea were in desperate need of a goal – a direct consequence of the first-leg defeat at Stamford Bridge. Losing by a goal at home meant they had to go all out for a win at the Emirates, as anything less would have seen them eliminated.
The Blues were lucky that the first-leg loss was not even larger, but as Liam Rosenior pointed out, illness had swept through the camp, which ruled out four players. In addition, the new boss had only been in charge for three days. Although he refused to make excuses, the circumstances certainly were very much against him for the opening clash.
With no widespread illness and more time to assess his squad, Chelsea produced a much-improved performance in the second leg. First time around, they conceded 17 shots and four big chances, totalling an xG against of 2.84. In the second, Arsenal were limited to just five shots and two big chances, with a total xG of 0.91. It is also worth noting that more than half of that xG, and one of the big chances, came from Havertz’s late goal.
Had it not been for the unfortunate combination of circumstances in the first leg, the Blues may well have been the side booking a place in the final. Instead, they must now turn their attention elsewhere.
Remaining Silverware Hopes
In the FA Cup, Chelsea cruised past third-round opponents Charlton Athletic with a 5-1 win in Rosenior’s first game in charge. Their reward is another away tie against Championship opposition, this time in the form of Hull City. Although the Tigers are performing far better than Charlton in the second tier, it remains a fixture Chelsea will fully expect to win.
With the west Londoners not having lifted the FA Cup since 2018, and having lost three finals in that period, there will be decent motivation to end this short barren run. They are among the favourites for the competition, widely priced at 7/1, behind only Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool. While Rosenior may rotate against Hull, claiming silverware in his first (half) season in charge is a great way to begin, so expect him to treat the competition fairly seriously.
In Europe, Chelsea secured a top-eight finish in the league phase of the Champions League thanks to a dramatic final-round victory over Napoli. This allowed them to bypass the play-off round and advance directly to the last 16, where they will face one of AS Monaco, Paris Saint-Germain, Qarabag, or Newcastle. How far the Blues will progress in the competition remains uncertain, but expectations on Rosenior are relatively modest. Chelsea are the eighth favourites, priced at 18/1 to win the competition and 8/1 to reach the final.
Finally, while there is no realistic hope of a Premier League title challenge, the race for the top four, or potentially top five, remains very much alive. It promises to be a fascinating battle, with fourth-placed Manchester United one point ahead and sixth-placed Liverpool just one point behind. The picture could become even more favourable for Chelsea in the coming weeks, with their next three matches coming against relegation candidates Wolves (A), Leeds (H), and Burnley (H).