Arsenal welcomes Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night for the second leg of their EFL Cup semi-final with a spot in the final on the line in this high-profile London derby.
The Gunners have a slight edge after their 3-2 win in the first leg at Stamford Bridge, which means Chelsea needs to overcome the deficit away from home.
Arsenal’s Strong Season Continues on All Fronts
Arsenal has had a strong 2025–26 season so far, staying competitive in all major competitions. Mikel Arteta’s team is currently at the top of the Premier League, finished first in the Champions League league-phase table, and reached the fourth round of the FA Cup.
In the EFL Cup, Arsenal advanced easily past Port Vale and Brighton & Hove Albion with identical 2-0 wins before a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace in the quarter-finals. The tie was settled by penalties, with a key save from Kepa Arrizabalaga helping the Gunners progress with an 8-7 shootout victory.
Chelsea Growing in Confidence Under Rosenior
Chelsea arrives in north London feeling confident after an improvement in form under new head coach Liam Rosenior, who took over from Enzo Maresca earlier this season. Despite early doubts, Rosenior has quickly gained the support of fans, leading the Blues to six wins in his first seven matches across all competitions.
The only defeat in that stretch came against Arsenal in the first leg. Since then, Chelsea has recorded five straight victories, including an impressive Champions League win away to Napoli and a dramatic Premier League comeback against West Ham, capped by a last-minute winner from Enzo Fernandez.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup:
Arrizabalaga; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Odegaard, Martinelli; Gyokeres
Chelsea Predicted Lineup:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Palmer, Joao Pedro; Delap
