Chelsea being eliminated in the Carabao Cup semi-finals against Arsenal is a controversial outcome. The match partly reflects the gloomy atmosphere at the Emirates. The first half was dull, almost without highlights. The second half was similar until Kai Havertz - a former Chelsea player - scored the decisive goal in the final minutes.
Although the game was not too prominent, the reaction aimed at Chelsea's performance in north London was much more fierce. In the context of the absence of some key players, Liam Rosenior arranged Chelsea according to a 5-defender formation that was pragmatic. The clear goal was to keep a safe distance from Arsenal's attack as long as possible and wait for the opportunity to launch a counter-attack or breakthrough handling.
In the end, that moment did not come. Havertz's goal in the 90+7 minute caused Chelsea to suffer a 2-4 defeat, and at the same time turned Rosenior's calculations into an unsuccessful gamble. However, it is hard to deny that his team fought until the last minute.
The first thing to remember is that Arsenal only lost one home match this season, against Manchester United last month. And even then, the away team also needed two excellent finishing moments to subdue the resilient home team.
Clearly Rosenior understood that and chose a cautious approach. He arranged Chelsea according to a rather strange 5-2-3 formation, prioritizing maintaining the game in the first half and then considering risks in the final stage. When the first 45 minutes ended with a score of 0-0, it is undeniable that the plan worked, although Chelsea still did not create enough pressure to score.
By the 60th minute, when the balance of the match was still balanced, the Chelsea captain made changes that seemed to have been calculated. He brought Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian onto the field to create a breakthrough in the last half hour. However, neither could create an explosive moment. Chelsea generally played better in the second half, but were still deadlocked against one of the most solid defenses in the league.
The fact that they could not put Kepa Arrizabalaga in a truly dangerous situation is regrettable, even though The Blues launched up to 14 shots and created xG 0.68. Overall, this is like the story of a team that has been tired of facing a stronger opponent - a team with enough bravery to lock down what Chelsea wants to do. And if one of those long shots found a way into the net, the post-match reaction would certainly have been very different.
Considering all objective factors, The Blues' narrow defeat to Arsenal after two legs is actually nothing to be ashamed of, especially when the opponent is currently rated slightly higher. Chelsea must face a stronger, more energetic team with a better physical foundation. They ultimately paid the price for conceding 3 goals at home in the first leg, before Alejandro Garnacho had time to rekindle hope with a double.
Of course, Chelsea should have created more clear opportunities at the Emirates, especially after they had done quite well in curbing Arsenal's goal for most of the match. However, Arsenal did not create too many really dangerous situations. The problem is that when key attackers are not in the best physical condition and form, the chance for The Blues to win against one of the most solid defenses always decreases significantly.
For his part, Rosenior wants to ensure that this defeat does not leave long-term consequences. He emphasized: "Clearly, losing the match is not what we wanted. I have only led the team for less than a month, and we have played 8 matches during that time.
The most important thing for me is that the players' performance shows progress. Moreover, team spirit, solidarity and fighting spirit have been shown very clearly. There are many positive signs. Now, I need to see how we react after this defeat. We must react positively".
