Liam Rosenior will oversee his first match at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea manager this Wednesday, as the Blues welcome Premier League leaders Arsenal for a crucial Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
Match Details and How to Watch
The highly-anticipated clash is set for Wednesday, 14 January 2026, with the action getting underway at 8pm GMT. The iconic Stamford Bridge will provide the backdrop for this cup tie.
For fans in the United Kingdom, live coverage will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football. The broadcast team will begin their build-up at 7pm, one hour before kick-off. Supporters can also stream the match live online via the NOW TV service.
Team News and Predicted Line-Ups
Chelsea have several key fitness concerns ahead of the match. Manager Rosenior will make late decisions on the availability of Cole Palmer and Reece James, who both missed the weekend's FA Cup win over Charlton. Defender Malo Gusto is also facing a late fitness test.
In a significant setback, midfielder Moises Caicedo is suspended after receiving his second yellow card of the competition during December's victory at Cardiff City.
For Arsenal, Kai Havertz made a return from the bench in their FA Cup match, but the fixture against his former club is likely to come too soon for a starting role. Defensive players Piero Hinacpie, Riccardo Calafiori, and Cristhian Mosquera are all reportedly close to returning from injury.
Based on current information, the predicted starting line-ups are as follows:
Chelsea predicted XI: Sanchez; Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Cucurella; Fernandez, James; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Delap.
Arsenal predicted XI: Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli.
Form and Previous Encounter
Rosenior enjoyed a dream start to his Chelsea tenure, overseeing a 5-1 victory against Charlton Athletic in the FA Cup third round on Saturday. Arsenal, managed by Mikel Arteta, come into the match in strong form, unbeaten since a loss to Aston Villa in early December. Their run includes a penalty shoot-out win over Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals and a 4-1 FA Cup win against Portsmouth last time out.
The last meeting between these London rivals ended in a 1-1 draw in November. Trevoh Chalobah opened the scoring for Chelsea before Mikel Merino equalised for Arsenal. That match was notably marred by a first-half red card for Chelsea's Moises Caicedo.
This semi-final first leg promises to be a tactical battle between Rosenior's new-look Chelsea and an Arsenal side determined to secure silverware. All eyes will be on Stamford Bridge as both teams look to gain a decisive advantage ahead of the second leg.
