Chelsea faced Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium on February 3, 2026. Arsenal secured a 1-0 victory, progressing to the final with a 4-2 aggregate win.
During Arsenal corners, Chelsea adopted a new tactic to counter the Gunners' known set-piece threat. The Blues sent three players upfield to outnumber Arsenal's defence, forcing several Gunners players to retreat and cover. This strategy aimed to disrupt Arsenal's attacking setup from dead-ball situations.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior also began the match with a three-man defence for the first hour, enacting a generally defensive game plan. While this approach kept Chelsea in the tie for much of the game, they ultimately failed to score. The cautious strategy backfired as former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz netted Arsenal's winner in the 97th minute.
