Wesley Fofana said everything without saying a word.
As the final whistle blew at the Emirates on Tuesday night, the Chelsea defender dropped to his haunches, wiped away tears and stared at the turf: the reality of another missed final hitting hard.
Chelsea’s 1–0 defeat to Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg sealed a 4–2 aggregate exit, and it clearly hurt.
Chelsea tears. Bring please 😭😭😭#ARSvsCHE pic.twitter.com/9OHO2ZPj46
— (fan) Beeb (@AFC_Beeb) February 3, 2026
Playing the full 90 minutes, 25-year-old Fofana was arguably Chelsea’s best performer, using his pace and positioning to snuff out danger and keep the tie alive for as long as possible.
But football can be cruel. For all the defensive effort, Chelsea couldn’t find the one
goal they needed.
Trailing 3–2 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, the Blues struggled to create enough going forward. They managed just two shots on target and rarely looked like forcing Arsenal into panic mode.
The decisive blow came deep into stoppage time when Kai Havertz rounded Robert Sanchez and rolled the ball into an empty net, ending the contest for good.
There was barely time to kick off again before the whistle went, and moments later, Fofana’s emotions spilt over.
Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah summed up the mood afterwards: disappointment mixed with belief.
Trevoh Chalobah reflects on #Chelsea’s Carabao Cup semi-final exit vs Arsenal to @SkyFootball:pic.twitter.com/kOW1gxJr26
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) February 4, 2026
“It’s frustrating not to get to the final,” he said. “We did a lot right, but it came down to the final details in the attacking third.”
Still, Chalobah stressed the importance of perspective, urging the squad to keep building under Liam Rosenior rather than letting the loss derail their momentum.
“It’s disappointing not to get to the final,” Chalobah said afterwards. “It was a chance for us to get to another final and win another trophy, but it was just the final details in the attacking third.
“The boys did well — it was just the final details. We stuck to the game plan. We were pushing at the end, but it didn’t work out. We have to keep our heads up and not allow this to affect us and carry on our good form.”
The Blues will now turn their attention to securing a top-four finish in the Premier League, progressing in the Champions League and getting past Liam Rosenior’s former club Hull City in the FA Cup.
