Chelsea stayed competitive despite defeat as Arsenal claimed a 3-2 win in their EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge. The visitors carry a one-goal edge into the return match at Emirates Stadium on February 3, yet Liam Rosenior stressed Chelsea’s resilience after a strong second-half response pulled the tie back into balance.
Alejandro Garnacho scored twice after the break to drag Chelsea level from 2-0 down, before Arsenal edged ahead again. Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi found the net for Mikel Arteta’s side, but Rosenior underlined that Chelsea remain firmly in contention for a place in the final.
"It's half-time [in the tie]. I was very happy with the engagement, the commitment of the players, Rosenior told beIN
Sports. They gave everything. It was every open game. Disappointed to concede from a corner. Disappointed with the third goal as well, because we were right back in the game, and we were on top at that moment. We switched off from a restart from a central free-kick, but I can't fault the players. We've had illness in the squad, we've picked up a few knocks this week, but what the squad has shown is that they are willing to run and fight for each other. "
The defeat continued a curious trend at Stamford Bridge, as Rosenior became the seventh Chelsea manager in a row not to win a first home match in charge. The sequence stands at five draws and two defeats, with Maurizio Sarri the last coach to open with a victory, against visitors in August 2018.
Robert Sanchez experienced a difficult evening, yet still played a part in keeping Chelsea alive. The goalkeeper was caught out for Arsenal’s first goal from a corner and then failed to hold White’s cross, which allowed Gyokeres to tap in a second. However, Sanchez also produced three saves that prevented a larger deficit.
"Rob's a very good goalkeeper, he said of Sanchez. He made an outstanding save at 3-1 to keep us in the tie, so for me, loads of things to improve, but the overall attitude of the team I liked. Hopefully, we get a few bodies back for Brentford on Saturday. "
EFL Cup semi-final impact of substitutes and wider context
Garnacho again proved decisive from the bench, maintaining a strong pattern this season. The forward entered on 53 minutes and scored with both attempts on target, mirroring the quarter-final against Cardiff City, where Garnacho also came on and hit two goals to send Chelsea into the last four.
That contribution placed Garnacho in rare company in EFL Cup history. Garnacho is the first Premier League player since Edin Dzeko, for Manchester City in 2013-14, to score twice in both a quarter-final and a semi-final during the same campaign. Across all competitions this season, Garnacho now has five goals as a substitute, the most by any player in the English top-flight.
"I said he would be important off the bench, and he proved that, Rosenior added on Garnacho. I've got an outstanding squad. What I need them to do is be engaged, whether they start the game or whether they come off the bench. Garna showed his quality. I think Pedro Neto was magnificent. Estevao was outstanding as well. We need to make sure if we perform well individually, we don't concede as many goals. "
The match itself swung in phases, with Arsenal building a 2-0 advantage before Chelsea rallied strongly through Garnacho. Zubimendi’s goal restored Arsenal’s lead and ensured Arteta’s team will start the second leg at Emirates Stadium with a narrow cushion. Chelsea now turn attention to Brentford on Saturday, while planning for the decisive tie on February 3.
Chelsea leave Stamford Bridge frustrated by the result yet encouraged by attitude and attacking threat. Rosenior’s side showed character, highlighted by Garnacho’s scoring run and Sanchez’s important stop at 3-1. With players recovering from illness and knocks, Chelsea still approach the second leg believing the EFL Cup semi-final remains open.
