Liam Rosenior made quite the splash in his debut, watching his side dismantle Charlton with a flurry of late goals. Still, the quality of opposition is about to take a massive leap forward. The Blues have been a bit of a mixed bag lately, often looking brilliant in spells but failing to keep the back door shut. It is a bit concerning that they haven’t kept a clean sheet in six matches. Can the new boss tighten up a defense that has conceded in seven straight games? It is hard to say how this will end, but the home crowd will certainly be expecting a gritty performance from a squad that finally seems to have found its scoring boots under the lights.

One player to keep a close eye on is Alejandro Garnacho, who has been absolutely electric in this competition lately. He managed to score twice off the bench in the quarter final against Cardiff and seems to have a special affinity for the EFL Cup. With eight goal involvements in his last five appearances in the tournament, he might just be the spark Rosenior needs. However, the absence of Moisés Caicedo due to suspension is a massive blow for the midfield balance. That is a bold move to rely on a reshuffled midfield against the league leaders, but perhaps it is the only choice Rosenior has given the current injury concerns surrounding Reece James and Cole Palmer.

On the other side of the pitch, Mikel Arteta has his Arsenal side purring at the top of the Premier League table. They handled their own FA Cup business with a 4-1 win over Portsmouth, featuring a brilliant hat trick from Gabriel Martinelli. The Gunners are currently on a thirteen game scoring streak on their travels, which suggests they won’t be shy about attacking at the Bridge. Still, Arsenal has a bit of a ghost to exorcise here, as they have been knocked out in their last four semi final appearances. Will they finally break that curse? They certainly have the tactical depth to do so, especially with Kai Havertz returning to the fold after a long injury layoff.

Historically, this matchup has favored the visitors recently, as Arsenal has not lost at Stamford Bridge since 2018. That is a staggering statistic that weighs heavily on the pre match narrative. Mikel Merino seems to have Chelsea’s number as well, having found the net in their last two encounters. Even so, EFL Cup Predictions often defy recent league form because the pressure of a two legged knockout tie changes everything. Whether it is Rosenior’s honeymoon period or Arteta’s refined system that wins out, this first leg is likely to be a cagey affair where neither side wants to lose the tie before it even gets back to North London.