Arsenal remain in cup action as they travel to Chelsea for the first leg of their semi-final encounter on Wednesday evening.
The Gunners secured their spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup last time out as they came from behind to [win 4-1](https://paininthearsenal.com/portsmouth-1-4-arsenal-player-ratings-as-martinelli-fires-gunners-into-fourth-round) at Portsmouth. An own goal and a Gabriel Martinelli hat-trick were enough to help Mikel Arteta's side fight back and sail into the next stage.
Liam Rosenior took charge of his first game as Chelsea manager as he oversaw a 5-1 victory away to Charlton Athletic in the cup. Jorrel Hato, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marc Guiu, Pedro Neto and Enzo Fernandez all got on the scoresheet as the Blues sailed to a win at the Valley.
With this being just the first leg, both sides will be prepared for a very tough test as they will both be very eager to get one foot in the final.
Here's our preview of Arsenal's trip to Chelsea.
Chelsea vs Arsenal: Preview, Prediction & Lineups
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Raya coming back in | Marc Atkins/GettyImages
### What time does Chelsea vs Arsenal kick off?
Chelsea vs Arsenal kicks off on Wednesday 14 January at 20:00 GMT.
* **When is kick off?** Wednesday 14 January, 2026
* **What time is kick off?** 20:00 GMT
* **Where is it played?** Stamford Bridge
* **Referee:** Simon Hooper
### Chelsea vs Arsenal last five meetings
**Date**
**Result**
**Competition**
30 November 2025
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
Premier League
16 March 2025
Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea
Premier League
10 November 2024
Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal
Premier League
23 April 2024
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea
Premier League
21 October 2023
Chelsea 2-2 Arsenal
Premier League
### Chelsea vs Arsenal head-to-head record
**Club**
**Wins**
**Draws**
**Losses**
Chelsea
66
61
85
Arsenal
85
61
66
### How to watch Chelsea vs Arsenal
**Country**
**TV channel/live stream**
United Kingdom
Sky Sports Main Event
Australia
beIN SPORTS 2, beIN Sports Connect
Canada
DAZN Canada, fuboTV Canada
United States
Paramount+
### Chelsea team news
Moises Caicedo, who picked up a red card last time these two sides met, will miss this game due to suspension after receiving his second booking of the tournament against Cardiff City.
Marc Cucurella will be available for selection though after he served his punishment for his red card, but Romeo Lavia and Levi Colwill remain absent due to injury.
Rosenior confirmed Malo Gusto, Cole Palmer and Reece James all face a last minute decision on their fitness after they missed the FA Cup trip to Charlton.
_**Predicted Chelsea lineup vs Arsenal:**_ _Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; James, Fernandez; Estevao, Palmer, Neto; Delap_
### Arsenal team news
Kai Havertz made his [long-awaited return from injury](https://paininthearsenal.com/kai-havertzs-return-will-be-more-crucial-for-arsenal-than-many-think) against Portsmouth, but he will likely start the game from the bench with Viktor Gyökeres the starter in attack.
Arteta confirmed in his pre-match press conference that Piero Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera and Max Dowman will all be absent as they continue their recoveries from respective fitness issues.
Leandro Trossard and William Saliba may also miss the game after not being included in the squad for the trip to Pompey, but both could pull through for this test, with hat-trick hero Gabriel Martinelli pipping the Belgian to the left wing spot and the Frenchman coming back into defence.
Kepa Arrizabalaga has been the usual starter between the sticks in this competition, but Arteta has previously had a preference to switch back to his first-choice deep into cup competitions so David Raya will likely start tomorrow.
_**Predicted Arsenal lineup vs Chelsea:**_ _Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyökeres, Martinelli_
### Chelsea vs Arsenal score prediction
With Arteta bidding to reach just the second cup final of his managerial career and Rosenior taking charge of his first home game as Chelsea gaffer, this certainly has the potential to be a tight contest.
Neither manager will want to give too much away in the first leg, but the Blues will likely be wanting to make their home advantage count before a a tricky second leg trip to Emirates Stadium in February.
Arsenal could look toward the second leg as their opportunity to kill Chelsea off and secure their spot in the final so there won't be much to separate the sides tomorrow night, and the tie will end level like recent encounters at Stamford Bridge.
### Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal