Liam Rosenior became the first new Chelsea head coach in a decade, since Antonio Conte, to win his first competitive match in charge, as we beat second division Charlton Athletic, 5-1 in the FA Cup last weekendTos. A remarkable statistic, that, strength of opposition aside, accomplishing something that Maurizio Sarri, Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Mauricio Pochettino, and Enzo Maresca all failed to do.
But after that soft landing, our task becomes significantly harder in Rosenior’s second game, as we take on Premier League-leaders Arsenal in the first leg of the League Cup semifinal.
We played the Gunners not too long ago and held them to a draw despite playing over an hour a man down. But our form has suffered greatly since, having won just three times in eleven tries, with the weekend’s triumph snapping a five-game winless streak.
Rosenior’s favorite words so far are “intensity” and “winning”. If we do the former, surely the latter will follow.
Date / Time: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 20.00 GMT; 3pm EST; 1:30am IST (next day)
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Simon Hooper (on pitch); Jarred Gillett (VAR)
Forecast: rain, rain, rain is back!
On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); none (USA); none (India); SuperSport Premier League (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: Sky Go (UK); Paramount+ (USA); FanCode (India); DStv Now (NGA)
COBHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Head Coach Liam Rosenior of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on January 12, 2026 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
COBHAM, ENGLAND - JANUARY 12: Head Coach Liam Rosenior of Chelsea during a training session at Chelsea Training Ground on January 12, 2026 in Cobham, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Chelsea team news: Rosenior rotated heavily against Charlton, and the likes of Cole Palmer and Reece James weren’t even in the matchday squad (in line with the recommendation from the medical team). That sort of workload management has come under scrutiny in the wake of Enzo Maresca’s departure, but it’s hard to argue against the positive results we’ve seen from this careful approach, especially with the injury-prone likes of Wesley Fofana or the aforementioned James.
All that said, the only players confirmed to be unavailable for this game are Levi Colwill and Roméo Lavia (Dário Essugo was back on the bench midweek), while Moisés Caicedo is suspended yet again, this time for yellow card accumulation strictly in this competition (two in two games). Marc Cucurella is available again after serving his one-match suspension midweek.
LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 13: Kai Havertz of Arsenal during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre on January 13, 2026 in London Colney, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
LONDON COLNEY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 13: Kai Havertz of Arsenal during a training session at Sobha Realty Training Centre on January 13, 2026 in London Colney, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal FC via Getty Images
Arsenal team news: Since we last met, Arsenal have lost just one game and have won eight of their last nine. They did need penalties to advance from the quarterfinals at the expense of Crystal Palace in one of those eight wins.
The Gunners will be without defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Cristhian Mosquera, and Piero Hincapié, while another defender, William Saliba is facing a later fitness test, alongside annoying forward Leandro Trossard. Less annoying former Chelsea striker Kai Havertz made his long-awaited return midweek after spending nearly all of 2025 on the sidelines with various injuries. His return could help solve Arsenal’s only weakness, their relatively frequent inability to score from open play.
This competition may not be as high on Arsenal’s priority list as it is (or should be) on ours, but they will want to win it just the same. With a second leg to follow in three weeks, the tie cannot be won today … but it can certainly be lost.
View from the enemy: The Short Fuse
Previously: As the credible as the draw was last time we met, it did extend our winless streak against Arsenal to eight games, stretching back to 2021.