Arsenal face Chelsea in a blockbuster Carabao Cup semi-final clashplaceholder image
Arsenal face Chelsea in a blockbuster Carabao Cup semi-final clash | Getty Images/ Canva
Arsenal team news and a predicted line-up ahead of their highly-anticipated semi-final clash with Chelsea
Arsenal will hope to take another step towards the first piece of major silverware on offer when they face Chelsea in this season’s Carabao Cup semi-final. The Gunners collided with their capital opponents at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the tie seeking a positive result before hosting them again at the Emirates Stadium in nearly four weeks time on 3 February.
Arsenal are aiming to win their first piece of silverware since Mikel Arteta’s maiden campaign in management when they were crowned FA Cup winners by beating tonight’s west-London opponents in 2020. It’s now been more than half a decade since Arsenal won silverware despite the club finishing thrice runners-up in the Premier League and reaching the semi-final of this competition on two occasions whilst also falling short in the last four of both the Europa League and Champions League.
Chelsea won the Conference League and Club World Cup under Enzo Maresca towards the end of last season, but that didn’t give him enough credit in the bank to keep his job after a dip in form. The Blues acted quickly to poach Liam Rosenior from fellow BlueCo owned club Strasbourg and will be hoping to produce a new manager bounce reminiscent of other names like Thomas Tuchel, Roberto Di Matteo and Gus Hiddink in the past.
Arsenal have won eight of their last nine matches across all competitions and showcased their incredible squad depth by ringing in the changes for the FA Cup win over Portsmouth. But how will Arteta approach this Carabao Cup tie against the Blues and how many changes can we expect to see? Here’s our predicted Arsenal line-up for tonight’s semi-final showdown:
Arsenal predicted XI vs Chelsea: goalkeeper and defence
GK: David Raya: Arsenal have used Kepa throughout the Carabao Cup run so far, but could turn to their first choice goalkeeper Raya now that the team are on the cusp of a cup final.
RB: Jurrien Timber: The Netherlands international has been sensational at right-back this season, and is typically trusted ahead of Ben White at the moment. He started in central defence against Portsmouth but should return to a more familiar role.
CB: William Saliba: Highly-rated defender Saliba is a slight doubt heading into this one due to injury. He was rested against Portsmouth but it could simply be a precautionary measure. If he doesn’t play then it’s likely Timber moves over to centre-back with Ben White getting the nod at right-back.
CB: Gabriel: Brazil international Gabriel is widely considered to be the best centre-back in the Premier League on current form. He’s been brilliant for the Gunners but faces a challenging test trying to contain the likes of Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro and others.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly: The promising youngster hasn’t had the amount of minutes he’d have liked in recent weeks but has recently started a fair few matches due to injuries within the group to Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori.
Arsenal predicted XI vs Chelsea: midfield and attack
CM: Declan Rice: Arsenal’s club-record signing, who was once on the books at Chelsea as a teenager, is likely to start in the heart of midfield. He’s been sensational since joining Arsenal in 2023 and remains one of the team’s most important players.
CM: Martin Odegaard: Club captain Odegaard has started most matches since returning from injury, but was able to get a slight rest against Portsmouth after appearing as a sub instead. His creativity could prove crucial in such a high-stakes affair.
CM: Martín Zubimendi: Spain international Zubimendi has added real quality to the team since arriving over the summer. He’s a master at cutting out danger and controlling possession but faces a real battle against players like Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez this evening.
RW: Bukayo Saka: When fit and available, Saka is always one of the first names on the Arsenal team sheet. He’s blessed with immense flair, pace, agility and the ability to make things happen in the final third. He recently penned a new five-year contract, making him an immensely important player for years to come.
ST: Viktor Gyokeres: Arsenal supporters haven’t seen the best of Gyokeres after his arrival from Sporting CP to try and finally fill the striker void. He scored goals for fun last season and needs to show more in the coming weeks if he’s to avoid losing his place to either Gabriel Jesus or Kai Havertz after their returns from injury.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli: The Brazilian hasn’t quite hit the heights of years gone by, but he’s likely to start in attack due to Leandro Trossard’s injury. Martinelli fired in a hat-trick against Portsmouth to try and prove to Arteta that he deserves to start this one.
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