Chelsea and Arsenal both approach Wednesday’s EFL Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge riding high after emphatic away wins in their opening FA Cup fixtures. Chelsea booked their spot in the last four by overcoming Cardiff City in the quarter-finals, while Arsenal edged past Crystal Palace on penalties following a tense goalless draw.
Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Cardiff proved to be Enzo Maresca’s final triumph as manager, just weeks before his dramatic exit amid a breakdown with the club’s board. Prior to his departure, Maresca had also steered the Blues to narrow wins over Lincoln City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in earlier rounds, paving the way for their first home match of the 2025-26 EFL Cup campaign.
The Blues have a strong pedigree at this stage, having reached Wembley in four of their last five semi-final appearances—the lone exception being a loss to Arsenal in the 2017-18 season. The upcoming tie marks Liam Rosenior’s first encounter with Premier League opposition as Chelsea manager, after his revamped side snapped a five-game winless run with a commanding 5-1 FA Cup victory over Charlton Athletic.
Chelsea’s winter has been eventful both on and off the pitch: they have scored and conceded in each of their last seven matches across all competitions, and have found the net in their last 12 home games at Stamford Bridge. Memories of last year’s EFL Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal, as well as the 2018-19 final loss to Manchester City—infamous for the Kepa Arrizabalaga substitution controversy—still linger.
Chelsea vs Arsenal Prediction
Both teams to score - 8/11 (Betfred)
Bukayo Saka to score anytime - 2/1 (Betfred)
Joao Pedro to score anytime - 12/5 (Betfred)
18+ | Gamble responsibly | gambleaware.org | Odds subject to change
In a twist of fate, Kepa played a pivotal role in Arsenal’s recent quarter-final success, saving Maxence Lacroix’s penalty to send the Gunners through after a tense shootout. Now, Mikel Arteta’s men are just 270 minutes from ending their long wait for a League Cup title, hoping to avoid a repeat of their semi-final exits to Liverpool in 2021-22 and Newcastle United last season.
Still competing on four fronts, Arsenal extended their excellent form with an eighth win in nine matches, coming from behind to beat Portsmouth 4-1 in the FA Cup—a match highlighted by Gabriel Martinelli’s first hat-trick for the club. While Chelsea have been prolific at home, Arsenal boast a remarkable 13-match scoring streak away from home, including a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge in November that stretched their unbeaten run against the Blues to eight games. Notably, Arsenal have not lost at Stamford Bridge since August 2018.
Team News
Moises Caicedo will serve a suspension after receiving a yellow card in the previous round against Cardiff City, while Marc Cucurella is available again following his suspension, which saw him miss the Charlton match. Caicedo joins Mykhaylo Mudryk (doping ban), Romeo Lavia (thigh injury), and Levi Colwill (knee injury) on the sidelines.
On the Arsenal side, former Chelsea midfielder Kai Havertz made his return from a knee injury as a substitute on Sunday, but Viktor Gyokeres—despite a recent dip in form—is still expected to lead the line. Piero Hincapie (thigh), Riccardo Calafiori (muscle), and Cristhian Mosquera (ankle) are all doubtful, while 16-year-old Max Dowman is also likely to remain out with an ankle issue.
Gamble responsibly
Everyone at The Inside Track and Reach are committed to promoting safer gambling. All of our content and recommended bets are advised to those aged 18 or over. Odds are subject to change too.
We strongly encourage our readers to only ever bet what they can afford to lose. For more information, please call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or visit gambleaware.org.