Chelsea head to the Emirates with a one-goal deficit after a 3-2 loss to Arsenal in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg.
The Blues looked extremely shaky early on, constantly losing possession trying to play out from the back and letting Arsenal get into advanced positions with ease.
However, Liam Rosenior brought on Alejandro Garnacho early on in the second half and that proved to be crucial, with the winger grabbing a brace to keep the tie alive.
One thing that will really annoy Rosenior is the two mistakes from his goalkeeper, Robert Sanchez.
The Chelsea shot-stopper flapped at a corner for the first goal and showed weak wrists for the second to gift Viktor Gyokeres an easy tap-in.
But, Sanchez won’t be the only player that the Chelsea boss is disappointed in.
Do Chelsea still have a chance of reaching the final? 🤔
Plenty of positives, plenty of negatives…
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Marc Cucurella had a night to forget against Arsenal
Rosenior opted for Cucurella at left-back against Arsenal, despite Jorrel Hato’s promising performance against Charlton Athletic in the Spaniard’s absence.
This didn’t really go to plan for the Chelsea boss, but you can understand his thinking.
Cucurella lost possession 14 times, which was the most of any Chelsea defender. His passing accuracy dropped to 74% under the Arsenal press, which is well below his season average of 88%.
Who was Chelsea’s biggest disappointment on the night? 😡
Some terrible performances on such a big night…
Chelsea v Arsenal - Carabao Cup Semi Final First Leg
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
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He picked up a yellow card in the first half for a cynical trip on Saka. This massively affected his defensive game, as he couldn’t afford to be aggressive in the second half.
Bukayo Saka successfully completed six dribbles tonight and five of those were against Cucurella. The Spaniard was bypassed so often that Liam Rosenior shifted to a back three in the 70th minute.
Jorrel Hato shows what he’s capable of against Arsenal
The biggest thing to come from tonight is the performance of Jorrel Hato**.** Subbed on for Cucurella for the final 20 minutes, the 19-year-old was statistically superior, winning all three of his duels and looking far more comfortable in the inverted role that Rosenior likes.
As mentioned before, Hato will count himself unlucky not to have secured a start against Arsenal
A big decision awaits Rosenior for Chelsea’s next clash with Brentford.
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