Liam Rosenior clearly came with a plan in mind as he took his Chelsea side across London to face Arsenal in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg.
The Blues named an eyebrow-raising starting XI which included five defenders, and Liam Delap and Enzo Fernandez on the wings.
Gary Neville noticed Delap was uncomfortable out wide straight away, however the plan was in place to bring on Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian in the second half to try and score.
IN THE BLUE CORNER…
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The Blues didn’t really create the chances they would’ve hoped in that final half an hour, and Kai Havertz’s last-minute goal put the tie beyond doubt.
Arsenal v Chelsea - Carabao Cup Semi Final Second Leg
Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
Trevoh Chalobah gives honest thoughts on Liam Rosenior’s tactics vs Arsenal
Pundits were left scratching their heads at Rosenior’s tactics, however Trevoh Chalobah believes things worked out mostly as they were hoping.
He told Sky Sports that the manager had told them to not rush and accept they had 90 minutes to turn things around.
He said: “For us, we just go into the game knowing what the manager wanted. In terms of, there’s no rush, we have a full 90 minutes to try and get into the game.
“We came in no rush, no pressure. I thought the boys done well, stuck to the gameplan, were pushing towards the end but it didn’t work out. We have to keep our heads up and don’t allow this to affect us, and keep up our good form.”
When asked if he thinks the manager’s plan worked, Chalobah said: “I think most definitely.”
Is Liam Delap not good enough for Chelsea or are we not playing to his strengths?🤔
Liam Delap's display vs Arsenal
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
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Arsenal star praises Chelsea’s performance
Not everyone was taken aback by Chelsea’s performance. Paul Merson in particular was stumped at why they played the way they did.
Those on the pitch however seem to have a different opinion of things. Declan Rice believes Chelsea would have scored on another day.
Ultimately, Rosenior’s time in charge will not be defined by an EFL Cup semi-final. Those in charge will have far more of an eye on where they finish in the Premier League.
The Blues are back in action on Saturday against Wolves away from home, as they look to maintain their spot in the Champions League places.
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