The EFL Cup final’s two competitors have been set, with Chelsea missing out on a place in favour of Arsenal and Manchester City.
The Blues were eliminated from the semi-finals of the competition after a bizarre second leg at the Emirates where Liam Rosenior’s tactics came under scrutiny.
The boss essentially made the decision that Chelsea were currently not as good a side as Arsenal, and looked to keep the tie close before having a real go in the final 30 minutes.
Did Rosenior get his tactics wrong against Arteta? 🤔
Hindsight is a wonderful thing…
This decision came in for criticism. Paul Merson was stunned the Blues didn’t try and take the game to the Gunners.
Chelsea Training and Press Conference
Photo by Chris Lee – Chelsea FC/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Newcastle made this exact call against City after losing the first leg 2-0, although found themselves 5-0 down on aggregate by the time the half-time whistle was blown.
They did pull a goal back in the second half, but at this point it was far too late to make any real inroads on their deficit.
Rosenior had stated after Chelsea’s elimination that it was easy in hindsight to say the Blues should have taken the game to Arsenal, however it was very realistic to say they could’ve been in Newcastle’s position if they had.
It looks as if the boss got the players on board with his plan. Trevoh Chalobah stated after the game that the tactics worked for the Blues.
Rate Liam Rosenior’s start as Chelsea head coach 1️⃣-🔟?
Liam Rosenior's record at Chelsea
Photo by Isabella Bonotto/Anadolu via Getty Images
Rosenior must leave EFL Cup semi-final in the past
At the end of the day, the only two games Rosenior has lost since taking over at Chelsea have been both legs of the EFL Cup semi-final.
This should not take away from the manager’s strong start to life at Stamford Bridge. None of the previous four Blues managers managed to pick up a victory against the Gunners either.
The Premier League form has been perfect so far, and this is the competition that Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali are most likely to judge him on.
Chelsea’s next league venture takes place on Saturday when they line up against Wolves, who currently sit at the bottom of the table.
Join Our Newsletter
Receive a digest of our best Chelsea content each week direct to your mailbox