Arsenal will welcome Chelsea to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night with a place in the Carabao Cup final hanging in the balance, as both London rivals clash in the second leg of their semi-final showdown.
The Gunners head into the encounter holding a slender 3–2 aggregate advantage after edging Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the first leg.
Goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi gave Mikel Arteta’s side breathing space, although Alejandro Garnacho’s late brace ensured Chelsea remain firmly in contention.
Arsenal seeking to finish the job
Arteta’s men arrive in confident mood following a dominant league victory at the weekend, where they dismantled Leeds United with an emphatic four-goal display.
Zubimendi opened the scoring with a towering header before Noni Madueke caught the goalkeeper out directly from a corner. Gyökeres and Gabriel Jesus added further goals to cap off a commanding performance.
That result underlined Arsenal’s attacking depth and momentum, which they will hope to carry into Tuesday’s decisive fixture as they aim to book their first domestic cup final appearance since 2020.
Chelsea eyeing a comeback at the Emirates
Chelsea, meanwhile, showed resilience in their latest outing by overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat West Ham United.
After a difficult first half left them trailing, the Blues rallied through second-half goals from João Pedro and Marc Cucurella, before Enzo Fernández struck deep into stoppage time to complete the comeback.
Since Liam Rosenior took charge, Chelsea have largely impressed, with their only loss in that period coming in the first leg against Arsenal. That form will give them belief that an upset is possible on enemy territory.
Match details
- Fixture: Arsenal vs Chelsea
- Competition: Carabao Cup semi-final (second leg)
- Date: Tuesday, 3 February 2026
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Emirates Stadium
- Referee: Peter Bankes
Team news and expected lineups
Arsenal will be without Mikel Merino, who remains sidelined with a foot injury, while Max Dowman is still recovering.
Bukayo Saka is also a doubt after picking up a knock during warm-ups ahead of the Leeds match.
Should Saka miss out, Madueke is expected to continue on the right flank, with Kai Havertz likely to feature in midfield.
Predicted Arsenal XI:
Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapié; Havertz, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyökeres, Martinelli
Chelsea are expected to miss several players through injury, including Levi Colwill, Tosin Adarabioyo, Romeo Lavia and Jamie Gittens.
However, key figures such as Reece James, João Pedro and Marc Cucurella could return to the starting lineup after impressing from the bench last time out.
Predicted Chelsea XI:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Fofana, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernández; Neto, Palmer, Pedro; Delap
Prediction
With the aggregate score finely poised, the match promises intensity and drama.
Chelsea are likely to push aggressively in search of goals, but Arsenal’s organisation and home advantage could prove decisive.
A narrow win for the Gunners may be enough to see them safely through to Wembley.
Prediction: Arsenal 1–2
