Former Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson has expressed his criticism of Chelsea following their lackluster performance in the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. Merson was “flabbergasted” by what he witnessed on the pitch.
Traveling to the Emirates trailing by one goal after their first-leg loss at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea’s defense managed to limit Arsenal’s attacking opportunities. However, their offensive play was nearly nonexistent, creating few chances and applying little pressure despite needing to score.
Throughout the match, Chelsea managed only two shots on target, waiting until injury time to mount any real pressure before conceding a late goal to Kai Havertz, sealing their fate. Merson voiced his disbelief over Chelsea’s strategy, stating, “I’m flabbergasted. I can’t believe what I’ve just watched. Chelsea have World Cup winners; this is not a bottom-five team.” He further added, “Fofana is crying. He should be crying because they never really tried. They’ve gone out with a whimper in a semi-final. It hasn’t worked. Go out in a blaze of glory, not like that. They’ve got the players to compete with Arsenal, and they didn’t step up. I’ve experienced games like that, and you walk off thinking, ‘we just lost without really trying.’ They’ll always remember that.”
Chelsea’s head coach Liam Rosenior defended his team’s approach, claiming there were “clear improvements” and emphasizing the need to ensure they gave themselves the best chance to succeed. “I felt we dominated in the second half, but the game didn’t play out as we hoped. Football involves tactical, psychological, physical elements, and player availability. We can’t assess the game plan’s effectiveness based solely on the final score,” he explained.
Liam Rosenior’s tactical strategy fell short for Chelsea (AP)
However, fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp sided with Merson, describing the match as “a tough watch.” He noted, “I could see what Chelsea’s plan was: to stay in the game and then bring on their key players. But it didn’t materialize. Arsenal, although not at their best, were comfortable.” Redknapp further stated, “In semi-finals, it’s completely different—you have to throw caution to the wind, get the ball into the box, and play without any regrets. As Paul rightly said, there will be plenty of regrets in that dressing room about not doing enough.”
While Rosenior has been at the helm for just under a month, Chelsea may have exited the League Cup, yet they remain in contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League and are set for a last-16 Champions League knockout tie in March.