Chelsea approach in Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal leaves Paul Merson flabbergasted
Paul Merson was flabbergasted by Chelsea's approach in their Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal; Chelsea lost 1-0 at the Emirates to go down 4-2 on aggregate; Merson said: "They went out with a whimper"; Jamie Redknapp: "Having two shots on target in a semi-final isn't good enough"
Tuesday 3 February 2026 23:15, UK
Paul Merson was left flabbergasted by Chelsea's approach in the 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg defeat to Arsenal.
The Gunners claimed their place in the Carabao Cup final as Kai Havertz's 97th-minute goal in stoppage time sealed a 4-2 victory on aggregate at the Emirates Stadium.
Liam Rosenior's side took a conservative approach despite needing a goal to send the tie to extra-time following their first-leg defeat and were unable to create clear chances.
Chelsea had 14 shots but only two of them were on target. In total they only generated 0.68 expected goals.
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Merson said on Sky Sports: "I'm flabbergasted. I can't believe what I've just watched. Chelsea aren't a bottom-five team. They have World Cup winners.
"[Wesley] Fofana is crying. He should be crying because they never had a go. They've gone out with a whimper in a semi-final. It hasn't worked. Go out in a blaze of glory, don't go out like that.
"They played in second gear. This is the semi-final of a cup.
"Chelsea have got the players to mix it with Arsenal. And they didn't have a go.
"If they'd have lost the game 3-0 but had shot after shot and Kepa [Arrizabalaga] was brilliant and they got broken on three times, that's the way it is.
"I've played in games like that where you come off and you think we just got beat and didn't really have a go."
Redknapp: You have to have a go!
Jamie Redknapp added: "If you'd have turned up today and not known the score you'd have thought that Chelsea were winning, the way they were playing the game with six at the back, playing cagey and trying to hit on the counter-attack if possible.
"I totally get what his plan was but there comes a point where you have to take emotion into a game. It's a semi-final, you've got to throw punches.
"Having two shots on target in a semi-final isn't good enough. It's overthinking tactics, you've got to have a go.
"The last two or three minutes of that game were a good example of how Chelsea had no idea.
"[Alejandro] Garnacho came on for 15 or 20 minutes. He passed the ball backwards and sideways every time he got it."
Rosenior: I've been a pundit, it's easy in hindsight
Chelsea boss Rosenior hit back at criticism of his approach.
He said: "I've been a pundit, it's easy in hindsight. If I go and attack the game and press really high, people will ask what I am doing.
"You can come away from home, press all over the pitch, go man to man and you could go 2-0 up or you could go 2-0 down.
"I felt that the psychological aspect of the tie was very important as well. Sixty minutes, I bring on Cole [Palmer] and Estevao and the game opens up and we have moments in and around the box.
"I think there was a feeling in the stadium that this tie could turn. We didn't achieve what we wanted to, but it's not about game plans, it's about results.
"I have to give our players so much credit for what they put into the game and ultimately their goal comes when we're just throwing the kitchen sink at the game. That's going to happen, but we have to make sure that we take the positives from that, but we're here to get results.
"The reality of my job is if you lose games, you'll be criticised. If you win, you're a genius. It's normally somewhere in between, I think."
