Chelsea take on the visitors Arsenal in the first leg of EFL Cup semifinals. The match will be played on Wednesday, January 14th at Stamford Bridge (London).
Chelsea have now become something of a dark horse. The Blues, after a forced change of ownership, essentially lost a couple of seasons, constantly changing managers and achieving very little. Against that background, the decision to back Maresca looked extremely successful. In his first year, he delivered excellent results, lifting the team into the Premier League top four and also winning both the Conference League and the Club World Cup for the first time in the club’s history. This season was also going fairly well: Chelsea reached the League Cup semifinals, collected 10 points in the Champions League to effectively secure a playoff spot, and even during a downturn with just two points from three league rounds, they were still fifth domestically. However, a long-simmering conflict with the board resulted in the manager’s dismissal right around New Year. Without him, Chelsea held Manchester City to a draw, but under new manager Rosenior they lost to Fulham, although they then produced a convincing 5-1 win over Charlton in the cup. Recent results underline Chelsea’s inconsistency, with strong performances alternating with setbacks. Even so, their ability to respond positively after defeats shows that the team remains competitive and dangerous on its day.
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Arsenal have not won major titles for a long time, especially compared to Tottenham, who finally lifted a trophy half a year ago by winning the Europa League. Finishing second in the Premier League for the third time in a row is starting to feel less like progress, as silverware is clearly the main objective. Their priority is obviously the Premier League, where they continue to stay among the leaders. They even managed to build a gap at the top, but were held to a goalless 0-0 draw by Liverpool. In addition, Arsenal have a perfect record in the Champions League, winning all six of their matches so far. With such a heavy schedule, there is little energy left for secondary competitions. Still, even with rotation, they reached the League Cup semifinals by eliminating Crystal Palace on penalties in the quarterfinals, and shortly before that confidently beat Portsmouth in the FA Cup after conceding early. Arsenal’s recent form confirms their stability across competitions. Even without prioritizing this tournament, they remain capable of delivering results through structure and consistency.
The Gunners have won six of the last eight official meetings, with two draws, and have not lost to their neighbors since the summer of 2021. It is unlikely that the visitors are ready to stop here. The bet is on another Arsenal victory, this time against their local rivals.
Prediction for the match: Arsenal to win.
