Liam Rosenior defended his tactics after Paul Merson blasted Chelsea’s flat performance in their Carabao Cup semi-final loss to Arsenal.
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has responded to fierce criticism from Paul Merson following the Blues’ underwhelming 1-0 defeat to Arsenal in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final. The loss sealed a 4-2 aggregate exit and left many pundits unimpressed by Chelsea’s cautious approach on the night.
Our journey in the Carabao Cup comes to an end. #CFC | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/1Hfzs9rAQL
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) February 3, 2026
Paul Merson did not hold back in his post-match analysis, admitting he was “flabbergasted” by Chelsea’s performance. The former Arsenal star, who also has strong ties to Chelsea, accused the team of drifting out of a semi-final “with a whimper” rather than showing urgency despite trailing from the first leg.
“I honestly can’t believe what I’ve just watched”
Paul Merson says he is ‘flabbergasted’ by Chelsea’s performance against Arsenal 😬 pic.twitter.com/ks1Wrjfb0N
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) February 3, 2026
Jamie Redknapp echoed some of Merson’s concerns, calling Chelsea’s display a “tough watch” despite understanding the game plan.
Rosenior, only four weeks into his tenure, surprised many by switching formation and deploying striker Liam Delap on the right wing. The move was seen as overly conservative, especially with Chelsea needing a goal to stay alive in the tie.
In the second half, the Chelsea boss reverted to a more familiar setup, introducing Cole Palmer, Estevao, and Alejandro Garnacho in an attempt to inject attacking intent. Despite the changes, Chelsea failed to seriously test Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, struggling to create clear chances throughout the match.
Their hopes were finally extinguished in stoppage time when former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz scored on the counter-attack, sealing a 1-0 win on the night for Arsenal. The goal only intensified criticism, with Merson pointing to Chelsea’s squad quality and questioning why they never truly went for the game.
Speaking after the match, Rosenior dismissed what he described as “easy” pundit criticism. He argued that a more aggressive approach could have backfired badly, insisting Arsenal might have put the tie out of reach early had Chelsea pressed too high and conceded quick goals.
Liam Rosenior reacts to Paul Merson’s heavy criticism of Chelsea’s display against Arsenal:
“I’ve been a pundit, It’s easy.” 😤 pic.twitter.com/mxXPbjPnqY
— Hayters TV (@HaytersTV) February 3, 2026
Was Rosenior’s Approach Bad?
Honestly, it wasn’t while the game was a tough watch, Chelsea’s plan was to keep Arsenal back and unproductive for most of the game, and with the introduction of Palmer and Estevao, they would take the game to Arsenal.
The main flaw with this approach is that making Arsenal sit back makes the game easy for the Gunners. Arsenal had the advantage in the tie and were content with sitting back. If Chelsea had pushed up a lot against Arsenal, it could’ve been a bloodbath just like the counter, which led to Havertz’s late goal, as indicated.
Rosenior was a bit unlucky with his tactics, and he should’ve tried to take the game to Arsenal from the second leg, but nonetheless, it was a positive showing for Chelsea as they have found a system that lets them defend and stifle opponents. Hopefully, Rosenior learns from this and finds a better way to hurt Arsenal before the Premier League game in March.
