Chelsea missed out on a place in the Carabao Cup final as they failed to find a breakthrough in the second leg of their semi-final with Arsenal before eventually losing 1-0 on Tuesday to fall to a 4-2 aggregate defeat. The Blues defended resolutely and had the better of the game in the second half, but couldn't create enough opportunities before Kai Havertz put the tie to bed in stoppage time.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard was a surprise absence from the Gunners' squad to take on Chelsea in the second leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night. Eberechi Eze started the clash in the No.10 role, with the Norwegian worryingly not even among the substitutes. Before kick-off, Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta revealed the midfielder had picked up an untimely knock.
Alejandro Garnacho has taken a subtle pot shot at former club Manchester United ahead of Chelsea's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at Arsenal. Chelsea trail the Gunners 3-2 in the tie but Garnacho believes his side can turn it around at the Emirates Stadium, pointing to how the Red Devils pulled off a surprise victory over Mikel Arteta's men last month.
Arsenal forward Bukayo Saka has been set a potential return date as he recovers from an injury which ruled him out of his side's Premier League clash with Leeds United on Saturday. The England international was included in Mikel Arteta's starting XI but appeared to suffer a groin complaint in the warm-up at Elland Road and was replaced in the Gunners team by Noni Madueke. Saka is not expected to feature in Arsenal's Carabao Cup semi-final second leg with Chelsea on Tuesday night but his club are optimistic that he won't be out of action for too long.
Pep Guardiola has sarcastically claimed he wished Manchester City would spend more money after they splashed £84m ($114m) in the January transfer window on Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo. City have invested more in new players than any Premier League club for the second consecutive winter transfer window but Guardiola was at pains to point out that six teams have a higher net spend over the last seven years.
Mikel Arteta insists the issue between Declan Rice and Arsenal assistant coach Albert Stuivenberg is “all sorted” after the pair clashed during Wednesday’s Carabao Cup victory at Chelsea. The duo were involved in a heated argument during the half-time interval at Stamford Bridge, but the Gunners manager is adamant the problem has now been resolved.
Manchester United continue to count the cost of their on-field struggles, with it being reported that the Red Devils face another £50 million ($67m) hole in their accounts for 2025-26. With no European football on the agenda this season, the Premier League heavyweights have crashed out of both domestic cup competitions at the earliest opportunity.
Declan Rice was involved in a furious row with Arsenal coach Albert Stuivenberg during the half-time interval of the Gunners’ Carabao Cup semi-final, first leg clash with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. The England international was spotted on camera saying "oh, for f*ck’s sake" and suggesting that a member of Mikel Arteta’s backroom staff "doesn’t know what the hell he is on about".
Fans were left puzzled after Arsenal's opening goal against Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final was allowed to stand on Wednesday night, despite Manchester City having a strike disallowed the day before for a similar infraction from Erling Haaland against Newcastle United. Robert Sanchez flapped at a corner which allowed Ben White the simplest of headers, but Viktor Gyokeres appeared to be in an offside position as he tangled with Marc Guiu, who was defending on the line. The Gunners ended up claiming a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge, handing Mikel Arteta's side a strong advantage as they bid to reach the final at Wembley.
Arsenal took a big step towards the Carabao Cup final by edging past Chelsea 3-2 in this dramatic, all-London semi-final first leg, but Mikel Arteta's side will be left feeling they probably should have put the tie to bed having twice seen a two-goal lead pegged back at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi had the Gunners in control throughout this topsy-turvy contest, but a second-half brace from substitute Alejandro Garnacho ensured Chelsea have something still to play for at the Emirates in three weeks' time.
Chelsea face a tall order to reach the Carabao Cup final after a shocking performance from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez handed Arsenal a 3-2 victory in the first leg of their semi-final. The Spaniard made two avoidable mistakes which allowed Ben White and Viktor Gyokeres to score, though Alejandro Garnacho bagged twice ether side of a Martin Zubimendi effort to ensure the Blues take some hope into the return leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Moises Caicedo was a notable absentee from Chelsea's squad for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal on Wednesday night. The Ecuador international is one of the Blues' most important players in central midfield but new boss Liam Rosenior was forced to deploy Andrey Santos alongside Enzo Fernandez against the Gunners because of his absence. Chelsea have struggled with suspensions so far this season, with five red cards forcing key players to miss out at various stages.
Arsenal are showing no willingness to loan out wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri in January, despite transfer interest from the likes of West Ham United. The 18-year-old attacker has made just four starts in all competitions this season, prompting speculation that the Gunners might consider letting him leave on a temporary basis in the winter window. However, the north Londoners are yet to entertain any enquiries for the highly-rated teenager.
Pep Guardiola has launched a furious attack on the standard of officiating in English football, demanding a personal explanation from PGMOL chief Howard Webb following a chaotic VAR review. Despite Manchester City securing a comfortable 2-0 victory over Newcastle, the Catalan manager was left seething after Antoine Semenyo was denied a second goal, reigniting a simmering feud over past injustices including last season's heartbreaking FA Cup final defeat.
Some 13 months on from a devastating provisional doping suspension and close to 14 months since his last appearance for the club, Mykhailo Mudryk is Chelsea's forgotten man. An upcoming anniversary, however, brings his troubles back into sharp focus; January 15 will mark three years to the day since Chelsea completed the signing of the then-coveted young winger from Shakhtar Donetsk, but he will find little reason for celebration.
Antoine Semenyo continued to pay off his £65m transfer fee as Manchester City's brand new signing scored for the second game running to help his side to a 2-0 win at Newcastle in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, putting Pep Guardiola's side on the fast lane to Wembley. Semenyo became the first City player since Emmanuel Adebayor back in 2009 to score in his first two games for the club.
Mikel Arteta says he's gunning for glory in the Carabao Cup to make up for previous failures during his time at Arsenal. The Gunners take on Chelsea on Wednesday in the first leg of their semi-final and face a Blues team under new management following the arrival of Liam Rosenior. Arsenal were knocked out at this stage of the competition last season by eventual winners Newcastle and Arteta wants his team to go one better this time around.
Eddie Howe has taken aim at a rule change allowing Manchester City’s £65 million signing Antoine Semenyo to face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup. The forward played for Bournemouth earlier in the tournament, but new regulations have scrapped ‘cup-tied’ rules. It leaves Howe rueing his luck as he battles a severe defensive injury crisis ahead of the semi-final first leg at St James' Park.
Mikel Arteta admitted it was "emotionally tough" to process Crystal Palace’s stoppage-time equaliser, before Arsenal steadied themselves to edge through on penalties in a breathless Carabao Cup quarter-final at the Emirates Stadium. After 90 minutes the game finished level at 1-1, but the Gunners held their nerve to win the shootout 8-7, with Kepa Arrizabalaga emerging as the decisive figure.
Arsenal shot-stopper Kepa Arrizabalaga has revealed the secret behind his shootout heroics following the Gunners' Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Crystal Palace on Tuesday night. The Spaniard was the star man as the north London side secured their spot in the semi-finals of the competition, setting up a final-four showdown with former side Chelsea.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner sought to ease concerns over Chris Richards after the U.S. international was stretchered off in Tuesday’s Carabao Cup quarterfinal loss to Arsenal, saying the ankle injury isn't too concerning and expressing optimism the defender could return in the new year. The 25-year-old is in the midst of a breakout campaign for the Eagles.
Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was the unlikely hero on Tuesday night as the Gunners sneaked past Crystal Palace and into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup after a penalty shoot-out. The Gunners went ahead late on thanks to a Maxence Lacroix own goal but were pegged back in stoppage time by Marc Guehi's equaliser. The game finished 1-1 then went to penalties with Kepa saving from Lacroix as Arsenal won 8-7 on spot kicks.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has hinted he is ready to offer Gabriel Jesus his first start in almost 12 months. The Brazilian striker has endured a testing 2025 on the fitness front, with knee ligament damage being suffered, but he could have a prominent role to play for the Gunners in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with London rivals Crystal Palace.
Demanding coach Pep Guardiola called out two of his Manchester City players that “didn’t do the job” when booking a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. The Blues remain in the hunt for more domestic silverware after picking up a comfortable 2-0 victory over Premier League rivals Brentford in the last eight. Rayan Cherki and Savinho were on target at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City suffered an injury blow during their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash with Brentford as youngster Oscar Bobb was forced off early with a knock. Bobb missed the majority of the 2024-25 campaign after being sidelined with a broken leg. The Norwegian winger only returned to action this March but in the current season, he has experienced limited game time under Pep Guardiola.
Manchester City cruised into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup as Rayan Cherki inspired them to a 2-0 win over Brentford on Wednesday. The France international opened the scoring with a stunning strike in the first half before a deflected effort from Savinho secured a spot in the final four for Pep Guardiola's side, while Erling Haaland was able to put his feet up and watch on from the bench.
In-form Manchester City star Rayan Cherki scored an absolute piledriver against Brentford from the edge of the box to hand his team a first-half lead in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash. After converting the world-class strike, the Frenchman emulated team-mate Erling Haaland's signature 'meditation' pose to celebrate the goal at Etihad Stadium.
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