Chelsea vs Arsenal Preview, prediction, lineups, betting tips & odds | EFL Cup 2025-26 semi-final Leg 1

Three of the last five games between these clubs have ended in a draw.

Chelsea are all set to lock horns with Arsenal for their first-leg semifinals contest of the 2025-26 Carabao Cup. This is going to be an intense outing between these sides, which will take place at Stamford Bridge.

The Blues will be at home for their next EFL Cup contest. This is going to be one of the advantages for them, but their recent form has not been the best. They are coming in after securing a dominating win against Charlton Athletic in their FA Cup clash. Chelsea will be keen to put up a strong fight.

The Mikel Arteta-led Arsenal are on a positive run of form and are going to give the Blues a hard time. They also secured a win in their previous game and will be looking to stay undefeated going forward. Even though they will be away from home, the Gunners will feel confident coming into the game.

Kick-off:

• Location: London, England
• Stadium: Stamford Bridge
• Date: Thursday, January 15
• Kick-off Time: 01:30 a.m. IST (Wednesday, Jan 14; 08:00 p.m. GMT/ 03:00 p.m. ET/ 12:00 p.m. PT)
• Referee: Simon Hooper
• VAR: In Use

Form:

Chelsea: L-D-D-L-W

Arsenal: W-W-W-D-W

Players to Watch

Pedro Neto (Chelsea)

Pedro Neto is going to be one of the main men in the attacking front for Chelsea FC. He was one of the goal scorers for Blue in the last outing and will be keen to engrave his name on the scoresheet once again. The Portuguese winger will lead the attack from the left and is going to cause issues for the visitors.

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)

Gabriel Martinelli is coming in after scoring a sensational hat-trick for Arsenal in their 4-1 FA Cup win against Portsmouth. It was a top performance by the 24-year-old. He will be looking to put in top efforts for the Gunners and lead them to another win. Martinelli is going to be a thorn for the opponents.

Match Facts

• Chelsea have only won one of their last five matches.
• Arsenal have secured four wins in their last five attempts.
• The Gunners are undefeated in their last nine meetings against the Blues.

Chelsea vs Arsenal: Betting Tips and Odds

• Arsenal to win @13/10 Quinn Bet
• Goals under 3.5 @7/19 Unibet
• Gabriel Martinelli to score @15/4 bet365

Injury and Team News

Levi Colwill is injured and Marc Cucurella is suspended, hence keeping them out of action for Chelsea. Malo Gusto and Romeo Lavia are not yet confirmed to be a part of the squad.

Arsenal will miss out on the services of Riccardo Calafiori, Piero Hincapie and Max Downman. They are injured. Cristhian Mosquera might also miss out due to a lack of fitness.

Head-to-Head

Total matches: 212

Chelsea won: 66

Arsenal won: 85

Draws: 61

Predicted Lineups

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1)

Sánchez (GK); James, Chalobah, Adarabioyo, Hato; Caicedo, Fernández; Palmer, João Pedro, Pedro Neto; Delap

Arsenal predicted lineup (4-3-3)

Raya (GK); Timber, Saliba, Magalhães, Lewis-Skelly; Ødegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Saka, Gyokeres, Matinelli

Match Prediction

These sides are going to come up with an intense outing, but Arsenal are likely to edge past Chelsea in their upcoming EFL Cup contest.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Arsenal

Telecast Details

India: FanCode

UK: Sky Sports Football

US: Paramount+

Nigeria: SuperSport

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