The second of the brilliant Carabao Cup ties this week is a stellar London derby between Chelsea and Premier League leaders Arsenal at Stamford Bridge.
Liam Rosenior began his reign at Chelsea with a 5-1 demolition of Charlton Athletic at The Valley in the third round of the FA Cup. That came after Calum McFarlane had overseen a 1-1 draw with Man City and a 2-1 loss to Fulham to begin the calendar year.
Arsenal overcame a potential banana skim at Fratton Park as they came from behind early on to defeat the Championship strugglers 4-1 on the south coast. The Gunners are also top of both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League as they seek a haul of silverware this season.
AllSportsPeople brings you the latest football odds, predictions and bet builder tips for this Carabao Cup tie.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Who Will Win?
We think Arsenal will avoid defeat and put themselves in the perfect position to reach the final.
In late-November, the two teams shared a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge as the Blues appeared to be capable of chasing Arsenal down in the title race. They have since drifted back to mid-table with a woeful run of form which cost Enzo Maresca his job and brought about the appointment of Rosenior.
Arsenal are now capable of heavily rotating their side and still fielding such a strong XI it's difficult to see them being toppled. Their expected goals conceded (xGC) in the league is 17.66 — City have the next best record with 25.8.
Score Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal (11/2 with Paddy Power)
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Head-to-Head: Chelsea vs. Arsenal
- The most recent clash was that game between Chelsea and Arsenal just a few weeks ago, which finished as a 1-1 draw in which Chelsea were perhaps slightly the better side despite Moises Caicedo being sent off.
- Quite surprisingly, given what preceded the run in the last 20 or so years, Arsenal are now unbeaten in their last eight matches against Chelsea.
- Overall, the two teams have faced off against each other on 212 occasions with Chelsea winning 66 of those and Arsenal having the better of it with 85 matches.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal: Form Guide
Chelsea – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
- Charlton Athletic 1-5 Chelsea (FA Cup)
- Fulham 2-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
- Manchester City 1-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
- Chelsea 2-2 AFC Bournemouth (Premier League)
- Chelsea 1-2 Aston Villa (Premier League)
Arsenal – Last 5 matches (All competitions)
- Portsmouth 1-4 Arsenal (FA Cup)
- Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool (Premier League)
- AFC Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal (Premier League)
- Arsenal 4-1 Aston Villa (Premier League)
- Arsenal 2-1 Brighton and Hove Albion (Premier League)
Chelsea vs. Arsenal Betting Tips
Chelsea will fancy themselves to get on the front foot from the off and use the 'new manager bounce' combined with the naturally improved atmosphere of a London derby.
With that in mind, then, we'll take a chance on Chelsea to be winning at half-time and a draw at full-time - this paid 14/1 with BetVictor at the time of writing.
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Chelsea vs. Arsenal Team News
Chelsea Team News
- Marc Cucurella was sent off against Fulham last week and so missed the clash with Charlton but the Spain international will return from suspension for this one.
- Moises Caicedo is suspended after picking up his second yellow card in this year's Carabao Cup for sarcastically applauding the referee against Cardiff.
- Levi Colwill is sidelined alongside young midfielders Dario Essugo and Romeo Lavia.
Arsenal Team News
- There are a few defensive injury issues for Arsenal this week as Ecuador international defender Piero Hincapie remains a confirmed absentee.
- Fellow summer signing Cristhian Mosquera is also a major doubt for the Gunners alongside the versatile Riccardo Calafiori.
- It wouldn’t be a shock to see Arsenal rotate, albeit they did make quite a few changes against Portsmouth with Mikel Merino anchoring a midfield three that consisted of attacking midfielders Eberechi Eze and Ethan Nwaneri.
Chelsea vs. Arsenal Lineups: Predicted Starting XI’s
This is how we think the two teams will lineup at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea predicted lineup to play Arsenal
Jorgensen (GK) – Gusto, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cucurella – Santos, James – Palmer, Fernandez, Estevao – Delap
- Out: Colwill, Essugo, Lavia
- Doubtful: James, Gusto, Palmer
- Suspension: Mudryk
Arsenal predicted lineup to play Chelsea
Kepa (GK) – Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly – Rice, Zubimendi, Eze – Saka, Gyokeres, Martinelli
- Out: Hincapie, Dowman
- Doubtful: Mosquera, Calafiori
- Suspension: N/A
Chelsea vs. Arsenal Odds
- Chelsea to win: 12/5 with AK Bets
- Arsenal to win: 13/10 with Coral
- Draw: 12/5 with Ladbrokes
Bet Builder Tips: Chelsea vs. Arsenal
Our bet builder for Chelsea vs. Arsenal backs the Bkues to be winning at half-time but a draw at full-time with Gabriel Martinelli to continue his good form with at least a shot on target and over 9.5 corners in the match, which came to 39.67/1 with Paddy Power at the time of writing.
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How to Watch: Chelsea vs. Arsenal Live Stream, TV Channel
All the key information for how to watch Chelsea vs. Arsenal in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup:
- Date: Wednesday, January 14
- Venue: Stamford Bridge, London, England
- Time: 20:00 GMT
- TV/Stream: Sky Sports / Sky Go