Arsenal vs Chelsea: EFL Cup semi final lineups, team news, confirmed starting teams

Premier League leaders Arsenal and in-form Chelsea resume their EFL Cup semi-final in a decider at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The Gunners are six points clear at the top of the table and won the first leg 3-2 at Stamford Bridge on January 14.

The Blues have won all five of their matches in all competitions since then as part of a promising start for new manager Liam Rosenior.

As well as team news below, you can follow 101GreatGoals.com’s live updates from Arsenal vs Chelsea in the EFL Cup here.

Earn the right. pic.twitter.com/mtsWtJ2tsp

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 3, 2026

Arsenal starting lineup vs Chelsea

Winger Bukayo Saka is out after pulling out in the warm-up before Arsenal’s 4-0 win at Leeds United on Saturday, so Gabriel Martinelli comes in.

Leandro Trossard makes way for Eberechi Eze in attack. Mikel Merino needs surgery on a foot injury the midfielder sustained against Manchester United on January 25.

Arsenal starting XI: Kepa Arrizabalaga, Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes, Piero Hincape, Eberechi Eze, Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, Gabriel Martinelli

Arsenal substitutes: David Raya, Cristhian Mosquera, Ben White, Gabriel Jesus, Christian Norgaard, Leandro Trossard, Kai Havertz, Riccardo Calafiori, Myles Lewis-Skelly

Chelsea starting lineup vs Arsenal

Chelsea make four changes from their 3-2 home win over West Ham on Saturday, when they recovered from 2-0 behind at half-time.

Jamie Gittens is out with an injury the winger suffered in that game and Cole Palmer, Alejandro Garnacho and Benoit Badiashile move to the bench. Goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen is still sidelined.

Defenders Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella, midfielder Andrey Santos and striker Joao Pedro are restored.

Full-back Reece James was a late substitute against the Hammers but is not in the squad this time. Wideman Estevao Willian is among the substitutes, having been in his homeland of Brazil on compassionate leave over the weekend.

Chelsea starting XI: Robert Sanchez, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorrel Hato, Malo Gusto, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Enzo Fernandez, Marc Cucurella, Liam Delap, Joao Pedro

Chelsea substitutes: Teddy Sharman-Lowe, Benoit Badiashile, Cole Palmer, Josh Acheampong, Marc Guiu, Estevao, Alejandro Garnacho, Charlie Holland, Shumaira Mheuka

How to watch Arsenal vs Chelsea: TV channel, live online stream

Kick-off on Tuesday is at 20:00 GMT (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on ITV1, Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Ultra.

Fans can stream the action via ITV’s website, the ITVX app and the Sky GO app, which are available on a vast variety of devices for viewing on the go.

Arsenal vs Chelsea: Carabao Cup stats

• There have been 213 meetings between these teams, with Arsenal winning 85 times and Chelsea prevailing on 66 occasions
• This is the seventh encounter between Chelsea and Arsenal in the League Cup and third at the semi-final stage
• Arsenal are unbeaten in the last three matches between the teams in the competition, winning the last two
• They are Chelsea’s most familiar opponent, with Liverpool the next-most frequent (199), ahead of Manchester United (198)
• The last team to oust Chelsea at this stage of the EFL Cup was Arsenal in 2017/18
• Before their current three-match winless run in the fixture, Chelsea had won four in a row against Arsenal
• Their biggest win at Arsenal has been in the EFL Cup, winning 5-0 in the fourth round in 1998/99
• The Blues are targeting a sixth consecutive victory in all competitions for the first time since a run of eight wins in November and December 2024
• They have reached the EFL Cup final from 10 of their last 16 semi-finals, including the past three
• They will become the first top-flight team this century to play London derbies in seven consecutive domestic games: Fulham (a), Charlton Athletic (a), Arsenal (h), Brentford (h), Crystal Palace (a), West Ham (h), Arsenal (a)

Do EFL Cup semi finals go to extra time, replays and penalties?

Should they finish level after 90 minutes, EFL Cup ties go straight to penalties until the semi-finals, which take place over two legs.

If the scoreline is level after the second leg of this tie, extra time and – if necessary – penalties will be used to separate teams.

The final is a one-off match at Wembley Stadium, with extra time and penalties used if required.

Liverpool beat Chelsea 11-10 on penalties in the 2021/22 final and edged the same fixture after extra time in 2023/24 through Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute winner.

EFL Cup semi-final fixtures 2025/26

All matches are being shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra and start at 20:00 GMT / 15:00 ET / 12:00 PT, with games that are also on ITV and STV denoted with an asterisk.

Tuesday, January 13

Newcastle 0-2 Manchester City

Wednesday, January 14

Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal

Tuesday, February 3

Arsenal vs Chelsea*

Wednesday, February 4

Man City vs Newcastle

When is the EFL Cup final 2026?

The final will take place on Sunday, March 22 2026 at 16:30 GMT (11:30 ET / 08:30 PT).

Do the EFL Cup winners qualify for Europe?

The EFL Cup winners receive a place in the play-off stage of the UEFA Conference League unless they qualify through another route for European competition.

Newcastle were an example of the rule in action in 2024/25, instead qualifying for the Champions League through their league position.

That meant their Conference League play-off place went to the next-highest ranked team who had not qualified for European competition via their league position.