Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior has openly criticised Arsenal for displaying a supposed lack of “respect” during their recent Carabao Cup semi-final clash at the Emirates, while maintaining that public scrutiny of his tactics has not influenced his decision-making process.
Rosenior, entrusted with leading Chelsea against their London rivals, opted to implement a cautious approach for the first hour before sending on Cole Palmer and Estevao in a bid to turn up the heat on the Gunners. Despite Chelsea’s aim to push the tie into extra time, Arsenal’s late counter-attack culminated in Kai Havertz scoring, sealing a 2-0 victory for Arsenal on the night, and a 4-2 aggregate win, which secured their place in the final against Manchester City.
Facing criticism for his defensive strategy, the 41-year-old manager defended his team’s performance, stating, “The noise doesn’t surprise me at all. What people say outside the club makes no difference to my decision making. Hindsight always offers alternatives, but that was a very, very solid performance against a strong team at their home ground.”
Rosenior made headlines off the pitch as well, after a video clip circulated on social media showing him instructing Arsenal players to “stay in their own half” during the warm-up, an incident he later elaborated on. While Rosenior has no personal grievances with the Arsenal squad, he felt that during the pre-match preparations, respect was lacking. “It wasn’t the players per se,” he explained. “Traditionally, teams warm up in their designated halves. I merely reacted in the moment, feeling they were encroaching on our space, which affected our routine.”
In the lead-up to Chelsea’s upcoming match against Wolves, Rosenior addressed his rotation policy, explaining, “I don’t have a best XI, rather a best starting team and a best finishing team. This approach is part of understanding and adapting to the team’s needs as we progress together.”
Chelsea continue to navigate a period of transition under Rosenior, with the club’s next challenge set at Molineux, where they hope to realign their focus and momentum in domestic competition.