Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior has accused Arsenal of showing a lack of respect during the warm-up ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Rosenior was seen visibly upset before kick-off, confronting Arsenal staff and players and telling them to stay on their side of the pitch while both teams prepared for the match.
Arsenal eventually won the game 1-0, sealing a 4-2 aggregate victory to book their place in the final.
Speaking after the match, Rosenior explained that his frustration wasn’t directed at Arsenal’s players personally, but at what he described as basic football etiquette.
“When you warm up, you have your half and the other team have their half,” he said. “I’ve never asked my team or coaches to encroach on the opposition’s territory. They were affecting our warm-up, and I didn’t think it was right.”
He admitted he may not have handled the situation politely, but insisted it was about respect, not mind games.
“I asked them, maybe not politely, to make sure they stay in their half. I’m not here to have mind games. It’s just what I think is right and respectful,” he added.
Rosenior also stressed that he has no personal issue with Arsenal or their manager, Mikel Arteta.
“I don’t have an issue with anyone at Arsenal Football Club. Mikel is someone I’ve got so much respect for. It was just in that moment that I didn’t think that respect was shown to my team,” he said.
Despite Chelsea’s elimination, Rosenior defended his tactical approach and praised his team’s performance. Chelsea started with three centre-backs before switching to a more attacking setup later in the match, bringing on Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian in search of a crucial goal.
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However, Arsenal sealed the tie late on, with Kai Havertz scoring in added time on a counter-attack.
Rosenior, who has won six of his eight matches since taking over from Enzo Maresca in January, said outside criticism will not affect his decisions.
“What people say outside the club makes no difference to my decision-making,” he said, describing Chelsea’s display as an “excellent performance” against a strong Arsenal side at home.
Chelsea will now shift focus back to the Premier League as they prepare to face Wolves on Saturday.
