Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior proved more than ready to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, especially when it looked like it was going to be a battle early on.
Liam Rosenior was not happy with Arsenal players (Image: Sky)
Liam Rosenior has slammed Arsenal players who wandered into Chelsea’s half ahead of the League Cup semi-final. Before the game, the Blues head coach was preparing his players for perhaps their biggest game since replacing Enzo Maresca.
The west Londoners arrived at the Emirates Stadium trailing Mikel Arteta’s side by one point after losing 3-2 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. It was a big test for the 41-year-old Rosenior and a young team that has adapted well to his ways.
But the usually calm and laid-back Blues manager suddenly became irritated when Arteta’s players wandered into his own half during the pre-match warm-up. Video footage of the incident showed Rosenior shouting a four-word expletive at the Gunners.
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The whole thing was caught on camera by Sky Sports, and as expected, the focus was on the former Strasbourg manager. Rosenior could also be seen shouting, “Stay in your own half!”
Speaking about Sky’s coverage of the game, Jamie Redknapp said: “He’s definitely got the needle. You can see him telling them to stay in their own half.”
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The pre-game exchanges with the fierce rivals were in stark contrast to the usual relaxed pre-game press conferences. The former Hull City manager backed his star player to overturn a one-point gap at the top of the Premier League.
“Yes, I think you look at our players, Enzo Fernandes. (He) won the World Cup and won two trophies in the group last year, so he will be able to play in big games,” he said.
Liam Rosenior takes exception to some infringements from Gunners players (Image: 2026 Chelsea FC)
“They can perform in big games and it’s definitely going to be a big game on Tuesday. I won’t talk about what Arsenal or Mikel Arteta did or didn’t do. That’s not my concern. My concern is rest.”
“It’s another three-game week and we need to recover. Tuesday will be a really physical game and we’ll be focused on doing our best to prepare the team for that game.”
When asked what winning would mean for him, the 41-year-old replied: “Honestly, all this proves whether I’m the right person for the job, but I don’t really care.
Liam Rosenior was back to his cool, calm personality in time for kick-off (Image: 2026 James Gill – Danehouse)
“I’m here to do the job. If we get to the final, it would be great for Chelsea Football Club to get to the final. That’s not my problem. I’ll prove in time if I’m worthy or not, but it’s not at the forefront of my mind.”
Rosenior led the Blues to seven wins out of their first eight games. The only blemish on his record was the loss to Arteta’s side at Stamford Bridge.
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