Rosenior Criticizes Arsenal’s Warm-Up Conduct Ahead of Cup Semi-Final

Liam Rosenior, the Chelsea manager, has voiced concerns regarding Arsenal’s lack of respect during the warm-up for their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday.

Rosenior was observed expressing his frustration towards the Arsenal team, urging them to remain in their designated area of the pitch as both teams prepared for the match at the Emirates Stadium, which Arsenal ultimately won 1-0, thereby securing a 4-2 aggregate victory.

“It wasn’t the players’ fault,” Rosenior clarified. “During warm-ups, each team has its own half. I have never instructed my players or coaching staff to intrude upon the opposition’s space. At that moment, I felt their positioning was inappropriate as it disrupted our warm-up.

“I may not have conveyed my request in the most polite manner, but I believe it is important for teams to respect these boundaries. I hope that mutual respect is upheld in such scenarios going forward.”

He continued, stating, “There are certain etiquettes in football that should be observed. I harbor no grievances against anyone at Arsenal Football Club. I hold their manager, Mikel Arteta, in high regard. Nonetheless, in that specific situation, I felt that respect was lacking towards my team.”

Since taking over from Enzo Maresca in January, Rosenior has guided Chelsea to six victories out of eight matches, with the only defeats occurring in both legs of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal.

Ahead of Chelsea’s upcoming match against Wolverhampton on Saturday, Rosenior also defended his tactics and the team’s performance in the second leg against the Gunners. The decisive goal came from Kai Havertz, who scored on a counter-attack during added time.

Chelsea began the match with three centre-backs but made a strategic switch by substituting Cole Palmer and Estevao Willian in the 59th minute, shifting to a more conventional formation in an effort to equalize the aggregate score at 3-3.

Rosenior remarked, “The external noise does not surprise me at all. The actions of other teams are irrelevant to my decision-making process. In hindsight, while we did not advance, there are always alternative approaches to consider. Regardless, I am proud of our solid performance against a formidable team at home.”