Chelsea will travel to the Emirates Stadium carrying a one-goal deficit after suffering a narrow 2–3 defeat to Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. The opening clash of the League Cup’s last four was held at Stamford Bridge in the early hours of Thursday, January 15, 2026, and left the Blues with plenty to reflect on.
While much of the immediate criticism focused on goalkeeper Robert Sánchez following two costly mistakes, a closer look at the match reveals that Marc Cucurella endured arguably his worst performance of the season. The Spanish left-back became a clear defensive weak point, repeatedly targeted and exposed by Arsenal throughout the night.
Despite Alejandro Garnacho briefly reigniting Chelsea’s hopes with an impressive brace, defensive fragility and individual errors ultimately prevented the hosts from securing a positive result on home soil.
Rosenior Takes Responsibility for Sánchez’s Errors
Robert Sánchez found himself under intense scrutiny after failing to deal with a corner kick for Arsenal’s opening goal, followed by a spilled catch that allowed Viktor Gyökeres to score with ease. However, Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior firmly refused to single out the Spanish goalkeeper for blame.
Instead, Rosenior publicly shouldered responsibility, explaining that Sánchez was attempting to adapt to a new tactical approach after having worked under him for only two days.
“Those goals were team mistakes, not just Rob’s,” Rosenior said in his post-match comments. “I asked him to do things he hasn’t been asked to do before.”
“When players make errors while trying to follow my instructions, that responsibility lies with me. My job is to support them, not to throw them under the bus,” the manager added.
A Nightmare Night for Cucurella Against Saka
While Sánchez received tactical protection from his coach, Marc Cucurella’s performance was far harder to defend. The left-back endured a night to forget as he was relentlessly targeted by Bukayo Saka down Arsenal’s right flank.
Cucurella lost possession 14 times, the highest tally among Chelsea’s defenders in the match. His passing accuracy dropped to just 74 percent under Arsenal’s high press—well below his seasonal average of 88 percent.
Matters worsened when he was booked in the first half for a late challenge on Saka. The yellow card severely limited his defensive aggression, allowing the Arsenal winger to complete five successful dribbles past him before Rosenior finally withdrew Cucurella in the 81st minute.
By that point, the damage had already been done, with Arsenal consistently finding joy down Chelsea’s left side.
A Glimmer of Hope from the Bench
Amid the defensive chaos, Chelsea did find encouragement from their substitutes. Alejandro Garnacho proved decisive as a game-changer, scoring twice to keep Chelsea’s hopes alive heading into the second leg.
Another positive came from teenage defender Jorrel Hato, who replaced Cucurella in the final 20 minutes. Cucurella was eventually replaced by Tosin for the closing stages, but it was Hato’s cameo that stood out.
The 19-year-old looked composed, won all of his duels, and appeared comfortable executing the inverted full-back role Rosenior demands. His calm display provided a stark contrast to Cucurella’s struggles earlier in the match.
That contrast may now force Rosenior into a bold selection decision ahead of Chelsea’s next Premier League fixture against Brentford—and potentially the decisive second leg at the Emirates—where defensive stability will be non-negotiable if the Blues are to overturn the deficit and reach the Carabao Cup final.
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