Absolute Chelsea
·1 February 2026
Arsenal vs Chelsea: Who is the referee and VAR for the Carabao Cup semi-final tie?

In partnership with
Yahoo sportsAbsolute Chelsea
·1 February 2026

The officials have been confirmed for Chelsea's Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Arsenal on Tuesday night.
Chelsea head to the Emirates looking to overturn a 3-2 aggregate deficit from the first leg at Stamford Bridge last month.
Alejandro Garnacho's two goals have given Chelsea a lifeline for the second leg. It remains an uphill task, but head coach Liam Rosenior will be full of belief that his side, who have won their last five games in all competitions, can claim victory to silence the Gunners.
Manchester United managed to claim victory over Arsenal at the Emirates last month, and Garnacho is confident Chelsea can emulate his former side's result in the capital.
"Everyone knows how hard it is to play there," Garnacho told Chelsea's in-house media. "When we lost the first game, I saw a lot of people saying, 'Yeah, but no one won yet at the Emirates'. But now I think the view is a little bit different.

IMAGO / Sportimage
"If, for example, Manchester United can beat them there, we can do it perfectly. There is just one goal difference, so if we score one, we are level again with them.
"It’s the closest to a trophy that we are now, and every trophy counts here, so we have to go there with the right mentality, try to win the game. If you do that, you are in the final. It’s important."
As Tuesday's tie awaits, the officials have been confirmed for the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.

IMAGO / Sports Press Photo
Peter Bankes will be supported by Edward Smart and Blake Antrobus on the touchline.
Thomas Bramall has been named as the Fourth Official for Tuesday's match, with the referee overseeing conduct within the two dugouts, and the behaviour of Mikel Arteta and Liam Rosenior.
Overseeing proceedings from Stockley Park on Tuesday will be James Bell, who has been named as the Video Assistant Referee, with the Assistant Video Assistant Referee being Daniel Robathan.
Live










































