Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior accuses Arsenal of disrespect following Carabao Cup exit | OneFootball

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has accused Arsenal of showing a lack of respect after a heated exchange during the warm-up ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium.

Rosenior was seen angrily remonstrating with members of the Arsenal setup, insisting they remain in their own half as both teams prepared for the decisive tie. Arsenal went on to win 1-0 on the night, sealing a 4-2 aggregate victory and ending Chelsea’s cup run.

The former Strasbourg boss was keen to stress his frustration was not directed at Arsenal’s players, but at what he viewed as a breach of long-established football etiquette.

“When you warm up, you have your half and the opposition have theirs,” Rosenior said, speaking to the media after the game. “I didn’t think the respect was shown to my team in that moment.”

Despite the flashpoint, Rosenior was careful to distance the incident from any wider animosity, reiterating his admiration for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and dismissing suggestions of mind games.

The defeat marked only Rosenior’s second loss since taking charge at Stamford Bridge in January, both coming against the Gunners. He also defended his tactical approach, which saw Chelsea switch systems in pursuit of the goal they needed to force extra time.

Arsenal’s winner, scored by Kai Havertz on the counter-attack in added time, ultimately punished Chelsea’s ambition.

Rosenior remains defiant, however, insisting the performance was “very solid” against one of the league’s strongest home sides, and that outside criticism will not shape his decision-making as Chelsea turn their attention back to the Premier League.

GFN | Finn Entwistle