Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior proved he was more than fired up to face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, particularly when there appeared to be some early mind games
20:25, 03 Feb 2026Updated 21:09, 03 Feb 2026
Liam Rosenior was not happy with Arsenal’s players(Image: Sky)
Liam Rosenior lashed out at some Arsenal players after they strolled into the Chelsea half before their League Cup semi-final clash. Before the match, the Blues’ head coach was readying his players for, arguably, his biggest match since replacing Enzo Maresca.
The west Londoners came to the Emirates Stadium trailing Mikel Arteta’s side by one goal, after losing the first-leg at Stamford Bridge 3-2. It was a huge test for Rosenior, 41, and his young team, who have been adapting to his methods well.
However, the normally calm and laid back Blues boss suddenly became irked by Arteta’s players strolling into their half in the pre-match warm-up. Video footage of the incident appeared to depict Rosenior shouting a four-word barb at the Gunners.
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It was captured by the Sky Sports cameras who predictably focussed on the ex-Strasbourg manager. Rosenior could be seen shouting ‘stay in your half’.
On Sky’s coverage of the game, Jamie Redknapp said: “He’s got the needle for sure, you can see it there he’s telling them to stay in their half.”
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His pre-match exchange with his fierce rivals was a stark contrast to his typically laid back pre-match press conference. The ex-Hull City manager backed his stars to overturn the one goal deficit against the Premier League leaders.
He said: “Yeah, I think my players, I look at Enzo Fernandez. [He] has won a World Cup as well as the group winning two trophies last year, can play in big games.
Liam Rosenior took exception to some encroachment from the Gunners players(Image: 2026 Chelsea FC)
“They can perform in big games and it’s definitely a big game on Tuesday. I won’t speak about what Arsenal or Mikel Arteta have or haven’t done. That’s not my concern. My concern is resting.
“It’s another three-game week, we need to recover. It’s going to be a really physical game on Tuesday and [focus on] preparing the team as best I can for that game.”
When asked what a victory would do for himself, the 41-year-old replied: “I’ll be really honest. All this proof of me being right for the job or not, I don’t really care.
Liam Rosenior returned to his cool and calm persona in time for kick off(Image: 2026 James Gill – Danehouse)
“I’m here to do the job. If we get to the final, it’s great for Chelsea Football Club that we’re in the final. It’s not about me. I will prove in time whether I’m worthy, whether I’m not, but it’s not at the forefront of my mind.”
Rosenior has won seven of his first eight matches in charge of the Blues. The only blight on his record was the loss to Arteta’s side at Stamford Bridge.
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