Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson has delivered a critical assessment of Arsenal’s midfield performance during their Tuesday night Carabao Cup semi-final victory over Chelsea. Despite the Gunners securing a 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium to finalize a 4-2 aggregate triumph, Merson argued that the central trio of Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, and Eberechi Eze failed to dictate the tempo of the match.
While Kai Havertz’s dramatic late goal effectively punched Arsenal’s ticket to Wembley, Merson noted that the home side’s engine room struggled significantly against the physical presence and tactical discipline of Chelsea’s Andrey Santos and Moises Caicedo.
Merson’s analysis focused on the lack of creative output and control from the Arsenal midfield, which appeared uncharacteristically stagnant throughout the second leg. He suggested that the Gunners’ trio struggled to find their rhythm, allowing Chelsea’s defensive pairing to disrupt play and maintain pressure for large portions of the encounter. Additionally, the former England international criticized Liam Rosenior’s tactical deployment of Enzo Fernández, noting that the Argentine World Cup winner was largely neutralized while playing in a wide-left role against Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié and Jurriën Timber.
The narrow victory marks Arsenal’s first return to a League Cup final in eight years, setting up a high-stakes showdown at Wembley on March 22 against either Manchester City or Newcastle United. However, the performance has raised questions regarding the team’s depth and consistency as they enter the most demanding phase of the season. Mikel Arteta’s side must now quickly recalibrate their tactical approach to ensure their midfield can better handle elite opposition during the final months of their multi-trophy pursuit.
The league leaders will now pivot their attention back to the Premier League title race as they prepare to host Sunderland this Saturday. Reflecting on the midfield battle at the Emirates, Paul Merson shared his candid observations:
“The Arsenal midfield three were not great but they played against a very good midfield three in Caicedo and Santos. I thought Enzo was wasted out on the left in the first half, playing on the left against one of Arsenal’s better defenders in Timber.”
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