Chelsea coach Liam Rosenior has accused Arsenal of showing a lack of respect during the warm-up ahead of Tuesday’s Carabao Cup semi-final second leg.
Rosenior was seen angrily confronting Arsenal staff and players before the match at the Emirates Stadium, telling them to stay in their own half of the pitch. Arsenal went on to win the game 1-0, sealing a 4-2 aggregate victory and a place in the final.
Speaking to BBC Sport on Thursday, Rosenior clarified that his issue was not with Arsenal’s players but with what he called basic football etiquette.
“When you warm up, you have your half and the other team have their half. I’ve never asked my team or coaches to encroach on the opposition’s territory. In that moment, I didn’t think it was right where they were operating; they were affecting our warm-up,” Rosenior said.
He added that he asked them, “maybe not politely,” to stay in their half. “I’m not here to have mind games. It’s just what I think is right and respectful,” he stated.
Rosenior stressed he holds no wider issue with Arsenal or their manager, Mikel Arteta. “I don’t have an issue with anyone at Arsenal Football Club. Mikel is someone I’ve got so much respect for. It was just in that moment that I didn’t think that respect was shown to my team,” he explained.
Despite the elimination, Rosenior defended his tactics and Chelsea’s performance. The team started with three centre-backs before switching to a more attacking formation late in the game. Arsenal’s winning goal came deep into added time through Kai Havertz on a counter-attack.
Rosenior, who has won six of his eight matches since taking over in January, said external criticism would not affect his decisions. “What people say outside the club makes no difference to my decision-making,” he remarked.
Chelsea’s next match is against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Saturday.
