“Supersub” Chelsea Versus “The Finisher” Arsenal

LONDON, MONDAY - Falling behind early is not a major issue for Chelsea. Coach Liam Rosenior has substitute players who can change the game in an instant or "supersub." Arsenal is undeterred as they have a variety of eleven players to finish the match, which is dubbed "the finisher."

One ticket to the final of the English League Cup will be contested at the Emirates Stadium, London, on Wednesday (4/2/2026) at 03:00 WIB. Arsenal, leading with an aggregate score of 3-2, will host Chelsea in the second semifinal match at their home ground. The pressure is on Chelsea, but they arrive with full confidence to turn the situation around.

Chelsea was trailing at halftime in their last two matches, against Napoli and West Ham United. However, they always emerged victorious at the final whistle. This was all thanks to the timely substitutions made by Rosenior. Midfielder Cole Palmer was brought on in the second half against Napoli and immediately contributed two assists.

Most recently, last weekend, striker Joao Pedro (1 goal, 1 assist) and full-back Marc Cucurella (1 goal) were supersubs in the 3-2 win over West Ham. "The players showed me that they were involved (even though they weren't starters). Everyone who came on could have an impact," said Rosenior.

Arsenal has even experienced the threat of Chelsea's "supersub" firsthand. In the first semifinal, in mid-January, they were actually comfortable with a 2-0 lead. However, Chelsea's substitute player Alejandro Garnacho managed to narrow the gap with two goals.

There is something interesting about the "supersub" phenomenon in the Chelsea camp. All impactful substitutions were made right at or a few minutes after halftime. This demonstrates the quick response and good problem identification by the coach.

Arsenal should remain cautious despite having a one-goal lead. "The reality is that Arsenal is still the favorite in this encounter. They are ahead and playing at home. They will certainly aim to advance. We must take our game as far as possible; the second half will be very important, and hopefully, it can be our turning point," said Rosenior.

Chelsea has the potential to pose a greater challenge to the home team. They can utilize the services of several key players, such as Palmer, Moises Caicedo, and Reece James, who were unavailable in the first semifinal. "The Blues" have also become increasingly comfortable under Rosenior after going through seven matches.

Arsenal shouldn't be daunted by second-half performances. They boast the deepest squad in England. With so many available players, manager Mikel Arteta has divided his squad into two sections: starters and finishers.

"The Finisher" is the term used by Arteta for the eleven players on the field at the final whistle. He employs this term to equalize the roles of both starting and substitute players. Moreover, player rotation has become a common practice for Arsenal, especially in domestic cup competitions.

According to Arteta, player rotation will be more frequent in the second half of the season. "We have better depth now, unlike the first seven months when many players were injured. We understand the demands and standards required, and we need all players as we have to compete every two or three days," he said.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has been affected by the manager's rotation decisions. He has lost his starting spot in the last two matches, replaced by Kai Havertz. Interestingly, Odegaard has been very impressive when coming off the bench and has been part of the "finisher."

Odegaard was directly involved in Arsenal's final two goals in their 4-0 win over Leeds last weekend, despite only playing for the final half hour. His standards have improved dramatically compared to the three-game run in mid-January, when Odegaard started.

Arsenal only needs a draw to advance to the final. Meanwhile, the visiting team needs to win by two goals if they wish to qualify directly. If Chelsea only wins by one goal, and the match ends in a draw at the end of regular time, the game will proceed to extra time.

Goals have always been abundant in the last two matches between Arsenal and Chelsea. There have consistently been at least four goals in each of their matches over the past week. Given this record and the urgency of each team in this decisive match, the London derby is almost certain to be high-scoring. (AP/REUTERS)