Carabao Cup Semifinal 1st leg: Chelsea 0-0 Arsenal
There has been no winner in four matches between the two London club. The winner will be decided at the Emirates stadium for the return leg. This match will be very important for Arsenal for another chance to win a trophy.
Relegated to the sixth place and recently eliminated from the FA Cup by a Premiership club, a final at Wembley stadium would be a bonanza for Wenger’s squad that has been struggling the last few weeks. Both coaches express their views post-game.
Coach Wenger
We play at home in [the second leg] in a game we want to win. We have to win to qualify for the final, so let’s do the job. Overall I believe that it is of course a good opportunity for us to go to Wembley where we want to go. But we know that Chelsea are a dangerous side, so that is why it is important until then that we win our Premier League games and prepare after.”
Chelsea coach Antonio Conte believes his team should have won:
“I think it would have been better to win the game, to win 1-0,’ said the Italian. ‘The positive things were that we didn’t concede and when you play a semi-final with two legs, to play at home and not concede is important.
‘We tried to win and shot 20 times, we created chances to score but we didn’t take them. We must be more clinical offensively otherwise if you don’t score and you are unlucky the game finishes as a draw. After Norwich it’s the second 0-0 in a row, we have to reflect on that and improve in the training sessions.
We have the same chance to go and play the final at Wembley, 50-50. Also, don’t forget not conceding at home could be very important for the second leg. We know playing at the Emirates is not easy but we are ready. We deserve the opportunity to play this semi-final and we must be very happy to do this.’
‘To play Arsenal three times in only three weeks is very strange. For us it’s simple to prepare for the game because you know the team and the way they are playing. When you reach quarter-finals and semi-finals in England you must be prepared to face big teams, in this case we’ve had to play Arsenal in the league and the Carabao Cup.’
