Saturday, February 7, 2026 - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has apologized to Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior after a pre-match disagreement regarding pitch encroachment ahead of their League Cup semi-final second leg on Tuesday, February 11.
Rosenior expressed frustration before the match, which
Arsenal won 1-0 to secure a 4-2 aggregate victory, after members of Arsenal's
technical staff entered Chelsea's half during the warm-up. The Chelsea manager
was seen demanding they return to their own side of the pitch
"I’ve never asked my team or coaches to encroach on the
opposition’s territory," Rosenior said afterward. "In that moment, I
didn’t think it was right where they were operating; they were affecting our
warm-up. I asked them, maybe not politely, to make sure they stay in their
half. 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.
Responding to the criticism ahead of Arsenal's Premier
League match against Sunderland this weekend, Arteta offered an apology.
"It’s his opinion, and we respect everybody. At any point, if one of the
staff members did that, we apologise," Arteta stated. "It’s very
common in football. With the keepers, they need to kick long balls."
With the win, Arsenal advanced to the League Cup final
against Manchester City on March 22. Arteta's side now turns its focus to
maintaining its lead at the top of the Premier League, sitting six points clear
of second-placed City ahead of their crucial match at Liverpool on Sunday.
Arteta, however, remained focused on the immediate task.
"We are far from that," Arteta said regarding
title talk. "Sunderland have been on an incredible run all season. We know
the complexity of the match. It’s another opportunity to win. To be better in
the position. That’s it."
Arsenal remains in contention across four competitions this
season, seeking its first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.
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