Paul Merson was left flabbergasted by Chelsea’s approach in the 1-0 Carabao Cup semi-final second-leg defeat to Arsenal.
The Gunners claimed their place in the Carabao Cup final as Kai Havertz’s breakaway goal in stoppage time sealed a 1-0 win and a 4-2 victory on aggregate.
Liam Rosenior’s side, needing a goal to send the tie to extra-time following the five-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, took a conservative approach to keep the game tight going into the closing stages but hardly laid a glove on Arsenal.
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Merson said (via Sky Sports) “I’m flabbergasted. I can’t believe what I’ve just watched. Chelsea aren’t a bottom-five team. They have World Cup winners.
“[Wesley] Fofana is crying. He should be crying because they never had a go. They’ve gone out with a whimper in a semi-final. It hasn’t worked. Go out in a blaze of glory, don’t go out like that.
“They played in second gear. This is the semi-final of a cup.
“Chelsea have got the players to mix it with Arsenal. And they didn’t have a go. If they’d have lost the game 3-0 but had shot after shot and Kepa was brilliant and they got broken on three times, that’s the way it is.”
