Chelsea will face an Arsenal or Crystal Palace semi-final Carabao Cup after Wednesday’s draw; an all-London battle at Stamford Bridge could occur depending on the other game.
By beating Cardiff City 3-1 on Tuesday, the Blues earned their spot in the last four and will get to know their opponents only after the final quarter-final game is over next week.
Up next for Arsenal and Crystal Palace will be a visit to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, December 23, for the game postponed due to Palace’s UEFA Conference League commitments. The clash was moved to stop the Eagles from having three games in five days, a move that disappointed Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, who expressed concerns about fixture congestion and, at the same time, gave credit to Palace’s situation.
As a result of the changed fixture, Arsenal’s league game against Everton was shifted to Saturday, December 20, to allow the Gunners to have a comfortable time of no less than 48 hours between their matches.
The other pair of semi-finals will feature defending champions Newcastle United.
Along with their late 2-1 home victory over Fulham, Newcastle secured a semi-final spot, and City made it after dispatching Brentford by 2-0.
There will be two games to decide who goes through in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, the first meeting taking place in the week starting January 12, 2026, and the second leg in the following week beginning February 2. On the final date of Sunday, March 22, Wembley Stadium will be the venue for the final game.
