John Terry has criticised Arsenal’s response to their Carabao Cup semi-final win over Chelsea, claiming Mikel Arteta’s side were ‘celebrating far too much’ and ‘showing the pressure’.
Arsenal went into the second leg at the Emirates holding a 3–2 advantage, putting them in a strong position to reach the final, though they were forced to battle hard on Tuesday evening.
Chelsea arrived in north London set up in a back five and largely succeeded in limiting Arsenal’s attacking threat during what turned into a slow, cautious contest.
However, with 20 minutes left, Arteta introduced two substitutes and the move paid off. Former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz came off the bench and struck deep into stoppage time, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.
Arsenal are now just one match away from lifting their first major trophy since winning the FA Cup in Arteta’s first season in charge in 2020, with only Manchester City who overcame Newcastle in the other semi-final — standing in their way.
Chelsea, managed by Liam Rosenior, will aim to put the setback behind them when they face struggling Wolves away in the Premier League later today.
Looking back on Chelsea’s 4–2 aggregate loss, Terry said his old club left it ‘far too late’ to mount a serious comeback in the second leg.
“I think against Arsenal, this year the two games I’ve seen, we’ve outplayed Arsenal,” the former Chelsea and England captain said on TikTok.
“So going into those games, I’ve never feared Arsenal anyway, in the league or in any competition.
“I think it’s different if we’re in the Champions League semi-final, I think you’re approach then becomes a little bit cautious.
“But it’s the Carabao Cup, we’ve won it many times and we had nothing to fear, I don’t think, going into that. I think the pressure was on Arsenal in the week and I think we made it very easy for them at home as well, so disappointed with that, I think we left it far too late.”
Terry then shifted focus to Arsenal’s reaction after the final whistle, suggesting the celebrations were excessive given it ‘wasn’t the Champions League final’.
He argued that the scenes reflected how Arteta’s squad are ‘showing the pressure’ and ‘feeling the nerves’ amid heightened expectations this season.
“I just want to talk on Arsenal’s celebrations after… let’s not forget, it’s the Carabao Cup, it’s not the Champions League final,” he added.
“They celebrated far too much for me, I think that showed the pressure that’s on them at the moment.
“I’ve said it before, Arsenal are looking the best team by far in the Premier League so far and I think they’ve got the best squad in the Premier League so far.
“They’ve got a lot of strength in depth and I think they’ve been the best, but also, it certainly wasn’t the Champions League final that they’ve qualified to, it’s the Carabao Cup final.
“Yes, it’s the first competition you can win, I think it’s really important, but that just showed me where the Arsenal team are at at the moment.
“They can feel the nerves and I know every Arsenal fan out there is feeling what I’m feeling, that there’s still a chance.”
