Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has issued a stark warning to Arsenal ahead of their crucial Carabao Cup semi-final second leg, suggesting Chelsea will approach the match with immense confidence following two remarkable comeback victories.
Chelsea's Historic Comeback Against West Ham
Chelsea created Premier League history on Saturday by becoming the first team in the competition's history to win a match after trailing by two goals or more at half-time. The Blues found themselves 2-0 down against relegation-threatened West Ham at the interval, with Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville putting the Hammers in control.
However, Liam Rosenior's side displayed remarkable resilience in the second half, with Joao Pedro, Marc Cucurella and Enzo Fernandez all finding the net to complete a stunning 3-2 turnaround that left West Ham devastated.
European Drama Against Napoli
This dramatic Premier League comeback followed another impressive European recovery just days earlier. Chelsea had trailed Antonio Conte's Napoli in their Champions League encounter on Wednesday night before staging a second-half fightback to secure a 3-2 victory.
The result sent the Serie A champions crashing out of the competition while ensuring Chelsea progressed directly to the knockout stages, avoiding the dreaded play-off round that had loomed over them.
Neville's Analysis of Chelsea's Inconsistency
Speaking on Sky Sports, Neville praised Chelsea's fighting spirit while highlighting their concerning inconsistency. 'What a great comeback for Chelsea, creating their own history having never done it before – coming back from two goals down,' Neville said.
'Devastation for West Ham, they contributed enormously to the game. But Chelsea, you can watch them in the same game and think two completely different things. They looked like kids and babies for large parts of the game and then all of a sudden they come to life and they are a real force.'
The former Manchester United defender specifically addressed the upcoming Carabao Cup clash: 'They go into the top four and they'll go into that game against Arsenal in the Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday so confident having come back in the last two games against Napoli and West Ham.'
Arsenal's Response and Confidence
While Chelsea's confidence will be soaring, Arsenal have their own reasons for optimism ahead of Tuesday's crucial encounter. Mikel Arteta's side completed a flawless Champions League group campaign with a victory over Kairat during the week before delivering a statement performance against Leeds United on Saturday.
The Gunners thumped Leeds 4-0 at Elland Road, responding emphatically to three successive Premier League games without a win. Arsenal star Noni Madueke emphasised the importance of the performance: 'It's massive. Obviously, our last couple of performances in the Premier League haven't been the greatest in terms of results, but today was a real statement.'
'We're going to watch what [City and Villa] do and focus on our game as well on Tuesday. That's most important for us. Adding confidence after a performance like this, not only just the win, but a really dominant performance. We're going into that game on Tuesday knowing what's at stake and knowing what we need to do.'
The Carabao Cup Stakes
Chelsea face the challenge of overturning a 3-2 deficit from the first leg against Premier League leaders Arsenal. The winner of Tuesday's semi-final second leg will face either Manchester City or holders Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final scheduled for March 22.
Neville concluded his analysis with words of encouragement for West Ham: 'West Ham, keep your heads up. If you play like that, you've got a great chance of staying up.' However, his primary message remained clear – Arsenal should be wary of a Chelsea side riding high on the confidence generated by their remarkable comeback victories.
