Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal were ‘scared’ of Chelsea in the first half of their Carabao Cup comeback win.
The Gunners boss changed things tactically and the hosts played with more confidence for the remainder of the game, coming from behind as an Antonio Rudiger own goal and Granit Xhaka’s poked finish saw Wenger’s men reach the final.
Wenger reflected to Sky Sports: ‘In the first half we gave Chelsea too much respect and distance. We were a bit scared to go for it and we suffered from that.
‘We were not playing in the right position but we amended that in the second half and took control of the game.
‘We knew we could perform better in the second half and that’s what we did. In the first half we watched them play a bit but we were tighter after the break.’
An astute alteration from the Frenchman boosted his side.
Wenger moved Mohamed Elneny into a back three, pushed the full-backs up the pitch and deployed Mesut Ozil as a second striker.
The Arsenal boss also reflected on the loss of Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United.
‘We lost a great player in Alexis Sanchez but when a team doesn’t know what’s going on in the dressing room there is less clarity and focus on performances. We know we have to deal with it now,’ he added.
‘We have some time to prepare for the final but we are happy to take our fans to Wembley. ‘We’ve been there a few times now and we’re happy to be going again.’
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