Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney has criticised Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior over his comments following the club’s Carabao Cup semi-final defeat to Arsenal. Deeney described the remarks as “generic” and lacking emotion, questioning whether Chelsea truly showed the courage needed to try and win the game at the Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea went into the second leg trailing 3-2 from the first match, but Rosenior surprised many by setting up his team with a defensive back five. While the approach limited Arsenal’s attacking play early on, it also left Chelsea struggling to create clear chances. Substitutions made around the hour mark failed to change the flow of the game, as Arsenal remained solid and in control.

Arsenal eventually progressed 4-2 on aggregate, booking a place in their first major cup final in nearly six years, where they will face Manchester City. Deeney was particularly unhappy with Rosenior’s post-match interview on CBS Sports, where the Chelsea boss said he was proud of the team’s performance despite the loss and spoke positively about coaching details.

Reacting to the interview, Deeney said Chelsea fans would not want to hear such comments after a knockout defeat. He argued that the performance showed little intent to win the match and was more focused on stopping Arsenal. Deeney added that talking about set-piece coaching after elimination only made the situation worse, stressing that fans expect visible fight and urgency in big games.