Published: 10:59, 4 February 2026 | Updated: 10:59, 4 February 2026

Chelsea used a fearless tactic while defending corners to leave Arsenal flummoxed in their Carabao Cup semi-final on Tuesday night.

And now it has fans wondering: have they stumbled across a way to rein in Arsenal's dominance from set-pieces?

It marked a refreshing twist on a night when the Blues were criticised for a cautious performance, with Paul Merson claiming they 'went out with a whimper' after losing 1-0 to a Kai Havertz goal and 4-2 on aggregate. 

The trick? At corners, Liam Rosenior flung forward three men to stand on or near the half-way line instead of marking attackers. 

Arsenal admittedly only had two corners, so it is a small sample size, but it certainly gave food for thought.

For Arsenal's first corner in the 17th minute, Chelsea waited for their hosts to gather in their attacking formation before suddenly sending up three men: Malo Gusto, Liam Delap, and Jorrel Hato.

Chelsea sent three men up when Arsenal had corners in their Carabao Cup clash ...