rewrite this title Carabao Cup: Newcastle vs Man City and Chelsea vs Arsenal in semi-final first legs, live on Sky Sports

The Carabao Cup returns to Sky Sports this week for the first legs of the semi-finals.

Holders Newcastle United face Manchester City at St James’ Park on Tuesday before Chelsea host Arsenal on Wednesday. Both games are 8pm kick-offs.

All four teams will be looking to earn themselves an advantage before the reverse fixtures in early February. Arsenal are home to Chelsea on Tuesday February 3 before Manchester City vs Newcastle on Wednesday February 4.

The final takes place at Wembley on Sunday March 22 and will be live on Sky Sports.

Ahead of this week’s fixtures, Sky Sports’ football journalists have looked at the key talking points from the semi-finals…

Same but different – Newcastle face new Carabao Cup test

A Carabao Cup semi-final is nothing new for the Magpies. It was against Arsenal last year that they produced a professional, astute performance across two legs to book their place in the Wembley final.

Newcastle will need to do the same this year against Manchester City if they are to defend their title, and while the experience from 12 months ago is key, there are plenty of differences.

Firstly, the opposition. Pep Guardiola has won the Carabao Cup four times and is the master of navigating multiple competitions. Eddie Howe described them as the hardest team to play over two legs in the country – few would disagree.

Live EFL Cup

Tuesday 13th January 7:00pm

Secondly, Newcastle are playing at home first – often seen as the less favourable draw – whereas last season, their second leg was at home.

St James’ Park is known for its raucous, intimidating atmosphere that can silence even the best of teams. A lot of Newcastle’s success has been driven by the passion and energy from the stands.

Anyone with a ticket for Tuesday’s match will know they need to do the very same to give Newcastle every advantage they can before a return leg at the Etihad, where no doubt the Magpies fans will make just as much of a racket.

Of course, Newcastle’s squad has evolved too. There will be no Alexander Isak – who scored at the Emirates in the first leg last January and in the final – but Anthony Gordon, who also scored twice in the semi-final tie last season, and Harvey Barnes are both in form.

Ultimately, this competition holds a very special place in Newcastle’s hearts. One might argue that of the final four, none want to win it more than the Magpies for the sheer emotion and joy that last season’s Carabao Cup win brought to Tyneside.

Then, it felt like Newcastle were destined to win. They had the players, the manager and the momentum.

While they find themselves in a similar position now, there are plenty of differences that will take experienced heads to take them back at Wembley, defending their Carabao Cup title.Charlotte Marsh

Semenyo to be given key role in Pep’s priority shift

In terms of Premier League position, Manchester City are in dreamland. Against the backdrop of last season’s collapse, the most Pep Guardiola could have hoped for would be something close to what has been achieved. They are in the title picture at the halfway point.

But if Guardiola is realistic he knows the Premier League is not City’s best chance of winning silverware this season, despite being 10 points better off than this time last year. The Carabao Cup might be the competition to offer solace.

Having won the League Cup six times between 2013-2021, City have failed to make it beyond the quarter-final stage since. Perhaps that makes sense when assessing priorities over the past few campaigns; Guardiola has won three league titles and the Champions League in the intervening years.

But priorities shift over time. If the Premier League is Arsenal’s to lose and European success fanciful, then domestic cup competitions provide the best chance to further furnish the trophy cabinet as Guardiola nears the end of a wonderful decade in charge. Maybe his last.

Fighting on all fronts is the minimum expectation and this next block of fixtures will define City’s future. Over the next four weeks there are nine fixtures to contest across four separate competitions with a squad lacking depth because of injuries. That gruelling run includes two meetings with Newcastle, the Manchester derby, and trips to Tottenham and Liverpool. Maintaining spark will be important.

The arrival of Antoine Semenyo might be the boost City need, with the individual talent to make an immediate impact. City have bought yet another low-block specialist, capable of opening up packed defences and unlocking more chances for Erling Haaland to feed off. Semenyo will surely be given that task at St James’ Park on Tuesday.

He’s scored five in his last seven appearances in all competitions, including one on his City debut at the weekend and has an obvious point of difference. Semenyo excels in transition if the intricate possessional stuff isn’t working. In this era of chaotic football he’s the perfect divergent.Laura Hunter

Arsenal must park title charge while there are hopes of a trophy

Mikel Arteta has got a delicate balancing act between now and May. Plenty will say it’s wise to ditch the domestic cups in favour of maintaining Arsenal’s pace atop of the Premier League. I think that would be a mistake.

All eggs in one basket is a risky game. If one cracks, there are teams, or one team at least, still positioned to capitalise. Arteta knows first-hand the threat of Manchester City and their ability to snuff out winning streaks at opportune moments. The title race is far from over and there are no guarantees.

Arteta has been gifted the most robust squad in the league precisely for this reason. It’s designed to stand the test of time across a season where Arsenal go deep in every competition. It has already ridden a demanding festive period, emerging with a six-point advantage on City – nice breathing space. Back yourself while all possibilities are open.

Live EFL Cup

Wednesday 14th January 7:00pm

The Spaniard needs a trophy and one of his own making; he cannot claim the 2020 FA Cup having inherited the squad midway through the season. Arsenal haven’t even made a final since then.

Beating Portsmouth in the FA Cup on Sunday with a weakened team should act as further proof Arteta can rotate and still expect to win games, no matter the opposition. Patience in the project has to be rewarded with trophies and titles at some point, not simply ‘progress’. That word carries less and less meaning the longer the wait goes on.

Failure cannot be an option for Arteta this time round. He must go to Chelsea with the same winning mentality he’s worked so hard to forge.Laura Hunter

Arsenal test could set the tone for Rosenior reign

Liam Rosenior’s first game as Chelsea head coach went as well he could have hoped – a 5-1 win at Championship side Charlton. But his first real test comes on Wednesday, when Arsenal visit Stamford Bridge in their Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, live on Sky Sports.

The size of the occasion speaks for itself. The Premier League leaders, a foe from across the capital who are unbeaten in their last seven trips to Stamford Bridge, are in town, and a place at Wembley is at stake. Rosenior is making his maiden appearance in front of Chelsea’s home fans – and first impressions count.

Enzo Maresca, his predecessor, wasn’t loved by most of the fanbase, but he was respected – largely for his tactical nous in the biggest games. He engineered victories over Barcelona and Liverpool, and an impressive draw with 10 men against the Gunners in recent months, before departing on New Year’s Day.

Can Rosenior emulate that success? That’s the big question mark hanging over him. His work at Derby, Hull and Strasbourg shows he’s a good coach. But is he good enough to compete with the likes of Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola? Is he good enough to win the trophies Chelsea fans demand?

Scepticism is understandable. Rosenior was greeted warmly by the away fans at The Valley, but the same can’t be said for those who appointed him. Chelsea have regressed since last season and now another head coach has left amid a rift with the club’s decision-makers. Behdad Eghbali, the co-owner, and several of the sporting directors have been targeted by the away support in the past week.

It’s a difficult atmosphere for Rosenior to step into. It will be even harder if his side slump against the Gunners, providing those who suspect he wouldn’t have been handed the job were he not already at Chelsea’s sister club further ammunition.

The best way to win over any sceptics, and help to quell the displeasure at his bosses within the fanbase, is by winning. Doing so against Arsenal would be a good start. Doing so at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final would be even better.

That’s why Wednesday is so big for Chelsea and Rosenior. It could go a long way to setting the tone for his reign.Joe Shread