"That's your half!", Rosenior fumes at Arsenal staff

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior has accused Arsenal's coaching staff of showing a "lack of respect" after a heated exchange during the warm-ups ahead of Tuesday's League Cup semi-final at the Emirates.

Cameras caught the 41-year-old Blues' boss visibly furious, shouting, "That's your half! That's your f***** half. Stay there!" as tensions flared even before the ball was kicked.

Speaking on Thursday, Rosenior was keen to draw a clear line: the issue was not with Arsenal's players - only with their staff.

"It wasn't the players," Rosenior insisted. "When you warm up, you have your half and the other team have theirs. I've never asked my team or my coaches to encroach on the opposition's territory. In that moment, I didn't think it was right where they were operating.

"They were affecting my lads' warm-up and my staff's warm-up. So I asked them - maybe not politely - to stay in their half. I'm not here for mind games. It's about what's right and respectful."

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Rosenior doubled down on the idea of football etiquette, stressing there was no wider conflict with Arsenal as a club.

"There are certain unwritten rules in football. I always try to be respectful. I've got no issue with Arsenal Football Club at all. They've got a fantastic manager."

That manager, Mikel Arteta, wasn't even on the pitch at the time of the incident. In fact, mutual respect between the two coaches has been evident on both sides. Before the first leg, Arteta spoke warmly about Rosenior's reputation, and after Arsenal's victory, he again praised Chelsea's organisation and competitiveness.

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On the night itself, however, respect didn't translate into mercy. A stoppage-time goal from former Blue Kai Havertz sealed a 1-0 win (4-2 on aggregate), sending Arsenal to the final, where Manchester City await at Wembley on March 22.