Liam Rosenior: Chelsea 'still in this tie' after Arsenal Carabao Cup loss

The coach also delivered a detailed update on key injuries ahead of matches against Brentford, Crystal Palace and West Ham.

Chelsea were punished early at Stamford Bridge after two mistakes allowed Arsenal to take control of the game through Ben White and Viktor Gyokeres goals, before substitute Alejandro Garnacho changed the momentum.

The winger pulled one back to give Chelsea hope, but Arsenal restored their two-goal cushion through Martin Zubimendi. Garnacho then struck again late on, ensuring Chelsea travelled to the Emirates for the second leg just one goal down.

Despite the loss, Rosenior was proud of his team's response. "We're still in this tie," he said. "Going into the second leg only one goal behind gives us something to fight for. The reaction from the players showed real character."

Looking ahead to a busy schedule, Rosenior confirmed Cole Palmer was close to returning. "The game came too early for him," he told Sky Sports. "Hopefully he'll train on Friday and be ready for Saturday. It was a minor strain, but if you rush a player in January, that can turn into six weeks.

"I cannot afford to lose Cole Palmer for six weeks."

Rosenior also updated fans on Reece James and Jamie Gittens. "Reece had a big knock on his hip. It was too sore for him, but hopefully he'll be back on Saturday," he said. "Jamie was ill on the day of the game. He was meant to play, but four hours before kick-off he couldn't."

The Chelsea boss defended goalkeeper Robert Sanchez after his difficult evening of being responsible for mistakes that led to two goals. "When my players make mistakes, I'm accountable," Rosenior said. "I'm asking Rob to do things he hasn't done before. He also made a world-class save in the second half that could be massive for us."

With league games against Brentford, Crystal Palace and West Ham coming up, Rosenior remained upbeat. "There are a lot of positives," he added. "This group showed they won't give up."