Chelsea vs Arsenal: Who is the referee and VAR for the Carabao Cup semi-final tie?
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The officials have been confirmed for Chelsea's Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Arsenal on Wednesday night.
Chelsea host Arsenal in the first leg of the semi-final tie and will be hoping to take a lead to the Emirates next month.
The stakes are big and it can't get much bigger for Liam Rosenior, who will be introduced to the Chelsea fans for the first time at Stamford Bridge since his appointment, as he looks to guide the Blues to the Carabao Cup final.
"We need to have a really, really good game on Wednesday," said Rosenior pre-match. "But I'm confident in the group that they've shown, and not just in the time before me, but in the last few days, they're really hungry.
A huge game awaits on Wednesday night.
— Absolute Chelsea (@AbsoluteChelsea) January 12, 2026
Switching focus to the 1st leg of our Carabao Cup semi-final tie against Arsenal! 🔜🔵 pic.twitter.com/AE4dakOe8B
"They really believe in themselves and it's going to be a really, really good occasion on Wednesday night."
As Wednesday's tie awaits, the officials have been confirmed for the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Referee
The EFL have confirmed that Simon Hooper will take charge of the tie between Chelsea and Arsenal.
Assistants
Simon Hooper will be supported by Adrian Holmes and Simon Long on the touchline.
Fourth Official
Andrew Kitchen has been named as the Fourth Official for Wednesday's match, with the referee overseeing conduct within the two dugouts, and the behaviour of Liam Rosenior and Mikel Arteta.
VAR/Assistant VAR
Overseeing proceedings from Stockley Park on Wednesday will be Jarred Gillett, who has been named as the Video Assistant Referee, with the Assistant Video Assistant Referee being Timothy Wood.
Matt Debono leads the editorial team which covers Chelsea On SI. He has witnessed Chelsea win it all, whilst also featuring on ITV News, SPORTbible and various other publications.