Mikel Arteta’s men kept their hopes of winning a quadruple alive with a hard-fought 1–0 victory over their London rivals, Chelsea, sealing the tie 4–2 on aggregate in the semifinals of the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners held a slender one-goal advantage after winning the first leg 3–2 a fortnight ago. With 90 minutes still to play, there was plenty at stake in this encounter.
It proved to be a game of fine margins, with opportunities few and far between. Arsenal carved out the better chances but lacked the cutting edge needed to break down Chelsea’s defence.
With the aggregate scoreline still delicately poised, Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior turned to his bench, introducing Cole Palmer and Estevão in a bid to change the game.
Arsenal responded by bringing on Leandro Trossard and former Chelsea forward Kai Havertz.
Desperate to level the tie, Chelsea piled on the pressure and repeatedly tested Arsenal’s backline, but the Gunners’ defence stood firm.
With time running out, the hosts absorbed pressure before launching a swift counterattack. Declan Rice picked out Havertz, who calmly beat Robert Sánchez to seal Arsenal’s place in the final and complete a 4–2 aggregate triumph over Chelsea.
Arsenal will now await the winners of today’s semi-final between Newcastle United and Manchester City, with the latter holding a 2–0 advantage.
The Gunners’ last final appearance came in 2018, when they lost 3–0 to Manchester City. They now have the opportunity to lift the famous trophy for the first time in over 37 years — could this finally be Arsenal’s season to mint gold?
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