Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal: Alejandro Garnacho’s two goals were not enough for the home side as Victor Goqueres ducked to give the Gunners the advantage going into the second leg
Robert Sanchez was at fault for both Arsenal goals (Image: Alex Pantling/Getty Images)
Arsenal took a one-point advantage in the Carabao Cup semi-final second leg after a frenetic second half at Stamford Bridge.
The visitors took the lead after just seven minutes when Robert Sanchez fluttered in a corner and Ben White headed into the empty goal. Víctor Göqueres gave Sanchez the easiest chance, with a cross that slipped through his glove, giving him one yard to go to make it 2-0.
Alejandro Garnacho halved the deficit with a hit at the back post, but Chelsea’s hopes were short-lived as Martin Zvimendi snaked his way through the box and fired into the top corner.
Sanchez made a great flying save to deny Mikel Merino’s strong volley, and Garnacho had some interesting moments as Kepa Arrizabalaga fluttered in the corner before letting his volley bounce off the floor and into the net. Although Chelsea performed well, they were unable to score the equalizer.
Here are some talking points from our fun encounters.
1. Sanchez is responsible.
One corner kick for Arsenal, one goal for Arsenal. We all know the Gunners are masters of set pieces, but this was too easy. Most of the blame lies with Chelsea’s goalkeeper.
Sanchez has managed to shake off his previous reputation as a shaky keeper who has made some shocking mistakes recently. And there was nothing dramatic about his failure here, just a simple mistake in which Joao Pedro also misjudged the trajectory of the ball and White took advantage of.
Arsenal’s second goal came from a corner kick in the 16th minute, but the Spaniard’s finicky nature was on display once again as he dropped the ball in-swinging without much pressure and spilled a simple cross for Goqueres to make it 2-0.
Robert Sanchez misses the ball and Ben White concedes a header (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
2. Rosenia’s injury
By the time they reached the tie, Chelsea were already on the back foot. Once the team sheet was released, Cole Palmer, Reece James, Moises Caicedo, Maro Gusto, Jamie Gittens and Liam Delap were all absent, further reducing chances.
“We’ve been through a war the last few days,” Rosenior told Sky Sports before kick-off. “But at the same time, I think we still have enough to be competitive and win this game.” Palmer, James and Caicedo are arguably Chelsea’s best three players, and while Rosenior was right to emphasize the depth of the team, their presence in the stands rather than on the pitch was clearly a hindrance for Chelsea.
Liam Rosenior didn’t have Cole Palmer and co. (Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
3. Gokeres folds a duck
In recent weeks, Gokeres has looked like a striker who has lost his confidence. The man who scored 97 goals in 102 games for Sporting Lisbon has transformed into something completely different – not the player Arsenal signed for £64 million.
There’s a common cliché in soccer that says it’s good to score goals from behind the opponent’s back, and Gökeres was at exactly that level. It wasn’t that way this time, but I clocked in at 0.98xG and it couldn’t have been easier. It was his first goal in 16 games in an open game.
Victor Gokeres made it 2-0 (Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside via Getty Images)
4. Garnacho leaves his mark
Garnacho left Manchester United for £40 million in the summer after falling out with Ruben Amorim. Hoping the grass would be greener in west London, he started late but is starting to make his presence felt on the left flank.
The Argentine winger found himself in the right place at the right time once the match started, snorting and burying two chances to save his team in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
Alejandro Garnacho scores twice (Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
5. 4x on?
Arsenal are top of the Premier League. Arsenal are top of the Champions League. Arsenal are still in the FA Cup. Arsenal are on track to qualify for the Carabao Cup final after their first semi-final. So can they win a lot?
Of course, that is highly unlikely, but this season’s squad has been very stable, and the strength and depth Arteta requires means there is no sign of them falling apart as the campaign continues. Arsenal’s bench options at Stamford Bridge highlighted their qualifications, especially when compared to their opponents.
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