Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (AGG 4-2): Kai Havertz scores to seal the Gunners’ place at Wembley after a tense night against their London rivals at the Emirates
Kai Havertz scores the last-gasp equalizer between Arsenal and Chelsea.
It was a tense night on Emirates Airlines, a brutal war of attrition. But 180 minutes later, Arsenal finally broke the semi-final curse and put Mikel Arteta on track to win his first trophy in six years.
The Gunners are heading to Wembley and, frankly, their fans don’t care how they got there. But Kai Havertz, who had the last laugh at his old club with a 97th-minute clincher, probably felt even happier.
Chelsea were pushing forward with all their might, but Arsenal punished them with a stunning come-from-behind goal. After a thrilling five-goal showing in last month’s first leg, it was a snooze-fest as Arsenal saw off Chelsea in the semi-finals to break their own curse.
Arsenal have qualified for the Carabao Cup final on March 22nd, and this was their first win in the semi-finals in five games. Incredibly, Arsenal still have four trophies in their sights this season, while the leaders of the Premier League battled it out to the bitter end and were eliminated.
read more: Arsenal advance to Carabao Cup final, Kai Havertz returns to Chelsea – 5 talking pointsread more: Liam Rosenior was caught on camera venting his anger at Arsenal stars before the game against Chelsea.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior will be proud of the way his players have performed in the second team, having only been in charge for 28 days.
In the end, Chelsea could not find a way to break through Arsenal’s stubborn and resilient defense, and it stung in the tail after such a close game.
There were very few chances in the match and they had to wait until the very end for their chance. It was a big game in terms of tension and high stakes, but very low in quality and entertainment.
With captain Martin Odegaard absent due to injury, Gunners defender Gabriel, wearing his captain’s armband, sent a long ball over the top where Gabriel Martinelli ran out, but could not get a shot on target.
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Arsenal finally break the semi-final curse and secure a spot at Wembley
Chelsea were unable to get their first shot on target until the 43rd minute when Enzo Fernandes fired in a superb shot from 25 yards, but Arsenal keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga parried the ball away.
It was hard to tell if it was Arsenal’s rope-a-dope or just dope. It never seemed as if they knew whether to cling to or twist the thin lead in the first leg.
Arsenal also struggled to find any rhythm or semblance of top gear, with so many players held back. Eberechi Eze played the No. 10 role very quietly, and Victor Gökeres struggled to get into the game, even though he was less hungry for service.
In contrast, Chelsea were tied with one goal and seemed content to bide their time as their goal was not under much threat. That frustration prompted Arteta to issue a warning just after half-time after being dissatisfied with a decision he didn’t like from referee Peter Banks.
It was heartbreaking for Chelsea as they conceded a late goal.
Rosenior sent in his cavalry with an hour remaining, bringing on Estebao Willian and Cole Palmer, giving Chelsea’s attack an added advantage. As Chelsea chased down Arsenal, Palmer took a free-kick and pushed it away, but in reality the home defense stood firm to deny it.
The Gunners then ran away with a death, Declan Rice clearing a charge and Havertz rounding Sanchez to score and finally relieve the pressure.
Then the celebrations began with the home fans singing a song to Havertz. “We threw away £60 million down the drain – Kai Havertz scores again.” His goals have rarely felt good.
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