Arsenal scored three goals and won a hard-fought battle against Chelsea, raising their hopes of winning the Carabao Cup. It was a heated battle between the North Londoners, who still have a chance of winning their first major trophy in six years. At the end of an enthralling match, their quality prevailed and they came close to qualifying for the Wembley final.
Ben White took the lead within seven minutes with a guided header after Chelsea failed to deal with Declan Rice’s inswinging corner. The hosts responded well from behind and it was an even contest until the half mark. However, Arsenal doubled their advantage just minutes after the restart when Victor Goqueres capitalized on a mistake by Roberto Sanchez to score.
Alejandro Garnacho pulled one back for Chelsea just before time expired, taking advantage of a rare opening in the Gunners’ defense to slot the ball home. The visitors quickly restored their two-goal cushion when Martin Zvimendi darted into space in the penalty area and fired a shot past Sanchez. However, Garnacho’s second shot gave Chelsea a glimmer of hope in the closing stages.
They looked for a dramatic equalizer but it failed to materialise, leaving Arsenal to celebrate at the final whistle. The result means they go into next month’s second leg at the Emirates Stadium with a small aggregate points buffer against their intercity rivals, and benefit from home advantage.
Express Sport rates and predicts Arsenal players for tonight’s match…
More could have been done to prevent Garnacho from scoring his first goal. He made an important save late on to deny Estevao.
He rose highest to score the first goal and made some great passes to push Arsenal forward in the final third.
He handled his defensive duties reasonably well and was a nuisance in the box during set pieces.
Although it set back a key task in the build-up to Garnacho’s first goal, it was a forgettable moment. Other than that, I did well.
With Ricardo Calafioli injured and Miles Lewis-Skelly rested, he was used in an unfamiliar role on the left wing. Solid display.
Relentless pressing allowed Arsenal to win the ball in dangerous areas. The team’s pulse rose and they were rewarded with a stunning goal.
He swung through the corner kick that led to the first goal. He utilized his passing range effectively and kept things moving in the middle of the park.
He saw a lot of ball, but he didn’t have the impact he wanted. They lost the ball in the build-up to Garnacho’s opening goal.
He worked hard to create chances on the right side and was in the way from start to finish. He constantly asked questions of Chelsea’s defenders.
He played a good game and never stopped running up and down the left side. He used the ball well to lead his teammates into plays.
He scored from close range and regained some much-needed confidence. He also assisted Zvimendi’s goal.
He looked fit when he came on, but just days after scoring a hat-trick against Portsmouth, he failed to get on the scoresheet.
He posed an attacking threat in the final stages. He almost scored with a bouncing volley, but missed the goal.
