Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea (4-2 aggregate): Arsenal’s dramatic win in west London was enough to get them over the line and secure a place in this season’s Carabao Cup final.
Kai Havertz celebrates his late goal against Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Arsenal have been confirmed as the first finalists of this year’s Carabao Cup after Kai Havertz defeated his former club Chelsea. After a thrilling 3-2 win at Stamford Bridge, the Gunners did well enough to see off their neighbors in the second leg.
Mikel Arteta’s side could have clinched victory from the penalty spot, but Gabriel Magalhães had the best chance from open play after Gabriel Martinelli saw his appeal rejected.
With Chelsea pushing late on, the Gunners made the most of their advantage as former Blue Kai Havertz rounded Robert Sanchez to seal victory. Arsenal will now turn their attention to tomorrow’s other semi-final, Manchester City vs. Newcastle, to find their Wembley opponents.
Here are the talking points about Emirates Stadium:
read more: Liam Rosenior was caught on camera venting his anger at Arsenal stars before the game against Chelsea.read more: Bukayo Saka out of Arsenal vs Chelsea squad as new injury schedule emerges
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Injuries continue to pile up
Even before the match, Mikel Arteta had suffered from several headaches. England star Bukayo Saka picked up an injury in the game against Leeds and was predictably absent from the rest of his team-mates, being replaced by Noni Maduke.
Another notable absentee was captain Martin Odegaard. Given that they were without their two most creative players, it was no surprise that the Gunners struggled in attack.
With both the Premier League and FA Cup games coming up, Arteta will no doubt be hoping to bring the duo together soon.
Noni Madueke replaced Bukayo Saka vs Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
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Chelsea adopt innovative corner approach
Premier League clubs are looking at ways to blunt Arsenal’s threat from corners, but not many have been successful. And Chelsea took a somewhat unconventional approach when trying to defend. Just don’t do it.
From Arsenal’s early corner kick, three Chelsea players were outside the penalty area, leaving Arsenal vulnerable to a counter-attack. To counter that, Arsenal were forced to keep their own players outside the box, and to Chelsea’s credit, it paid off, with the Gunners unable to find the back of the net from their usually effective set-pieces.
arsenal do the job
It was a far cry from Arsenal’s old performances, but Arteta will not be bothered one bit, considering they have secured a spot in the final and are 90 minutes away from major silverware.
The Gunners did what they needed to do to get over the line. They kept Chelsea at arm’s length throughout the entire 90 minutes. Of course, the game and performance will be forgettable, but it would have been worth it if they made it all the way and lifted the trophy.
Arsenal performed well against Chelsea (Image: Getty Images)
Appeal against penalties
If a goal can come from anywhere, it seems more likely to come from the penalty spot. In the second half, both teams were clamoring for spot kicks.
In Chelsea’s case, there were several screams of handball, which were duly cleared in the end. Meanwhile, Emirates were vocal about Trevor Chalobah’s challenge on Gabriel Martinelli, which was also considered a legal tackle and was probably the right decision.
Havertz secures victory
Maybe you’re the only one who knows? Kai Havertz is the man who will ensure Arsenal’s place at Wembley.
The former Chelsea man was brought on as a late substitute at the Emirates and livened up a frankly miserable game.
With the visitors looking for an equalizer, he was perfectly picked out by Declan Rice in a wide space, rounding Sanchez and forcing him into an unprotected net. After a difficult spell at Stamford Bridge, plagued by injuries, there has arguably never been a more popular goalscorer.
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