Arsenal claimed a 1-0 EFL Cup semi-final second leg victory against London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium to book their spot in the final following a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Former Blues striker Kai Havertz delivered the hammer blow deep into stoppage time, rounding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and slotting home to finish off Chelsea in the second leg clash.
That victory also saw Arsenal extend their unbeaten streak against Chelsea to ten games across all competitions (W7, D3), sending the Gunners to their first EFL Cup final since 2018.
According to an Arsenal News match report, both sides kicked off the contest knowing there was little margin for error as a single mistake could swing the tie,
Arsenal were willing to protect their first-leg lead while Chelsea looked to contain the Gunners, avoid going further behind, and catch them out late in the game.
Chelsea’s game plan seemed to be working early on, but the nervous energy was hard to ignore, especially at the back. Sanchez was at the thick of things early on, but not of his own doing.
He was forced into action twice by poorly weighted backpasses, and those moments of uncertainty set the tone for a tense and edgy contest.
There were also a couple of hairy moments at the other end of the pitch, although ex-Chelsea goalie Kepa Arrizabalaga barely had much to do.
The Gunners had a scare when an error from William Saliba allowed Liam Delap a sight of goal, but the Chelsea forward dragged his effort wide.
The match never quite settled into a rhythm. Instead, it became a series of small battles across the pitch, with neither team willing to overcommit.
However, there were still flashes of quality as Piero Hincapie produced the best moment of the first half with a curling effort that forced a sharp save from Sanchez.
Chelsea tried their luck from distance on a few occasions, but didn’t do enough to trouble Arrizabalaga.
Blues skipper Enzo Fernandez and centre-back Trevoh Chalobah were guilty of failing to keep their ambitious long-range efforts on target and were nearly punished for it.
Arsenal’s wide players looked to stretch the game as much as possible, and it nearly paid off.
Gabriel Martinelli came close to breaking through after the half-hour mark, but Malo Gusto tracked him stride for stride and blocked his shot at the crucial moment.
Just before the interval, the visitors finally tested Arsenal’s goalkeeper as Fernandez managed to keep one of his long-range efforts on target.
But Arrizabalaga was up to the task, parrying the ball clear of danger and making sure Arsenal kept their aggregate advantage intact heading into the break.
Liam Rosenior has caught the eye by making a chunk of half-time substitutions to turn the tide in Chelsea’s favour, but he sent out the same team for the second half this time around.
While there were no changes, the Blues emerged from the tunnel with an urgency that reflected their desperate need for a goal to level the tie on aggregate.
They pressed higher and moved the ball quicker, and the Blues looked the most likely to break the deadlock, but they couldn’t get past Arsenal’s dogged backline.
It didn’t take long for Rosenior to finally throw in the big guns by bringing in Cole Palmer and Estevao.
While their introduction gave Chelsea more attacking impetus, it still didn’t yield any results.
With Chelsea pouring numbers forward in the hopes of snatching a goal, Arsenal pounced at the last minute with a sweeping counter-attack that left Havertz one-on-one with Sanchez.
The Gunners will now face one of Manchester City or Newcastle United as they look to secure their first major domestic title since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.
