Arsenal Edges Chelsea At The Death To Reach Carabao Cup Final

‎Arsenal booked their place in the Carabao Cup final in dramatic fashion, snatching a last-gasp 1–0 win over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium to seal a 4–2 aggregate victory.

‎The triumph extended the Gunners’ unbeaten run against the Blues to ten matches, and also secured their first cup final appearance since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.

‎A Cagey Start

‎With both teams understanding how much the tie meant, the match opened with visible tension. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez endured two early scares, forced to scramble after a pair of underhit backpasses from his defenders.

‎On the other side, Arsenal nearly gifted the visitors a breakthrough when William Saliba’s rare slip allowed Liam Delap a clear sight of goal only for the forward to drag his effort wide.

‎The first half followed a pattern of physical battles and half-chances. Marc Cucurella was at the heart of many midfield duels, while Arsenal’s Piero Hincapié produced the opening noteworthy attempt, bending a curling effort that required a sharp save from Sánchez in the 18th minute.

‎Rain at the Emirates made the surface slick, causing occasional slips as both sides struggled to create fluid attacks.

‎Chelsea’s Trevoh Chalobah attempted to break the deadlock with a long-range strike, but his scuffed effort dribbled harmlessly off-target.

‎Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli then came closest for the home side shortly after the half-hour mark, only to be matched stride-for-stride by Malo Gusto, who produced an impressive last-ditch block.

‎The first half ended with Kepa Arrizabalaga being called into action for the first time, getting both hands behind Enzo Fernández’s ambitious drive from distance.

‎Chelsea Push, Arsenal Endure

‎Liam Rosenior’s Chelsea emerged from the break with greater intent, knowing they needed at least two goals to overturn the aggregate score.

‎ João Pedro’s deflected attempt and Eberechi Eze’s block on Jorrel Hato’s shot gave the visitors a sense of momentum.

‎Rosenior then turned to his bench, introducing the influential Cole Palmer and rising talent Estêvão around the hour mark. Their arrival injected more creativity, and it wasn’t long before Cucurella and Fernández both sent curling efforts narrowly off-target from outside the box.

‎Mikel Arteta responded with an attacking double substitution of his own, aiming to regain control of a tie that had begun tilting toward Chelsea.

‎Yet Arsenal’s biggest chance of the second half came from an unlikely source, centre-back Gabriel Magalhães, whose powerful header was brilliantly blocked by the ever-present Cucurella.

‎Chelsea’s final push saw Chalobah try his luck once more, this time with a speculative volley that deflected behind. Wesley Fofana then came agonisingly close from the resulting corner, flicking the ball just wide as the Blues threw everything forward.

‎Havertz Strikes at the Death

‎With Chelsea committing bodies in attack during the dying seconds of stoppage time, Arsenal finally found their moment to strike. Declan Rice surged into open space on the counter before sliding a decisive pass into the path of substitute Kai Havertz.

‎The German, facing his former club, showed remarkable composure rounding Sánchez and guiding the ball home to seal Arsenal’s victory on the night and on aggregate. The Emirates erupted as Havertz wheeled away in celebration, delivering the perfect ending for Arteta’s side.

‎Arsenal March to Wembley

‎The result marks the only defeats Chelsea have suffered under Rosenior’s leadership so far, highlighting how costly the semi-final missteps proved to be. Their wait for a first Carabao Cup crown since 2015 will continue.

‎For Arsenal, the win represents another step in a season filled with promise.

‎With a cup final now on the horizon and momentum firmly on their side, the Gunners will believe they can turn this strong form into silverware.