Arsenal beat Chelsea to seal Carabao Cup final spot

Arsenal beat Chelsea to seal Carabao Cup final spot

Arsenal booked their place in the Carabao Cup final after Kai Havertz’s dramatic stoppage-time goal sealed a 1–0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, completing a 4–2 aggregate win in the semi-final.

In a tense and largely cagey encounter, substitute Havertz latched onto a cross from Declan Rice in the closing seconds, rounded Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and slotted into an empty net to spark wild celebrations among the home fans. The goal confirmed Arsenal’s passage to their first domestic cup final since 2020.

Chelsea, who needed at least one goal to force extra time following the five-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, registered 14 shots to Arsenal’s five but struggled to carve out clear-cut chances.

Holding a 3–2 advantage from the first leg, Arsenal controlled the early stages of the match but found opportunities limited as Chelsea lined up in a back five. Clear chances were scarce for much of the first hour.

Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior introduced Estêvão and Cole Palmer in a bid to inject creativity as the visitors pushed for a breakthrough, but Arsenal remained defensively resolute and dealt comfortably with the late pressure.

Havertz, only recently back from injury, proved decisive in the dying moments, rounding Sánchez and finishing clinically to secure Arsenal’s place in the Wembley final.

Mikel Arteta’s side will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United, who contest their semi-final second leg on Wednesday evening. Arsenal last appeared in the Carabao Cup final in 2018, when they lost to Manchester City.

The victory also ends a run of four consecutive semi-final defeats for Arsenal under Arteta and keeps alive their hopes of silverware as they compete across four competitions this season.

The Carabao Cup final will be played at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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