Arsenal secured qualification for the final of the English Football League Cup after edging past Chelsea with a 1–0 victory on Tuesday night at the Emirates Stadium, in the second leg of the semi-final of the London derby.
The match remained goalless for most of the evening, with both sides struggling to break the deadlock.
However, in the closing moments, Kai Havertz, returning from injury, delivered the decisive moment, dribbling past goalkeeper Robert Sánchez before calmly slotting the ball into the net to seal the win.
The result confirmed Arsenal’s progression to the final with a 4–2 aggregate victory, having already defeated Chelsea 3–2 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge on January 14.
Mikel Arteta’s side once again showed resilience and composure to see out the tie.
Arsenal started the match with Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, supported in defense by Jurrien Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Oleksandr Zinchenko.
The midfield featured Martin Zubimendi and Declan Rice, while the attacking trio consisted of Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyökeres and Gabriel Martinelli.
Chelsea, meanwhile, lined up with Sánchez in goal, a defensive unit of Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Ian Maatsen and Marc Cucurella, while Moisés Caicedo, André Santos and Enzo Fernández formed the midfield. Liam Delap and João Pedro led the attack.
Despite Chelsea’s late pressure, Arsenal successfully protected their advantage to secure a place in the final, where they will face the winner of Wednesday’s semi-final clash between Manchester City and Newcastle United.
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