Arsenal booked their place at Wembley with a dramatic 1-0 win over Chelsea in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final tonight, sealing a 4-2 aggregate victory at the Emirates Stadium.
Having taken a 3-2 advantage from the first leg, the Gunners knew patience would be key, a theme already highlighted in SoftFootball’s build-up to the tie as Arsenal looked to finish the job at home.
The match itself was tense and cagey, with Chelsea seeing more of the ball but struggling to break down an organised Arsenal side. The visitors arrived in north London buoyed by recent league momentum, yet found clear chances hard to come by as Arsenal focused on structure and discipline rather than attacking flair.
The first half offered little in the way of clear openings. Sloppy moments at the back from both sides hinted at nerves, while long-range efforts from Enzo Fernández and speculative attempts from Trevoh Chalobah failed to truly test the goalkeepers.
Arsenal were content to let Chelsea have possession, trusting their back line and waiting for the right moment to strike. Chelsea showed greater urgency after the break, introducing attacking options and pushing higher up the pitch.
Marc Cucurella and Fernández both tried their luck from a distance, while Wesley Fofana went close from a corner. Arsenal, meanwhile, grew frustrated and offered little going forward for long spells, with the Emirates crowd sensing the danger as the minutes ticked away.
The decisive moment arrived deep into stoppage time. With Chelsea committing bodies forward, Declan Rice intercepted a pass and surged upfield on the counter.
He slipped the ball into the path of substitute Kai Havertz, who kept his composure to round Robert Sánchez and roll the ball into the empty net in the 97th minute. It was a ruthless finish that silenced Chelsea’s late push and sent Arsenal fans into celebration.
The result, shared by the club’s official X account, not only secured Arsenal’s place in their first cup final since 2020 but also extended their unbeaten run against Chelsea to ten matches.
With Wembley now in sight and momentum building after recent dominant league performances, Mikel Arteta’s side remain firmly in the hunt for silverware this season.
