Kai Havertz once again proved to be the thorn in Chelsea’s side, scoring a dramatic 97th-minute winner to send Arsenal into the Carabao Cup Final.
Following a narrow 3-2 victory in the first leg, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners secured their spot at Wembley with a disciplined, albeit gritty, 1-0 win at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. While Chelsea dominated large spells of the encounter, they were ultimately undone by a clinical counter-attack and the clinical touch of their former forward.
Chelsea’s Lack of Cutting Edge
Liam Rosenior’s side will head back to West London wondering how they failed to find the net. The Blues dictated the tempo for much of the second half, registering eleven shots on goal. However, they struggled to truly test Kepa Arrizabalaga, who remained composed against his former club.
Despite controlling possession and pinning Arsenal back into their own half, Chelsea’s lack of a clinical finisher proved costly. Their wastefulness was punished in the most painful way possible during the final moments of stoppage time.
The Last-Minute Heartbreak
With the match seemingly destined for a draw that would still have seen Arsenal progress on aggregate, the Gunners struck with lethal precision. Declan Rice intercepted a loose ball in midfield and released a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Kai Havertz.
The German international capitalized on a rare lapse in the Chelsea defense, slotting the ball home to spark wild celebrations in North London. The goal confirmed a 4-2 aggregate victory and left Chelsea with nothing to show for their efforts.
Next Stop: Wembley
Arsenal now await the winner of Wednesday’s other semi-final clash between Manchester City and Newcastle United. Pep Guardiola’s men hold a commanding 2-0 lead heading into the second leg, meaning a mouth-watering Arsenal vs. City final is looking increasingly likely.
Ronald Mike is a football writer covering the English Premier League, providing match analysis, tactical insight, and coverage of key rivalries and title races across the season.
