Arsenal secure Wembley slot in EFL Cup, beats Chelsea 1-0

Arsenal booked their place in the EFL Cup final with a dramatic 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, sealing a 4-2 aggregate win in the semi-final. 

Kai Havertz struck deep into stoppage time to decide a tense second leg and send Mikel Arteta’s side through to Wembley.

The match appeared to be heading for a goalless draw after a cagey 90 minutes in which clear chances were scarce.

Chelsea enjoyed spells of pressure, particularly late on, but struggled to test Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizzabalaga, managing only one shot on target from 11 attempts.

With Chelsea pushing numbers forward in search of a goal to force extra time, Arsenal struck on the counter in the seventh minute of added time. 

Declan Rice released substitute Havertz, who rounded Robert Sánchez and calmly slotted into the empty net against his former club, sparking wild celebrations among the home supporters.

Arsenal had carried a 3-2 advantage from the first leg and focused on game management for much of the evening, slowing the tempo and limiting Chelsea’s attacking rhythm. 

The hosts grew increasingly confident as the clock ticked down, while frustration crept into Chelsea’s play.

Chelsea threw players forward in the closing stages, with Cole Palmer and Enzo Fernández both attempting to unlock the Arsenal defence, but the visitors were unable to find a breakthrough. 

Whistles and jeers echoed around the Emirates as Arsenal ran down the final seconds before delivering the decisive blow.

The result sends Arsenal to their first League Cup final since 2018, where they will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United at Wembley. 

For Chelsea, the defeat ends their cup run and compounds frustration after dominating possession without finding a way past a disciplined Arsenal side.

Up next for both sides are a pair of Premier League fixtures against Sunderland and Brentford for Arsenal and Wolves and Leeds United for Chelsea.