Arsenal Take Narrow Advantage Over Chelsea in League Cup Semifinal Thriller

Arsenal moved a step closer to their first League Cup final since 2018 after edging past London rivals Chelsea with a 3-2 victory in the opening leg of their semifinal at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Mikel Arteta’s side dominated large spells of the contest and looked set to put the tie beyond doubt thanks to goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi. However, Chelsea’s late resurgence ensured the semifinal remains finely balanced heading into the return leg in north London on February 3.

Arsenal’s intent was clear from the opening stages, and they were rewarded just seven minutes in. Declan Rice delivered a dangerous corner that caused chaos in the Chelsea box, and with goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and his defenders unable to deal with the ball, White rose unmarked to head home and give the visitors an early lead.

Chelsea struggled to gain a foothold in the first half as Arsenal controlled possession and tempo, limiting the hosts to few clear chances. That pattern continued after the break, and Arsenal doubled their advantage when Gyokeres capitalised on a mistake from Sanchez. The Chelsea keeper fumbled White’s low cross, allowing the Swedish forward to tap in for just his second goal in 11 appearances.

The home side found renewed energy after head coach Liam Rosenior introduced substitute Alejandro Garnacho, who made an instant impact. Latching onto Pedro Neto’s cross at the far post, Garnacho steadied himself before firing in from a tight angle to reduce the deficit and lift the Stamford Bridge crowd.

Any momentum Chelsea built was quickly halted in the 71st minute. Gyokeres turned provider with a clever pass into the box, and Zubimendi showed impressive composure to drill a powerful shot past Sanchez, restoring Arsenal’s two-goal cushion.

Yet Chelsea refused to fold. Garnacho remained a constant threat and grabbed his second late on, driving a low shot through a crowded penalty area to keep his side’s hopes alive.

Arsenal finished the match with 17 goal attempts to Chelsea’s 10, a statistic that left White reflecting on missed opportunities. “We didn’t play very well in the second half,” he said. “We let them pressure us and it wasn’t up to our standards so a bit disappointing in the second half. But it’s a win.”

Top of both the Premier League and the Champions League, and through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, Arsenal remain in contention for four trophies. The League Cup now represents their earliest chance to end a silverware wait stretching back to 2020.

In the other semifinal, Manchester City secured a 2-0 first-leg win over Newcastle United on Tuesday.