In a breathless Carabao Cup semi-final first leg at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal secured a narrow but valuable advantage with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Chelsea, though two late goals from substitute Alejandro Garnacho ensured the tie remains finely poised for the return fixture at Emirates Stadium next month.
The match began at a frenetic pace, with Arsenal asserting their set-piece dominance early. Just seven minutes in, defender Ben White rose highest to meet a Declan Rice corner, powering a header past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to give the visitors the lead and notch Arsenal’s 24th set-piece goal of the season.
Chelsea, playing in new manager Liam Rosenior’s first home game in charge, found themselves repeatedly frustrated in the first half, with their best chance falling to João Pedro, who scuffed a shot wide after a clever pass from captain Enzo Fernández.
Four minutes after the restart, Arsenal doubled their lead. A quick throw-in released Bukayo Saka, who found the overlapping run of White.
The defender’s low cross was mishandled by Sanchez, allowing striker Viktor Gyokeres to tap home from close range for a crucial goal that ended a lengthy drought from open play. Rosenior responded immediately with a double substitution, introducing Alejandro Garnacho, a move that would reignite the contest.
Within four minutes, Garnacho halved the deficit, converting at the back post after a determined run and cross from Pedro Neto.
The momentum shifted briefly back to Arsenal in the 71st minute. Following a slick exchange of passes, Gyokeres turned provider, flicking the ball into the path of midfielder Martin Zubimendi, who shimmied past two defenders before firing a composed finish into the bottom corner.
Despite the setback, Chelsea continued to fight. With seven minutes remaining, a corner was not fully cleared, and the ball fell to Garnacho, who smashed home his second of the night to set up a grandstand finish.
The result leaves Arsenal with a slender one-goal advantage to protect in the second leg on February 3. Speaking after the match, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta praised his team’s performance, stating, “Coming here against a team with the quality they have in every department and doing what we did throughout the game is very impressive.”
However, he acknowledged the tie is far from over: “It’s only half-time.”. Chelsea’s Liam Rosenior, while disappointed with the result, found positives in his team’s resilience. “I asked for energy, pressing, running back and helping the team, and I’m very happy with that side of it,” he said. “The players didn’t give up and we’re still in the tie.”.