In a dramatic finish that broke a tense deadlock, Kai Havertz scored a stoppage-time winner against his former club to send Arsenal to the Carabao Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium, sealing a 4-2 aggregate triumph.
The Gunners will return to Wembley for the first time in eight years, where they await the winner of the other semi-final between Manchester City and Newcastle United.
The match was a tightly contested, cagey affair for over ninety minutes, with both sides wary of making a decisive mistake.
Chelsea, needing to overturn a 3-2 deficit from the first leg, saw more of the ball and created more attempts, but struggled to break down a resolute Arsenal defence.
The best chance of a nervy first half fell to Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie, whose powerful left-footed drive from distance was beaten away spectacularly by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
As the second half progressed and the prospect of extra time loomed, Chelsea increased the pressure. Substitute Cole Palmer, introduced alongside Estevao as Chelsea sought a crucial away goal, saw a free-kick blocked.
Moments later, a dangerous cross from Enzo Fernandez found Wesley Fofana at the back post, but his clever flick whistled just inches wide of the target. At the other end, Arsenal thought they had a penalty when Gabriel Martinelli went down under a challenge from Trevoh Chalobah, but referee Peter Bankes waved play on.
The decisive moment arrived in the seventh minute of added time. With Chelsea committing numbers forward in a final desperate search for a goal, Arsenal won possession and broke at speed.
Leandro Trossard fed Declan Rice, who surged forward and squared the ball to the unmarked Havertz. The German forward, who had entered the match as a substitute, calmly rounded the advancing Sanchez and slotted into an empty net, sparking wild celebrations at the Emirates and crushing Chelsea’s lingering hopes.
The victory marks a significant step for Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, who have endured several semi-final heartbreaks in recent years.
For Chelsea and manager Liam Rosenior, it is a bitter end to their cup run, having shown resilience to come back from two goals down in the first leg at Stamford Bridge only to be eliminated by a late sucker-punch.
Arsenal’s attention now turns to a Wembley final on March 22, where they will aim to lift their first piece of major silverware since the 2020 FA Cup.