Arsenal's semi-final curse has not been completely erased, but the London team is facing the opportunity to end a haunting cycle. And this could create a major turning point for the whole season.
Arsenal is emerging as a bright candidate for a ticket to the Carabao Cup final after a 3-2 victory right at Stamford Bridge against Chelsea in the first leg of the semi-finals.
After 6 years of persistent progress under Mikel Arteta, the next step Arsenal needs to take is to transform potential and superior personnel into specific titles, especially in key moments.
There was a time when that barrier seemed impossible to overcome. In four semi-finals with a total of 8 matches, Arteta's team has not won a single match, lost 6 matches and scored only 2 goals. Last season, they were eliminated by Newcastle United with a total score of 4-0 in this tournament. That was a heavy defeat that raised doubts about The Gunners' ability to conquer the title.
The FA Cup championship in 2020 has now become a distant memory, and in that context, the away trip to Stamford Bridge is of particular importance to the "Gunners".
This is a step forward, but only the first half.We know the second leg at Emirates will be extremely difficult, because the opponent is a big team.
In just about 20 minutes, I will start thinking about the match against Forest, preparing for that match and ensuring the whole team recovers well.That is our process.I am very satisfied with what the players have shown tonight" - Arteta said.
Arsenal once again showed their superiority against Chelsea - a team that once played very resiliently despite having only 10 men left in the Premier League confrontation at the end of November last year.
Now, the "Gunners" are only 90 minutes away from the first Carabao Cup final after 8 years of competition.
Chelsea entered this match with a new head coach, when Liam Rosenior replaced Enzo Maresca. However, he set an unwanted record when he became the seventh consecutive time he could not win in his first home game.
However, this is already a great challenge. Arsenal has not lost to Chelsea at home since 2021, extending their unbeaten streak to 9 matches. However, Alejandro Garnacho's double in the second half still gave the home team hope for an unbelievable comeback.
Chelsea soon fell into a chasing position when Ben White opened the score in the seventh minute with a header, after a serious mistake by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Just 4 minutes after the second half started, Viktor Gyokeres doubled the lead with a close-range finish, taking advantage of another fault by Sanchez.
Garnacho narrowed the score in the 57th minute with a delicate finish into the near corner, before Martin Zubimendi scored the most beautiful goal of the match. This midfielder received a pass from Gyokeres after a clear combination, a neat feint before a decisive left-footed finish. Arteta's reaction was a mixture of joy and surprise.
With a goal and an assist, Gyokeres can see this as his most impressive performance in Arsenal's colors. After a rather lackluster first half, this striker's persistence was rewarded, with the first goal from an opening situation since November 1.
Arsenal expects moving closer to the final to create a morale boost for them to complete bigger goals, including the championship race in the Premier League and UEFA Champions League, where they are currently in the leading position.
Chelsea still fought until the last minute and Garnacho continued to score after a messy corner kick situation, igniting a faint ray of hope for the second leg on February 3. For Rosenior, the way his students rose up in adversity is encouraging, especially when the team is seriously short of forces.
The match came too early for Cole Palmer. He has a slight thigh strain. If he risks taking the field at this time, the injury could last up to 6 weeks - something we cannot accept. However, the whole team has shown many positive points" - Rosenior emphasized.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
