The final steps are always the most difficult. This season for Arsenal only has one goal, which is to win. Therefore, the most important thing in the second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final with Chelsea is the result, thereby bringing the "Gunners" to the cup final for the first time in 6 years.
The second leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final is a difficult test. Chelsea showed creativity in almost every aspect, except for the ability to create breakthroughs from ball control. They started the match with a 5-man defense, pushed up the squad and when Arsenal was awarded a corner kick, the away team even only left 3 defenders to eliminate the danger from the home team's set pieces.
That approach partly made Arsenal confused. The home team did not have many significant attacking situations, but with the 3-2 advantage from the first leg, they did not need to take risks. The Gunners chose to stabilize the defense - which is their forte - and patiently wait for the opportunity.
When Chelsea tried to change the situation in the 60th minute by switching to a 4-defender formation and bringing Cole Palmer and Estevao onto the field, they still encountered a solid defensive wall commanded by William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes. Then in the last seconds of injury time, Kai Havertz took advantage of a counter-attack to overcome Robert Sanchez, scoring against his old team, closing the match.
Havertz pointed to the badge amidst the explosion of the Emirates. Fans realized that Arsenal was only one match away from adding titles to their winning streak under Mikel Arteta since the 2020 FA Cup title.
At that time, Arsenal won the championship at Wembley in the context of the stadium being empty of spectators due to COVID-19 restrictions, which further increased the desire to celebrate together a moment of touching the cup. The opportunity will come to Arsenal on March 22, possibly against Manchester City - who are leading Newcastle United 2-0 after the first leg and playing the second leg at home.
We are only one match away from the finish line. This is the best vitamin we can supplement our body with because we have to play every 3 days. But the fact that we have tried so hard to have these moments and experience them together is truly miraculous.
You can see joy, smiles, energy from everyone working at the club. Victory helps in every way - confidence, energy, you call it whatever you want. We will be there in a few weeks and will prepare well" - Arteta said.
This is the first major defeat in Liam Rosenior's time leading Chelsea. His plan is controversial, but in fact it is an effort to keep The Blues in a chasing position in the second leg, when they were already behind.
That decision is also well-founded, especially when Rosenior confirmed after the match that Pedro Neto and Reece James did not pass the fitness test on the morning of the match. And Chelsea actually did well in preventing Arsenal from finishing early.
Arsenal's expected goal rating (xG) in the first half was only 0.18 - their third lowest number after 45 minutes in a match since the beginning of 2024.
Chelsea's problem lies in attack. Palmer does not seem to be in his best physical condition, while Estevao, understandably, is affected by his return to Brazil to solve personal matters. Alejandro Garnacho was completely faint when he was put on the field in the last 15 minutes.
You can play away, put personal pressure all over the field and can lead 2-0 or be led 2-0. I feel the psychological aspect of the match is also very important and I can feel that on the field.
In the 60th minute, I put Cole and Estevao on the field, the match became more open, we had opportunities in and around the penalty area. I think in the stands there was a feeling that this match could be reversed. We didn't get what we wanted, but the important thing was not the match plan, but the result" - Rosenior said.
The impact on Arsenal could be very large. At least, they have ended the semi-final curse. Arsenal have stopped in this stage four times in a row, and when adding three Premier League runner-up times, a psychological barrier has formed for a long time.
But this season may turn in a different direction. This may be the year Arsenal shed the label of "nearly winning" to become the champion. Having a final next month will maintain positive momentum for them on all fronts and maintain hope of competing in all four arenas.
