Arsenal seemed to have put one foot in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, after Ben White and Viktor Gyokeres scored to help them create a 2-goal advantage right at the beginning of the second half.
However, Alejandro Garnacho's double in the second half of the match made everything still tense before the rematch. The clash with Arsenal was also the first real test in Liam Rosenior's term, and he scored points with an inspiring substitution decision when he put Garnacho on the field in the 53rd minute.
The Argentine striker only took 4 minutes to immediately narrow the gap. After Martin Zubimendi increased the score to 3-1 for Mikel Arteta's team, Garnacho continued to transform into Chelsea's hero when rushing in to finish from a corner kick, narrowing the gap to 2-3.
This result promises to be dramatic in the second leg, because the gap between the two teams is only one goal. The match also once again showed Arsenal's level of danger in set pieces, when they soon took the lead in the 7th minute from a corner kick.
Joao Pedro was assigned the task of marking Ben White, but in this situation, the Chelsea striker seemed not to compete fiercely when Declan Rice's corner kick was crossed inside. White thereby comfortably headed the ball past the goal line, in the context that Robert Sanchez chose a bad position and was powerless.
Sanchez was also assessed as handling it uncertainly in the second conceded goal, when he let the ball pass through his hands and created an opportunity for Gyokeres to easily finish from close range in the 49th minute.
Only when Rosenior brought Garnacho in to replace Marc Guiu did Chelsea really flourish. The energy, breakthrough ability and enthusiasm of the former Man United player made Arsenal's defense confused at many times. The double against Kepa in this match was a worthy reward for Garnacho's efforts.
