Entering the match at the Emirates with a slim advantage from the first leg, Arsenal soon faced great pressure when Chelsea pushed up the squad to find an equalizer.
The away team controlled the ball more and continuously changed the squad structure to break the home team's defense. However, those efforts did not create enough truly clear chances.
Arsenal played cautiously, prioritizing preserving the result rather than imposing the game. Therefore, the match was tight and tense, especially as time passed towards the end.
Chelsea was the team that came up with more attacking ideas when coach Liam Rosenior continuously adjusted the formation. However, the ball control advantage was still not converted into shots strong enough to penetrate Arsenal's defense.
The turning point came in the 90+7 minute, when Chelsea pushed up the entire squad. From a quick counter-attack, Declan Rice launched an accurate through ball for Kai Havertz to escape and face goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. The German striker handled calmly and finished neatly, sealing a 1-0 victory for the home team.
Havertz celebrated with a gesture pointing to the Arsenal badge, in the context that he was the one who scored the decisive goal to help Chelsea win the Champions League in 2021. This is also his second goal since returning from injury.
This victory helps Arsenal end their four consecutive semi-final stops in all competitions since the FA Cup championship in 2020. Mikel Arteta's team will participate in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, thereby facing the opportunity to win their first title in nearly 5 years.
