Kai Havertz scored with the last kick of this semi-final to send Mikel Arteta’s side and their delirious Arenal supporters roaring back to Wembley for the first time in six years after a nail-biting League Cup semi-final second leg in north London.
The Premier League leaders now await the outcome of Manchester City and Newcastle United’s return leg to learn who they will meet for the right to win the first trophy of the season in next month’s final.
Arteta was at Pep Guardiola’s side for two Carabao Cup final wins that preceded two Premier League titles during his time as the Catalan coach’s wingman in north west England. He has identified the trophy as a potential launchpad to achieve similar greatness as the main man in charge of his own team.
He has sent out a strong side ever since their opening tie away to lowly Port Vale and now stands just 90 minutes away from winning his second major trophy in his brief managerial career. Only time will tell whether or not it helps inspire even bigger and better things for the club this season.
Arsenal were seeing out the goalless draw that would have won them the tie when Declan Rice sent former Chelsea hero Havertz clear seven minutes into added time at the end.
The German striker, a Champions League final goalscoring winner for Chelsea, skilfully rounded keeper Robert Sanchez to score and point to his Arsenal badge in celebration and show where his loyalty lies now.
Arsenal had lost their previous four semi-finals since their FA Cup triumph and it took every ounce of nerve and resilience to see off a spirited Chelsea side.
Until the goal their only other decent charge came when Piero Hincapie’s two first-half efforts had been kept out by Sanchez and his Chelsea defence.
Chelsea had started well, looking calm and solid in canny coach Liam Rosenior’s new look five-man defence, but Arsenal still looked to be in control of the tie.
Rosenior openly admitted before the match his plan was to just stay in the tie through to half-time and then work some comeback magic in the second half. The new Chelsea boss has the feel for such drama having led his team to unlikely recoveries to win their last two matches – at home to West Ham on Saturday hot on the heels of a massive come-from-behind win away to Napoli in the Champions League.
Young to top-flight management, but still an historian of the game, the Chelsea manager was aware of the narrative going against sections of Arsenal’s more nervous supporters, keen to make play of the fact they had lost so many semi-finals since their last triumph.
For those who do not remember, they were: 2025 Champions League: v Paris St-Germain (1-3 agg), 2025 League Cup: v Newcastle (0-4 agg), 2022 League Cup v Liverpool (0-2 agg), 2021 Europa League v Villarreal (1-2 agg).
Malo Gusto made an excellent last-ditch block to deny Gabriel Martinelli a good goal chance towards the end of a first half low on chances- Hincapie’s effort the only one on target – as it appeared Rosenior’s long game stood a chance of paying off.
Had Arsenal not slacked off to concede a late goal to Alejandro Garnacho and surrender their two-goal first-leg lead, this return match would have been a non-event.
As it was, we went into the second period feeling either side could go through to the final and the possibility of extra time if Rosenior’s tactics could lead to an equaliser as his attacking substitutes warmed up with menace along the Arsenal touchline.
Rosenior stepped down his back five defence and pulled his substitute trigger just ten minutes or so into the second half as Brazilian wonderkid Estevao and mercurial England winger Cole Palmer came on together.
Arteta responded by replacing Viktor Gyokeres with the fresh legs of former Chelsea man Kai Havertz, as Leandro Trossard also came on with 20 minutes of normal time to play. Chelsea’s first leg hero Garnacho came on soon after.
Gabriel had a headed chance to win it for Arsenal only to aim his effort straight at Marc Cucurella, moments before Estevao won Chelsea a dangerous free-kick at the other end of the pitch.
Tense, albeit lacking in much goalmouth action, does not come close to describing the action that followed. London pride as well as a Wembley final were both on the line and every kick mattered.
Then came the Havertz goal and celebrations that were so intense they somehow blew away the freezing wind and the rain that had featured so heavily throughout the match.
Arrizabalaga 6, Timber 6, Saliba 6, Gabriel 6, Hincapie 7, Rice 6, Zubimendi 6, Eze 6, Madueke 6 (Trossard 70), Martinelli 6, Gyokeres 6 (Havertz 70). Subs: Raya, Mosquera, White, Jesus, Norgaard, Calafiori, Lewis-Skelly.
Sanchez 6, Gusto 5 (Acheampong 87), Fofana 6, Chalobah 7, Hato 7 (Estevao 60), Cucurella 6, Caicedo 6, Andrey Santos 6 (Garnacho 75), Enzo 6, Delap 6 (Palmer 60), Joao Pedro 6. Subs: Sharman-Lowe, Badiashile, Holland, Guiu, Mheuka.
Peter Bankes 6
