Arsenal defeated Chelsea 3-2 at Stamford Bridge to claim the aggregate lead after the first leg of their 2025-26 Carabao Cup semi-final.
Ben White’s seventh-minute header and Viktor Gyokeres’ 49th-minute close-range finish from Robert Sanchez’s fumble had put Arsenal in control.
Alejandro Garnacho pulled a goal back from Pedro Neto’s 57th-minute cross before Martin Zubimendi fired the Gunners back into a two-goal lead, only for Garnacho to snatch his second goal with a 83rd-minute right-footed volley on the bounce from Gabriel’s headed clearance.
Arsenal now head into their home leg at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 3 February at 8pm GMT with a … aggregate lead over Chelsea.
Ahead of this match, all eyes were upon Liam Rosenoir as he took charge of his first home match as Chelsea manager but the Blues swiftly found themselves under pressure as Arsenal made a fast start but Robert Sanchez saved Bukayo Saka’s shot shortly after the start.
Arsenal’s pressure eventually told as Trevoh Chalobah conceded a corner from which Declan Rice calmly whipped his delivery into the box, where White rose highest to nod in the opening goal.
That conceded goal struggled to spark Chelsea into life as Arsenal continued to apply the pressure in which Gyokeres fired wide in the 13th minute, despite the hosts having held much of the possession in the opening 20 minutes.
Arsenal goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalga eventually got called into action to block shots from Josh Acheampong and Estevao as Chelsea began to apply proper pressure on the Gunners.
Their improved attacking play however nearly allowed Arsenal to nearly double their lead in the 39th minute, yet William Saliba curled his shot over the bar as the Gunners held their slender lead at half-time.
Chelsea failed to heed that warning early in the second half as just four minutes in, Saka outmanoeuvred Marc Cucurella which allowed White to overlap and play a low cross which Sanchez deflected for Gyokeres to poke in from close range to double the Gunners’ lead.
Sanchez however atoned for his fumble in the 54th minute with a punch to deny Martin Odegaard, after the Norwegian had curled a powerful shot on goal from Saka’s cutback pass.
Chelsea meanwhile ventured forward in the 57th minute up their right which saw the ball fall for Neto to whip a cross across the box, which found substitute – Garnacho unmarked to sweep in at the far post to half their deficit.
Estevao then saw a shot blocked as the Blues began to believe that they could force their way back into the first leg of this tie.
Arsenal however snuffed those hopes out after Gyokeres laid a pass off for Zubimendi in the 71st minute, which allowed the Spaniard to cut in and found space to put the ball into the bottom left corner to restore the Gunners’ two-goal lead.
Substitute, Mikel Merino then saw a 76th-minute shot blocked by Sanchez as Chelsea began to ride their luck defensively to try and minimise their deficit going into the second leg.
Arsenal’s recent defensive fragilities however reared its head from a 83rd-minute corner as Gabriel nodded a delivery away to Garnacho, which saw the Argentinean smash into the net on the rebound with a right-footed volley on the bounce unmarked to give Chelsea late hope.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners however managed to protect their lead to go into their home leg with a spot in the final in their own hands, even after a 94th-minute penalty following a foul on Gabriel Jesus was overturned due to the Brazilian having been offside.
What’s Next?
Chelsea face another London derby as their attention switches to the Premier League, which sees them host Brentford on Saturday 15 January at 3pm GMT.
Arsenal too shift their focus back to league matters on that date as they visit relegation-battling Nottingham Forest at 5:30pm.
Teams
Chelsea: Robert Sanchez, Josh Acheampong (Badiashile 53′), Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Marc Cucurella, Andrey Santos, Enzo Fernandez, Estevao, Joao Pedro, Pedro Neto, Marc Guiu (Garnacho 53′)
Substitutes: Tosin Adarabioyo, Facundo Buonanotte, Dario Essugo, Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrique George, Jorrel Hato, Filip Jorgensen, Shim Mheuka
Arsenal: Kepa Arrizabalga, Ben White, William Saliba, Gabriel, Jurrien Timber, Martin Odegaard (Merino 68′), Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice (Havertz 82′), Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres (Jesus 82′), Leandro Trossard (Martinelli 57′)
Substitutes: Eberechi Eze, Kai Havertz, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli, Mikel Merino, David Raya, Christian Norgaard, Gabriel Jesus
Referee – Simon Hooper
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