Arsenal moved a step closer to their first League Cup final since 2018, beating London rivals Chelsea 3–2 in the opening leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final, at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.
The Gunners made a fast start, opening the scoring in the seventh minute when Declan Rice’s corner caused chaos in the Chelsea box, allowing White space to head home.
Chelsea struggled to respond and found themselves further behind soon after the break. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez spilt White’s low cross, gifting Gyokeres a simple finish.
Rosenior’s decision to introduce Garnacho paid immediate dividends as the Argentine winger controlled Pedro Neto’s cross and finished smartly from a tight angle to pull one back.
Arsenal restored their two-goal cushion in the 71st minute, with Gyokeres turning provider to slip Zubimendi through. The midfielder kept his composure to fire past Sanchez with a powerful strike.
However, Chelsea showed resilience in Liam Rosenior’s first home match in charge, with substitute Garnacho scoring again to keep the tie finely balanced.
Garnacho struck again late on, driving a shot through a crowded area to reduce the deficit and give the hosts hope ahead of the second leg.
However, the matched finished 3-2 in favour of Arsenal, who registered 17 attempts on goal to Chelsea’s 10.
The return leg will be played at the Emirates Stadium on February 3rd.
“We didn’t play very well in the second half,” White admitted. “We let them pressure us and it wasn’t up to our standards. It’s a win, but a bit disappointing.”
Arsenal, who sit top of both the Premier League and Champions League tables and are also through to the FA Cup fourth round, are chasing their first piece of silverware since 2020, with the League Cup offering their earliest opportunity.
In the other semi-final, Manchester City claimed a 2–0 first-leg victory over Newcastle United.