Arsenal booked their place in the Carabao Cup final after substitute Kai Havertz struck in the 97th minute to settle a tense second leg 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium and complete a 4-2 aggregate victory over Chelsea. The win ends a run of four successive semi-final defeats under Mikel Arteta and carries them to their first major final since 2020.
Leading 3-2 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Arsenal had been largely content to keep Chelsea at arm's length on a cagey night before Havertz latched onto Declan Rice's cross, dribbled around Robert Sanchez and slotted into an empty net. Arteta's side, top of the Premier League and still in three other cup competitions, will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in the final at Wembley on Sunday, March 22.
Rosenior's bold tactical gamble
Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior, just four weeks into the job, sprang a surprise by leaving Cole Palmer on the bench and naming a back three for the first time since Mauricio Pochettino's tenure in March 2024. There was no place for captain Reece James after he failed a fitness test, and Rosenior also pushed three players high up the pitch to counter-attack from Arsenal's corners.