Arsenal took a crucial step toward the League Cup final after capitalising on costly Chelsea mistakes to secure a dramatic 3-2 victory in the semi-final first leg on Wednesday night.
New Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior admitted his side “paid the price” for defensive lapses as Arsenal punished a series of errors to seize control of the tie ahead of the second leg at the Emirates Stadium in February.
Chelsea Mistakes Costly on Rosenior’s Home Debut
Arsenal struck early when Ben White rose unmarked to head home from a corner, exposing Chelsea’s sloppy marking. The visitors doubled their lead shortly after half-time when goalkeeper Robert Sanchez gifted a goal to Viktor Gyokeres, compounding Chelsea’s woes.
Chelsea responded through Alejandro Garnacho, who pulled one back to lift the home crowd. However, Arsenal quickly restored their two-goal cushion as Martin Zubimendi scored following another moment of poor defensive organisation.
A second goal from substitute Garnacho late on ensured Chelsea head into the second leg with renewed belief, despite the defeat.
Rosenior Reflects: “We Switched Off”
Speaking after the match, Rosenior expressed frustration at key moments but praised his players’ effort despite difficult circumstances.
“Disappointed to concede from a corner. Disappointed with the third goal as well because we were right back in the game,” Rosenior said.
“We switched off from a restart from a central free-kick, but I can’t fault the players.”
Chelsea were without several key figures, including Cole Palmer, Reece James, and Liam Delap, due to injury and illness.
Injury-Hit Blues Show Fighting Spirit
In just his second match since replacing Enzo Maresca, Rosenior highlighted the resilience shown by his squad.
“We’ve had illness in the squad and picked up a few knocks, but the players are willing to run and fight for each other,” he added.
Despite Sanchez’s error, Rosenior refused to single out the goalkeeper.
“Rob’s a very good goalkeeper. He made an outstanding save at 3-1 to keep us in the tie.”
Chelsea now turn their attention to a Premier League clash against Brentford this weekend, with Rosenior hopeful of welcoming players back.
Arsenal Edge Closer to First Trophy Since 2020
The win extended Arsenal’s unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions, putting them firmly on course for their first piece of silverware since the 2020 FA Cup.
The Gunners had previously lost their last four semi-finals, including the League Cup last season, making this result particularly significant.
Arteta: “It’s Game On”
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta praised his side’s dominance but admitted they missed chances to put the tie to bed.
“We had two massive chances to score the fourth one and the result would have been very different,” Arteta said.
“It’s half-time. It’s game on.”
With Arsenal still leading the Premier League and competing in both the Champions League and FA Cup, Arteta remains cautious.
“What we’re doing every three days is impressive, but we know the big fight we’ll have at the Emirates.”
