Derby days are always special, but with a trip to Wembley on the line, the intensity at Stamford Bridge was unmatched. Arsenal secured a 3-2 victory in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final, putting one foot in the final, though the closing stages were anything but comfortable.
Ben White opened the scoring early with a towering header from a Declan Rice corner. When Viktor Gyökeres doubled the lead just after half-time, it looked like a rout was on the cards. Martin Zubimendi added a third later on, and the traveling fans were already singing about Wembley.
The Garnacho Scare
However, Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior made tactical shifts that paid off. Alejandro Garnacho scored twice in a frantic ten-minute window to set up a tight second leg. Despite some shaky moments from the Chelsea keeper, Rosenior refused to lay blame, while Arsenal focused on the result.
Big Fight, Big Character
Mikel Arteta was impressed by his team's composure in the "cauldron" of Stamford Bridge:
"To come here and play with that level of aggression was superb. We had to hold our nerve at the end, but that’s the character of this group. We take a lead home, and that's the most important thing."
Match Note: Martin Ødegaard was the silent architect, pulling the strings in midfield and proving instrumental in the build-up to all three Arsenal goals.