Arsenal take 3-2 first-leg lead over Chelsea in Carabao Cup semi-final

Arsenal left Stamford Bridge with a 3-2 lead after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, a margin preserved only by a late second goal from Chelsea substitute Alejandro Garnacho.

Ben White opened the scoring from a Declan Rice corner — Arsenal’s 24th set-piece goal of the season — and Viktor Gyökeres added a second early in the second half after a poor Roberto Sánchez handling error. Martín Zubimendi then scored following Gyökeres’s layoff, while Garnacho, introduced for Marc Guiu, struck twice for Chelsea, the second coming from a Pedro Neto cross as he lurked unmarked beyond the back post.

The match saw Arsenal press intensely and at times dominate a Chelsea side missing Reece James and Cole Palmer through injury and Moisés Caicedo through suspension, with Liam Delap a late illness omission. It was Liam Rosenior’s first home game as Chelsea manager and Stamford Bridge fans voiced clear discontent with the club’s ownership.

Arsenal appeared to move closer to the final, though Chelsea’s late fightback kept the tie alive; the second leg is scheduled for early February and will decide who progresses.

Key Topics

Sports, Arsenal, Chelsea, Carabao Cup, Stamford Bridge, Alejandro Garnacho