Arsenal booked their place in the League Cup final for the first time in eight years after Kai Havertz struck late to secure a 1-0 victory over Chelsea in Tuesday’s semi-final second leg.
Mikel Arteta’s men had already laid the groundwork in the first leg, and Havertz emerged from the bench to complete the task in dramatic fashion during the closing stages at the Emirates Stadium.
The win proved deeply satisfying for the Gunners, who had endured frustration in recent knockout campaigns, having exited their last four semi-finals in the 2025 Champions League and League Cup, as well as the 2022 League Cup and the 2021 Europa League.
Arsenal are now set to contest their first final in six years, where they will meet either Manchester City or Newcastle United at Wembley on March 22. City currently carry a 2-0 advantage over Newcastle ahead of Wednesday’s return fixture at the Etihad Stadium.
The north London club have not lifted the League Cup since 1993 and were beaten in their most recent three final appearances. This season offers a chance to end that long wait and claim their first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, which remains the only silverware Arteta has secured since taking charge in December 2019.
Momentum continues to build for Arsenal in what is shaping up to be a remarkable campaign. They sit six points clear at the summit of the Premier League and progressed to the Champions League last 16 after winning all eight of their group matches.
Even with those achievements, Arteta’s side have faced criticism over their perceived dependence on goals from corners and other set-pieces. The Arsenal manager recently mounted a robust defence of his team’s approach, revealing he keeps a “massive book of people” who believe his side are the “most exciting in Europe”.
Tuesday’s attritional contest may not win over sceptics, but Arteta will be unconcerned as his focus turns to a return to Wembley.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior arrived at the Emirates with confidence, having claimed six wins from his first seven matches in all competitions since replacing Enzo Maresca after leaving Strasbourg. However, Arsenal again proved to be his stumbling block, inflicting the only two defeats of his short tenure.
Depleted by the absence of captain Martin Odegaard due to a muscle injury and winger Bukayo Saka, who was hurt during the pre-match warm-up at Leeds on Saturday, Arsenal were not at their fluent best but found a way to prevail.
Rosenior opted to leave England forward Cole Palmer on the bench and deployed a three-man central defence for the first time since taking over. The approach disrupted Arsenal’s rhythm in a disjointed first half, although Piero Hincapie tested Robert Sanchez with a curling effort from the edge of the area that the Chelsea goalkeeper managed to push away.
Relentless rain added to the difficulty of the conditions, forcing Rosenior to remove his drenched glasses just to follow the action. Chelsea were nearly punished when Malo Gusto misjudged a ball that allowed Gabriel Martinelli through, only for the defender to recover in time to block the effort.
Chelsea’s first shot on target arrived in the 43rd minute, with Enzo Fernandez’s long-range attempt beaten away by Kepa Arrizabalaga. After the break, Liam Delap squandered an early opportunity, stabbing wide from a corner as Chelsea searched for an equaliser.
Rosenior introduced Palmer and Estevao Willian just after the hour mark, abandoning the back three. Estevao quickly created an opening for Fernandez, whose curling shot drifted narrowly over, but Chelsea’s momentum soon faded.
Arsenal made the decisive breakthrough in stoppage time. Chelsea were caught on the counter, allowing Havertz to round Sanchez and calmly roll the ball into an empty net to seal Arsenal’s place in the final.
What you should know
Arsenal’s victory marks their return to a domestic cup final after years of near-misses in knockout competitions.
Despite injuries to key players, Arteta’s side demonstrated resilience and tactical discipline to edge a stubborn Chelsea team. The result keeps alive Arsenal’s hopes of ending a long League Cup drought and adding to Arteta’s limited trophy haul since 2019.
With a strong league position and progress in Europe, the win reinforces the sense that Arsenal’s season could culminate in major silverware.
