Ben White marked the Carabao Cup victory against Chelsea with his first goal of the season.
Arsenal’s semi-final record under manager Mikel Arteta has been a cause for concern.
However, following a string of unsuccessful two-legged semi-finals, Arsenal’s 3-2 triumph over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup has positioned them within reach of their first major final since their 2020 FA Cup win.
Having lost their previous four semi-finals over two legs, managing just two goals in total, the Gunners are now strongly favored to overcome their semi-final struggles at Emirates Stadium on February 3.
Arteta’s team has demonstrated excellence throughout the season, leading both the Premier League and Champions League standings, and progressing to the FA Cup fourth round.
This match marked Arsenal’s 32nd of the season, with only two defeats recorded, both away against Liverpool and Aston Villa in the Premier League.
Nevertheless, Arteta and his players believe that their victory margin could have been even greater before the second leg, as they aim to secure an early opportunity to lift a trophy in the EFL Cup final on March 22.
“Firstly, I must commend the players for their performance in what was a challenging game against a formidable opponent,” Arteta stated.
“Given the high level of talent on the pitch, we felt that after taking a 3-1 lead and dominating for a period, we had two significant chances to score a fourth goal, which would have drastically altered the outcome.”
“However, they responded with an attack, earning a corner and scoring a goal, thereby reigniting the contest. While this outcome is not ideal, we must acknowledge the team’s accomplishments.”
Striker Viktor Gyokeres’ Arsenal career has not started as smoothly as he might have hoped following his £64m summer transfer from Sporting.
The Swedish forward had been without a goal since converting a penalty against Everton last month, with his goal against Chelsea marking his first from open play since November.
The 27-year-old has appeared to lack confidence in recent weeks, but his performance in this game more closely resembled the player who scored 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting.
He also provided an assist for Martin Zubimendi, who scored Arsenal’s third goal, ensuring they carry a lead into the second leg at the Emirates.
“This is what I need to do, and I can do it more often. We won today, and we will continue to push forward,” Gyokeres remarked.
“There is still a second leg to play, but it is certainly advantageous to secure a win and a lead for the return leg. However, we must still deliver a strong performance in the second match.”
“I thought it was a difficult match. We defended effectively. They were, as always, dangerous on the counter-attack, but I believe we defended well. It was unfortunate to concede two goals, but we scored three offensively, so we are pleased with that.”
When the Gunners established a 2-0 lead, they appeared capable of scoring at will.
However, Alejandro Garnacho reduced the deficit for Chelsea, bringing the score to 2-1.
Zubimendi’s excellent finish restored Arsenal’s two-goal advantage, but the Gunners once again allowed Chelsea back into the game with Garnacho’s second goal.
Taking a two-goal lead to the Emirates, where Arsenal have remained unbeaten all season, would have placed the Gunners in a commanding position, but Chelsea remain in contention.
“We didn’t perform well in the second half and allowed them to apply more pressure,” stated goalscorer Ben White.
“That’s how we conceded the goals. It wasn’t up to our usual standards. The second half was a bit disappointing, but we still secured a win.”
Despite the current state of the tie and Arteta’s apparent disappointment with the latter stages of the game, the Arsenal manager is focusing on their Premier League fixture against Nottingham Forest on Saturday (17:30 GMT).
“In 20 minutes, I will begin to think about Forest and start the preparations, ensuring that everyone recovers from this match,” the Spaniard said.
“That is our routine. I am very pleased with our performance tonight. We will put it behind us and now concentrate on the next challenge.”
Latest Arsenal news, analysis and fan views
Ask about Arsenal – what do you want to know?
Comments can not be loaded
To load Comments you need to enable JavaScript in your browser