KAI HAVERTZ HAUNTS CHELSEA WITH LAST-GASP WINNER TO SEND ARSENAL TO WEMBLEY
Kai Havertz sends Arsenal to the Carabao Cup final with a dramatic 96th-minute winner against his former club, Chelsea.
Kai Havertz sealed the deal for Arsenal with a last-gasp goal in stoppage time, sending them past Chelsea 1-0 on the night and into the Carabao Cup final. That win, added to their 3-2 lead from the first leg at Stamford Bridge, means Arsenal are now just one step away from ending their trophy drought.
Havertz, who used to wear Chelsea blue, made sure Arsenal booked their spot at Wembley—marking their first final since lifting the FA Cup in 2020. He calmly rounded Robert Sanchez and slotted home with practically the last kick.
This season’s been rolling along nicely for Arsenal. They’re six points clear at the top of the Premier League and sailed through the Champions League group stage without dropping a point. Now, the Carabao Cup offers Arteta his first shot at silverware this year and only the second in his six years in charge.
Most likely, Arteta will run into some familiar faces in the final. Manchester City, his old club, have a two-goal cushion over Newcastle ahead of their own semi-final at the Etihad.
Unlike the first leg—a wild, open game—tonight was tense and cagey. Liam Rosenior, fresh off five straight wins, packed Chelsea’s defence with five at the back to keep Arsenal quiet. It mostly worked. The only real threat in the first half came when Piero Hincapie forced Sanchez into a decent save from distance after 18 minutes.
Arsenal usually make set pieces count, but Chelsea had a plan. They left three attackers upfield for every Arsenal corner, which forced Arsenal to hold back and took the sting out of their routines.
Just before halftime, former Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had to punch away a strike from Enzo Fernandez.
The second half started with Arsenal still in control, but Chelsea were hanging around, just one goal behind on aggregate. In the hour, Cole Palmer and Estevao came on to chase an equaliser. Cucurella and Fernandez both tried their luck from a distance, but nothing came off.
Arsenal started to look a bit nervous. Declan Rice tried to settle everyone down—his teammates and maybe the crowd, too—as the tension ramped up.
Gabriel had a good chance to put things to bed with 14 minutes left, but Cucurella got in the way of his header from Martin Zubimendi’s cross. Down the other end, Wesley Fofana’s flick from a corner zipped just past Kepa’s post. Fernandez then blasted over as the clock hit 90, with six minutes of stoppage time to go.
Chelsea kept pushing, but honestly, they never really looked like they were forcing extra time. Then, right at the death, Havertz latched onto Rice’s pass and finished coolly. Arsenal march on, their season just getting better and better.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
