Arsenal took a giant stride towards Wembley after a pair of calamitous errors from Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez handed them a 3-2 first leg lead in a frantic League Cup semi final at Stamford Bridge.
The Gunners capitalised on two shocking moments from the Spanish keeper, with Ben White and Viktor Gyokeres profiting, to edge a classic cup tie that leaves Mikel Arteta’s men firmly in the driving seat. Substitute Alejandro Garnacho’s late brace gave Chelsea a glimmer of hope, but the damage was done.
It was a nightmare home debut for new Blues boss Liam Rosenior. His side were architects of their own downfall from the off. With just seven minutes gone, Declan Rice’s inswinging corner sailed over a flapping Sanchez and onto the head of an unguarded White for the simplest of finishes. Rosenior had bristled at the ‘Set Piece FC’ tag for Arsenal in the build up, but they’ve now racked up 18 goals from corners alone this season.
Chelsea rallied but found Arsenal’s rearguard, marshalled superbly by William Saliba, in stubborn mood. The killer second came four minutes after the restart, and it was another horror show from Sanchez. Ben White’s low fizzer across the six yard box should have been meat and drink, but it squirmed through the keeper’s grasp and Gyokeres tapped home. “I’ll stay positive with him, my job is to help them, not to blame them,” a diplomatic Rosenior said afterwards.
The introduction of Garnacho sparked life into Chelsea, and he lashed home to make it 2-1. But parity lasted just three minutes. Martin Zubimendi coolly slotted past Sanchez after a slick move to restore the two goal cushion. Garnacho’s second, a close range finish in the 83rd minute, sets up a nervous return leg at the Emirates on February 3rd.
Despite the late goal, Arsenal will be confident of seeing it through. They’re flying domestically and in Europe, and have a cushion to protect. For Rosenior and Chelsea, the task is monumental. They were already missing a host of key names like Palmer, James and the suspended Caicedo, and Sanchez’s confidence looks in tatters.
The other semi final looks more clear cut, with Manchester City beating Newcastle 2-0 away. All signs point to a Premier League summit meeting at Wembley on March 22nd, a repeat of the 2018 final which City won comfortably. Arsenal, who haven’t lifted this trophy since 1993, will believe this could be their year.
