Arsenal Reach Wembley: Havertz Seals Carabao Cup Final Spot | Arteta Hails ‘Magical Night’
- A late goal from Kai Havertz secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on February 4, 2026, completing a 4-2 aggregate win for the Gunners...
- The win sends Arsenal to their first League Cup final since 2018, when they also eliminated Chelsea at the semi-final stage.
- The match was a tense affair, with few clear-cut chances for much of the evening.
Arsenal are heading to Wembley. A late goal from Kai Havertz secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium on , completing a 4-2 aggregate win for the Gunners in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
The win sends Arsenal to their first League Cup final since 2018, when they also eliminated Chelsea at the semi-final stage. They will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United on .
The match was a tense affair, with few clear-cut chances for much of the evening. Arsenal, leading 3-2 from the first leg at Stamford Bridge a fortnight earlier, entered the second leg cautiously, seeking to reach their first domestic cup final of the season. Chelsea, however, showed early intent, with Liam Delap registering the first effort of note, though it failed to trouble the Arsenal defence.
The breakthrough finally came in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Havertz, a former Chelsea player, rounded goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to settle the contest and confirm the 1-0 win on the night. The goal sparked jubilant scenes at the Emirates, a stark contrast to the nervousness that had affected the team during recent matches.
“It’s the best vitamins we can put in our bodies,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said after the match. “We’re playing every three days. The fact that we worked so hard to achieve this moment and to have this moment together, it’s just magical. You can see the joy, the smiles, the energy in the dressing room.”
Arteta highlighted the importance of the atmosphere created by the home fans. “The crowd was brilliant,” he said. “They brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments when it was very much needed. We deserve to be together at Wembley in a few weeks.”
The victory appears to have restored confidence within the Arsenal squad, following a recent wobble that included a goalless draw with Liverpool and a defeat to Manchester United. Saturday’s 4-0 win away to Leeds, which moved the team six points clear at the top of the Premier League, also seemed to play a role in the team’s renewed belief.
Arteta believes the experience of reaching the final will be valuable for his team. “It’s about learning from previous experiences,” he stated. “Today was a very different game from the (first leg) at Stamford Bridge. We dealt with it really well, the way the team competed and understood what we had to do. Really impressive. Now let’s win the final.”
For Chelsea, the defeat ended a five-game winning run under head coach Liam Rosenior. However, Rosenior was keen to emphasize the positive aspects of his team’s performance, particularly given the circumstances surrounding his appointment.
“In the first leg, I’m not making excuses, but we had an illness go through the camp on the day of the game – we had four players missing – and I’d been in charge for three days,” Rosenior explained. “fault the application, intensity or the fight of the players.”
Rosenior stressed that This represents just the beginning of his project at Chelsea. “What we need to do is remember this is the start and I’m really, really happy with a lot of things I’m seeing. You want to get the results, but we need to make sure we rest and recover and we keep improving as we go.”
The Carabao Cup final will be a significant occasion for both Arsenal and their opponents. For Arsenal, it represents a chance to end a 22-year wait for a major trophy. Newcastle United, having overcome Arsenal in the previous round, are also seeking to end a long trophy drought, having not won a major honour since the 1969 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Newcastle defeated Arsenal with a 2-0 victory at St James’ Park, completing a 4-0 aggregate win. Goals from Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon sealed the victory for the Magpies on .
Newcastle’s victory over Arsenal followed a 2-0 win in the first leg, and will see them face either Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley. The Toon Army will be hoping to avoid a repeat of their EFL Cup final defeat to Manchester United two years prior.