Kai Havertz’s stoppage-time strike sent Arsenal into the Carabao Cup final as his 97th-minute finish secured a 1-0 victory over Chelsea at the Emirates and a 4-2 aggregate win. The substitute collected Declan Rice’s cross, rounded Chelsea keeper Robert Sánchez and tucked the ball into an empty net to seal Arsenal’s first cup final appearance since 2020 and end a run of four consecutive semi-final defeats under Mikel Arteta. Arsenal will meet either Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley next month.
Player ratings
Arsenal: Kepa (7), Timber (7), Saliba (7), Gabriel (8), Hincapié (7), Zubimendi (7), Rice (8) — Player of the Match, Eze (6), Madueke (6), Gyökeres (5), Martinelli (6)
Subs: Havertz (7), Trossard (7)
Chelsea: Sánchez (6), Gusto (6), Fofana (6), Chalobah (6), Hato (6), Cucurella (7), Caicedo (6), Santos (6), Fernández (6), Delap (5), Pedro (6)
Subs: Estevão (6), Palmer (6), Garnacho (6), Acheampong (n/a)
Chelsea needed a goal to force extra time after the five-goal first leg at Stamford Bridge. They outshot Arsenal 14 to 5 but rarely fashioned clear chances; Enzo Fernández produced the only significant test of Kepa with a curling long-range effort that was tipped away in the first half. Arsenal largely sat deep to protect the aggregate lead, defending resolutely and threatening only intermittently until Havertz’s late intervention.
The result underlined Arsenal’s defensive credentials — they became the first club in Europe’s major leagues to record a 20th clean sheet across all competitions this season. Piero Hincapié and Gabriel came closest for the hosts before the winner, forcing saves and blocked attempts from Robert Sánchez and Marc Cucurella respectively.
Absentees: Arsenal were without Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard through injury. Chelsea missed Reece James and Pedro Neto after they failed fitness tests.
Havertz’s cool finish — a timely moment after an injury-hit season — sparked delirious celebrations among the home fans and delivered a painful ending for Liam Rosenior’s side while keeping Arsenal’s pursuit of silverware alive on four fronts.
Mikel Arteta called the finish “magical,” praising the contribution of players, substitutes and staff and the reaction of the crowd. Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson was critical of Chelsea’s approach, saying they lacked urgency in a cup semi-final. Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior acknowledged the disappointment but pointed to encouraging signs in his team’s performances and stressed the need for a positive reaction.
When is the Carabao Cup final? The final will be held at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, March 22, with kickoff scheduled for 4.30pm.