Jamie Redknapp backed Arsenal to go on and win “two or three” trophies after they beat Chelsea to reach the Carabao Cup final, in a night Mikel Arteta called “magical”.
A 97th-minute breakaway goal from substitute Kai Havertz — against his former club — sealed a 1-0 win on the night and a 4-2 aggregate success at the Emirates, ending Arsenal’s run of four consecutive semi-final defeats.
The victory leaves Arsenal six points clear at the top of the Premier League, through to the last 16 of the Champions League and in the fourth round of the FA Cup, keeping their season alive on four fronts as they hunt their first silverware since the 2020 FA Cup. The Gunners will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in the final on March 22, and Redknapp said reaching Wembley could be a springboard.
“Arsenal are ready to win,” he said on Sky Sports. “They have had to suffer these last few years having come so close, but I look at the squad and the depth, and the way they are playing, they are by far the best team. They haven’t been at their best of late but I think this result will actually relax them. They might be able to start enjoying it a bit more and play with a bit more flair.”
Redknapp added that the team had been set up to win in recent seasons and lauded Arteta’s work. He defended criticisms of Arsenal’s style and finishing, saying: “Arsenal are a winning machine right now. It’s not always pretty. In 1989 when Arsenal won the league, it wasn’t pretty, but there are no pictures on the scorecards.” He concluded: “There’s no reason they can’t win two, even three trophies.”
Arteta savoured the night and thanked supporters after boos followed their recent 3-2 loss to Manchester United. “We are so happy,” he said. “I think overall, over the two games, we deserved to go through. It was a long match. We expected that. We wrapped it up at the end in a beautiful way, with Kai scoring the goal in the manner that he did and the reaction from the crowd.”
He praised the atmosphere and collective effort: “The starters, the finishers, the staff all there. It was magical. Really happy because it was a really tough match against a great opponent and we are in Wembley. I think the crowd was brilliant today. They brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments. I think we all deserve to be together in Wembley.”
Arteta also paid tribute to Havertz, who was making only his sixth appearance of the season after injury. “Everybody that knows Kai will feel happy for him in a special way because he deserves the best for the way he works, the way he treats people, the way he behaves every single day. Today was a special moment for him and I hope that he enjoyed it because he fully deserves it.”
Analysis from Sky Sports’ Nick Wright highlighted that, while Havertz was the match-winner, Arsenal’s result was built on collective defensive excellence. Chelsea finished with several attacking names on the pitch but never looked likely to force extra time because Arsenal were too well-organised and combative. The clean sheet was Arsenal’s 20th in 38 games in all competitions — the first side in Europe’s top five leagues to reach that mark this season.
Several players stood out: Declan Rice was dominant in front of the defence, Piero Hincapié impressed at left-back, and centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba were strong. But the performance underlined that Arsenal’s strength this season has been their collective organisation and defensive resilience.