Arsenal defeated London rivals Chelsea 1-0 in the second of the EFL Cup semi-finals and 4-2 on aggregate to reach their first final since 2018, Afrosport reports.
The Gunners won the first leg 3-2 at Stamford Bridge on January 14 and simply needed to avoid defeat in the return leg at the Emirates to pull through.
The first half was a cagey affair, with both sides creating little in terms of chances. The second half went in the same fashion and there a penalty shout in the 84th minute when Trevoh Chalobah brought down Gabriel Martinelli after successfully clearing the ball. No penalty was given after a VAR review.
The game looked set to end goalless and send Arsenal through to the final but former Chelsea player and substitute Kai Havertz scored deep in added time after he was fed by Declan Rice and easily rounded up goalkeeper Robert Sanchez before putting the ball into an empty net.
🔴⚪️ @Arsenal are back at @wembleystadium!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/oc7rQi4Aoi
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) February 3, 2026
Mikel Arteta’s men will get to face either Manchester City or Newcastle United in the final at Wembley on March 22. The North London outfit met City in their previous final outing in 2018, losing 3-0.
