Match report – Participant rankings – Arteta response – Video
Arsenal are by way of to the Carabao Cup last after a 1-0 win over Chelsea final evening, making it 4-2 on mixture, ensured our passage for a Wembley showdown with both Man Metropolis or Newcastle subsequent month.
With Martin Odegaard absent by way of harm, Mikel Arteta picked Eberechi Eze to finish his midfield trio, with the remainder of the facet as sturdy as you’d think about for a recreation like this. Chelsea, in the meantime, went with a again three and wing-backs for what we got here to be taught was a tactical ‘masterplan’ by Liam Rosenior.
Each time they did something, which was seldom as a result of they spent the primary half principally doing nothing, Sky – and Gary Neville specifically – would wax lyrical about this nicely laid out scheme to ‘take the sport late and deep’. He stored speaking about how the Arsenal followers would really feel the nerves, and the extra the sport went on, the extra he doubled down on this.
At one level, early within the second half, he mentioned he may simply really feel that Chelsea have been going to get a objective and throw the entire thing extensive open. However at that time, they’d wasted a whole half of soccer in a recreation they needed to rating in. Did they nullify Arsenal? Most likely, however we didn’t want a objective, they did. There was one lengthy vary effort from both facet in a fairly staid and uneventful first 45 minutes, and that was about it.
However this was good from a Chelsea perspective, apparently, as a result of now they might change issues up within the second half and actually put Arsenal to the sword. I’ve to say, maybe it’s as a result of he’s new within the job, however Rosenior was given the sort of grace that may positively not have utilized to Arteta if Arsenal, a objective down in a cup semi-final in opposition to a giant London rival, had turned up within the first half with a defensive formation and principally thrown away a whole half of soccer. He’d have been pilloried for his conservatism or risk-averse nature, and instructed how his crew wanted to ‘have a go’.
Which, I feel, would have been truthful sufficient actually. In the event you’ve bought to attain, and your gameplan is, for essentially the most half, about containment of the opposition than really making an attempt to attain, then I feel you’re open to some criticism. On the one hand, I get that you simply may resolve to not come to Arsenal and open up, however the threat you’re taking while you go that route is that you simply make the decisive a part of the sport too brief. Why try to rating for 90 minutes when you are able to do it for half-hour as a substitute?
The opposite factor I’d say this morning is that whereas Arsenal defended nicely, and we by no means actually felt beneath a substantial amount of strain, we performed with a entrance three that didn’t actually click on, and the attacking facet of our recreation wasn’t as harmful because it could be. That Martinelli, Madueke, Gyokeres combo doesn’t do it for me, and behind them Eze was kinda quiet too. So, not solely did Chelsea select to play inside themselves for an hour, they did it in opposition to a model of Arsenal that was much less potent than it might be.
Ultimately, Rosenior did make some adjustments, however they made little distinction. Kepa had nearly nothing to do, and the solidity of the Arsenal again 4, with the self-discipline and organisation of the gamers in entrance of them, stored Chelsea at arms size. They greatest they might muster have been some speculative pops from distance, and the occasional nook/set-piece which we handled simply. Alejandro Garnacho, a person who appears like a Temu Halloween costume of a skeleton, got here on and did nothing. At the least there was consistency as a result of Cole Palmer and Estevao provided nothing from the bench both.
In a recreation the place a clear sheet meant victory, Arsenal did not concede an open play shot from contained in the field from the seventh minute till the 97th minute.
— Lewis (@lgambrose.bsky.social) 2026-02-03T22:03:22.320Z
Generally, with a one objective lead, there’s a way of jeopardy, however not final evening. Neville insisted the Arsenal followers would get nervy, however that definitely didn’t appear to be the case by way of the TV protection, and from individuals I’ve spoken to who have been there, it wasn’t current within the stands. It gave the impression to play out to a tedious 0-0, not that I’d have complained, however within the dying moments we scored a objective that simply made that earlier 96 minutes of grind tremendously gratifying.
As Chelsea threw males ahead to search out an equaliser they by no means regarded like getting as a result of they singularly didn’t get the ball into our field time and time once more, Marc Cucurella’s lofted ball was headed ahead by Piero Hincapie. Leandro Trossard performed it down the road to Declan Rice, and with a lot of the opposition gamers in our half, he delivered an outstanding go along with his left foot to Kai Havertz. With Martinelli in help, he went round Robert Sanchez, scored in opposition to his former membership, and pointed to the badge because the stadium erupted and the Arsenal taking part in workers, bench and all, ran to have fun with him.
It was, by any measure, hilarious. Late and deep, eh? Have a little bit of that, pal. The tactical disaster-plan in full impact. By the way in which, I assumed we have been denied an apparent penalty a couple of minutes earlier on Martinelli who was clearly tripped within the field, however perhaps the ref and Rosenior are 1st degree connections on LinkedIn or one thing.
Anyway, the purpose is Arsenal gained and Chelsea, who wanted to attain, performed like a facet who had been satisfied they might simply faff round for 90 minutes and nonetheless undergo. Keep in mind when Mikel Arteta bought skilled pickpockets (or thieves as they’re in any other case identified) to come back to a crew dinner to show his gamers a lesson? Chelsea should have used a type of half-arsed company illusionists to hypnotise them into considering 0-0 was all proper. I don’t actually know what was worse, that gameplan or Gary Neville making an attempt to idiot us into considering it was genius. That’s a lie, it’s very a lot the latter, which says so much as a result of the previous was so completely crap. It didn’t half make it humorous for us although.
Afterwards, Mikel Arteta expressed his delight at securing a cup-final after some semi-final disappointments prior to now, saying:
I feel over the 2 legs we deserved to win. To take the membership, the crew, the people to the best degree and begin to compete for main trophies, on the finish of the day you will have the chance to see your self at Wembley. It provides the appropriate motive for every little thing that we do, I’d say that. So all people is at all times so completely happy and collectively we’re going to attempt to win.
And paid tribute to the followers who backed the crew from begin to end:
They have been huge right now. The power, as a result of it wasn’t straightforward. It was actually chilly, actually windy and moist. They have been with the crew in each side of the sport and emotionally helped us a lot. So thanks a lot. Now let’s get pleasure from Wembley.
Jokes apart although, Arsenal labored very onerous final evening. It wasn’t nearly Chelsea being poor, there was actual self-discipline and organisation to our efficiency, and that’s price acknowledging this morning. We will choose aside the opposition techniques, however until these gamers in pink and white are ready to dig in and do the onerous yards on the pitch, you don’t get the reward. I feel Arteta’s proper, over the 2 legs we did greater than sufficient to achieve the ultimate, and he and the gamers deserve their props for doing so.
Proper, I’m gonna depart it there. We can have an Arsecast for you a bit in a while, recapping the sport and all the remaining, so stand by for that. For now, have one!
