Chelsea 2-3 Arsenal: Garnacho Brace Not Enough as Chelsea Fall to Arsenal in Semi-Final Thriller
It was a night of high drama at Stamford Bridge yesterday as Chelsea suffered a narrow 2-3 defeat to Arsenal in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. In what was Liam Rosenior’s first home game in charge of the Blues, a spirited second-half comeback led by Alejandro Garnacho ultimately fell just short.
Match Summary: A Tale of Two Halves
Chelsea entered the match without several key figures due to injury and suspension, and the missing experience was felt early on. Arsenal took advantage of a sluggish start from the Blues, taking the lead just seven minutes in through a Ben White header.
The First Half: Arsenal dominated the early exchanges. Ben White opened the scoring with a powerful header from a Declan Rice corner. Despite some flashes from Estêvão, Chelsea struggled to test former Blue Kepa Arrizabalaga in the Arsenal goal.
The Second Half: The game exploded into life after the break. Viktor Gyökeres doubled Arsenal’s lead in the 49th minute after a defensive mix-up. However, the introduction of Alejandro Garnacho changed the momentum entirely.
Key Moments & Scorers
The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, with the visitors taking a commanding lead before Chelsea’s young stars began to fight back.
Goal Scorer Team Minute Score
Ben White Arsenal 7′ 0 – 1
Viktor Gyökeres Arsenal 49′ 0 – 2
Alejandro Garnacho Chelsea 57′ 1 – 2
Martin Zubimendi Arsenal 71′ 1 – 3
Alejandro Garnacho Chelsea 83′ 2
The “Garnacho Factor”
The highlight for Chelsea fans was undoubtedly the performance of Alejandro Garnacho. Coming off the bench in the 53rd minute, he provided the clinical edge the Blues had been missing. His first was a tidy finish at the back post, while his second—a bouncing half-volley—set up a “grandstand finish” that kept the home crowd on their feet until the final whistle.
