Arsenal have booked their place in the first domestic cup final of the season after seeing off rivals Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate to reach the Carabao Cup final.
The Gunners sealed the tie with a 1-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium, adding to their 3-2 first-leg win at Stamford Bridge a fortnight earlier.
Kai Havertz struck a dramatic late winner on the night to send Arsenal through to Wembley, where they will feature in their first Carabao Cup final in eight years.
Arsenal entered the second leg holding a slender aggregate advantage after goals from Viktor Gyokeres, Ben White and Martin Zubimendi in the opening encounter, and they made that edge count on a tense evening in north London.
With clear chances at a premium for much of the match, it was former Chelsea forward Havertz who delivered the decisive moment, rounding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez late on to settle the contest and confirm a 1-0 win on the night.
The hosts began cautiously as they looked to reach their first League Cup final since 2018, when they also eliminated Chelsea at the semi-final stage.
The opening 15 minutes produced little goalmouth action as both sides sized each other up on a wet Emirates surface.
Chelsea, who had progressed in three of their previous four EFL Cup semi-final ties after losing the first leg, showed early intent.
Liam Delap registered the first effort of note with a scuffed shot that failed to trouble the Arsenal defence.
Arsenal came closest midway through the first half following sustained pressure from a series of corners. Eberechi Eze picked out Piero Hincapie on the edge of the area, and the defender unleashed a powerful left-footed strike that was well saved by Sanchez.
The second half opened with increased urgency from the visitors. Within two minutes, Delap poked an effort narrowly wide after a scramble inside the six-yard box following a corner.
Chelsea continued to probe, with Noni Madueke finding space down the flanks but unable to produce a final ball that tested the Arsenal backline.
The Blues then introduced Cole Palmer and Estevao as they searched for a way back into the tie.
Arsenal remained composed under pressure and nearly doubled their advantage when Declan Rice found Zubimendi, whose delivery to the back post was met by Gabriel, only for Marc Cucurella to clear the header off the line.
As Chelsea committed more players forward, space opened up at the back, and Arsenal capitalised. A swift breakaway released Havertz, who calmly rounded Sanchez before slotting home to extinguish Chelsea’s hopes and secure Arsenal’s passage to Wembley.
Speaking after the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his delight at reaching the final, insisting his side deserved to progress over the two legs.
“We are so happy. I think overall, over the last two games, we deserved to go through,” Arteta said. “It was a long match and we expected that, but we wrapped it up at the end in a beautiful way. The reaction from the crowd was just magical.”
Arteta also praised the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium, crediting supporters for driving the team forward on a challenging night.
“It wasn’t easy a late kick-off, windy, rainy and cold but the energy was very good from the beginning. I sensed it was different,” he added.
The victory confirms Arsenal’s place at Wembley, where they will now aim to crown their Carabao Cup campaign with silverware.
