Arsenal clinched an EFL Cup semi-final 1-0 comeback win against London rivals Chelsea at the Emirates Stadium to book their place in the final after a 4-2 aggregate victory.
Former Blues striker Kai Havertz hammered home in stoppage time, rounding goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and slotting home to end Chelsea in the second leg.
With the win, Arsenal also extended their unbeaten run against Chelsea to ten games in all competitions (W7, D3), sending the Gunners into their first EFL Cup final since 2018.
According to one Arsenal news match report, both sides went into the contest knowing there was little margin for error as a single mistake could swing the tie.
Arsenal were keen to protect their lead in the first leg while Chelsea looked to contain the Gunners, avoid going further behind and catch them late in the game.
Chelsea’s game plan seemed to be working early, but the nervous energy was hard to ignore, especially at the back. Sánchez was at the heart of things from the beginning, but not because of his own work.
He was forced into action twice by ill-judged back passes, and those moments of uncertainty set the tone for a tense and nervous contest.
There have also been a couple of hairy moments at the other end of the pitch, although Chelsea international Kepa Arrizabalaga has barely had much to do.
The Gunners had a scare when a mistake from William Saliba allowed Liam Delap a sight of goal, but the Chelsea striker dragged his effort wide.
The match never settled into a rhythm. Instead, it became a series of small battles across the pitch, with neither team willing to compromise.
There were still flashes of quality though, as Piero Hincapie produced the best moment of the first half with a curling effort that forced a strong save from Sanchez.
Chelsea tried their luck from distance on a few occasions but did not do enough to trouble Arrizabalaga.
Blues skipper Enzo Fernandez and centre-back Trevoh Chalobah were guilty of failing to sustain their ambitious long-range efforts and were almost punished for it.
Arsenal’s wide players tried to stretch the game as much as possible and it almost paid off.
Gabriel Martinelli came close to breaking through after half an hour, but Malo Gusto followed him step by step and blocked his shot at the crucial moment.
Just before the break, the visitors finally tested the Arsenal goalkeeper as Fernández managed to keep out one of his long-range efforts.
But Arrizabalaga was up to the task, stopping the ball safely and ensuring Arsenal kept their aggregate advantage intact heading into the break.
Liam Rosenior caught the eye by making a flurry of substitutions at half-time to turn the tide in Chelsea’s favour, but this time he sent on the same team for the second half.
Although there were no changes, the Blues came out of the tunnel with an urgency that reflected their desperate need for a goal to level the tie on aggregate.
They pressed higher and moved the ball quicker, and the Blues looked the most likely to break the deadlock, but could not overcome Arsenal’s dogged backline.
It didn’t take long for Rosenior to finally throw in the big guns with Cole Palmer and Estevao.
Although his introduction gave Chelsea more attacking impetus, it still didn’t produce any results.
With Chelsea pouring in numbers in the hope of a goal, Arsenal pounced in the last minute with a sweeping counter-attack that left Havertz one-on-one with Sanchez.
The Gunners will now face either Manchester City or Newcastle United as they look to secure their first major domestic title since lifting the FA Cup in 2020.
