ARSENAL celebrating win over CHELSEA 1-0 to reach LEAGUE CUP FINAL
Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will use the momentum from reaching the League Cup final to drive their Premier League title challenge.
Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 on Tuesday night in the second leg of their semi-final, with Kai Havertz scoring late to seal a 4–2 aggregate win. The result sends the Gunners to their first major final in six years.
They will face either Manchester City or Newcastle United at Wembley on March 22. City take a 2–0 lead into the second leg of their semi-final at the Etihad Stadium.
The victory was significant for Arsenal, who had lost their previous four semi-finals across European and domestic competitions. For a club that has finished second in the Premier League three seasons in a row, the win offers belief that this team can now cross the final hurdle.
Arteta described the moment as a major lift for a squad competing on multiple fronts.
“Winning helps in every sense — confidence, energy, everything,” he said. “You can feel the joy in the dressing room. But we have to put it aside quickly. In three days, we have a massive Premier League game.”
Arsenal are currently six points clear at the top of the league and have already qualified for the Champions League last 16 after winning all eight group matches. The League Cup run adds further weight to what is shaping up to be a defining season.
The noise at the Emirates Stadium after Havertz’s goal underlined how much the result meant to supporters, many of whom have waited years for silverware. Arsenal last won the League Cup in 1993 and have lost their last three finals in the competition.
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A win at Wembley would also deliver the club’s first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup.
Arteta, a former assistant to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, believes his players have learned from past disappointments.
“This is about learning from previous experiences,” he said. “The way the team understood what we had to do was impressive. Now we want to win the final.”
For Chelsea, the defeat marked the first major setback under new manager Liam Rosenior. The former Strasbourg coach had won six of his first seven matches since replacing Enzo Maresca.
“We’re disappointed, but we can’t let this affect our future,” Rosenior said. “We lost to a very good team.”
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