Arsenal delivered a 3–2 victory away at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi‑final first leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The London rivals produced an exciting contest, with Arsenal taking the lead early when Ben White scored after a corner miscue by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sánchez.
Viktor Gyökeres then doubled Arsenal’s advantage shortly after the break with a composed finish.
Chelsea fought back in the second half through Alejandro Garnacho, who scored twice — including a late strike following a chaotic corner — but Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi restored a two‑goal cushion with a well‑taken solo effort in between.
The result gives Arsenal a strong away lead heading into the second leg at the Emirates Stadium.
The semi‑final tie, part of the Carabao Cup competition, saw both teams missing key players due to injuries or suspensions, while fans and pundits noted the high intensity throughout the 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, the second leg is set to take place at Emirates Stadium in early February, with Arsenal holding the advantage after this thrilling first leg.
PUNCH Online reports that Man City also won 2-0 at the Saint James Park in the other semi-final clash against Newcastle on Tuesday night.
According to Arsenal on its website, “Following our Carabao Cup semi-final first leg, we’re back in Premier League action on Saturday, January 17, at 5.30pm, taking on Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
“We then round off our run of four straight away games with a trip to Milan to face Inter at San Siro in the Champions League on Tuesday, January 20.”
