Arsenal have secured their spot in the EFL Cup final with a 1-0 win over Chelsea, with Kai Havertz netting a 97th minute goal to secure the victory.
Mikel Arteta’s side came into the tie with a 3-2 lead from the reverse fixture at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea knowing they had to win at the Emirates to have a chance of making the final.
This second leg was a cagey affair, as Chelsea set up with an initial game plan to keep things tight, before looking to go for it in the latter stages of the game.
In this article, we’ll cover
Conservative game plans
Liam Rosenior was without Reece James and Pedro Neto who failed late fitness tests, while both Cole Palmer and Estevao were only able to make the bench, leading to an interesting lineup and gameplan from the Blues.
In the first half, Chelsea set up to press from a 5-2-3 shape off the ball, utilising a back five of Wesley Fofana, Trevoh Chalobah, Jorrel Hato, Malo Gusto and Marc Cucurella.
Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos were screening the back five, while Liam Delap was positioned on the right, Enzo Fernandez was positioned on the left and Joao Pedro led the press from the front.
The game plan was very much about keeping it tight off the ball, dropping into a more zonal 5-4-1 mid block and taking little risk in the first half, with firm eyes on the second half being the time to turn the screw.
Arsenal played into this in the first half, also playing with very little risk on the ball, holding 44% possession and only managing three shots in the first half, allowing Chelsea to get in with a 0-0 scoreline at the break, which was clearly part one of Rosenior’s plan.
Rosenior’s dice roll
The roll of the dice came at the 60th minute, with Cole Palmer and Estevao replacing Delap and Hato, shifting from their 5-2-3 shape into a more front-footed 4-2-3-1.
Chelsea still formed the same 3-2-4-1 shape they did in the first half during settled possession when on the ball, but now had more offensive profiles in advanced positions, with Palmer operating in the right half space and Estevao on the left wing.
While Palmer was playing off the right, being released inside with Gusto providing the width, the freedom he had from the second he set foot on the pitch was clear, roaming to form overloads, getting on the ball deeper and looking to put his stamp on the game.
The game became more open, with Arsenal looking to exploit Chelsea with more direct balls forward once they shifted to a back four, increasing the distances between the players and units.
Rosenior’s last throw of the dice was to add Alejandro Garnacho as a more direct threat in behind, moving Enzo Fernandez into the pivot alongside Caicedo and taking Santos off.
Cucurella also pushed higher in the final 15 minutes, forming a 3-1-5-1 with Caicedo often dropping into the backline and Fernandez looking to receive in midfield areas and progress play.
Havertz lands the knockout
As Chelsea were going for the game, taking 11 shots in the second half and keeping 55% possession, there was always a chance Arsenal could hurt them with once counter attack.
Both Fofana and Josh Acheampong who came on for Gusto in the 87th minute were occupying centre-forward positions for the final minutes, leaving Chalobah and Caicedo to defend transitions.
In the 97th minute, it was Havertz who broke away to score the winner against his old side, securing Arsenal’s spot in the EFL Cup final by skipping round Robert Sanchez and finishing into an empty net.
A poetic way for the German to score the winner, who rounded Ederson to win the Champions League for the Blues back in 2021.