Arsenal emerged from Stamford Bridge with a slender but important advantage after beating Chelsea 3–2 in an eventful first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final clash on Wednesday night.
The Gunners wasted little time asserting themselves, taking the lead within the opening minutes. A well-worked corner delivery confused the Chelsea defence, and Ben White was left unmarked to nod home from close range after the hosts failed to clear their lines.
Chelsea attempted to find a response by stretching play out wide, but Arsenal remained largely in control of the first half. The visitors dictated possession through midfield, limiting Chelsea to speculative efforts and blocked shots as the home side struggled to create clear-cut chances.
The match burst into life shortly after the restart. Arsenal doubled their lead early in the second half when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez failed to deal cleanly with a low delivery into the box.
Viktor Gyökeres reacted quickest to the loose ball, finishing from close range to put the visitors firmly in charge.
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Chelsea, however, refused to fold. Substitutions injected fresh energy into their attack, and Alejandro Garnacho made an immediate impact by reducing the deficit. The winger met a cross at the back post and fired a low effort past the goalkeeper to bring the hosts back into contention.
Arsenal steadied themselves and restored their two-goal cushion midway through the half with a composed team move. Gyökeres turned provider this time, setting up Martin Zubimendi, who showed great composure to beat Sanchez with a precise finish from inside the area.
Despite trailing 3–1, Chelsea continued to press and were rewarded late on. Garnacho struck again from a crowded penalty area, reacting sharply to score his second goal of the night and keep the tie alive heading into the second leg.
The closing stages were tense, with Chelsea pushing for an equaliser and Arsenal focused on preserving their lead. A late penalty appeal involving Gabriel Jesus was overturned after a review, while Arsenal’s defence stood firm under sustained pressure.
When the final whistle sounded, Arsenal had secured a crucial 3–2 away victory, giving them a narrow edge ahead of the return leg at the Emirates Stadium, where a place in the EFL Cup final will be at stake.
