Why Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win at Chelsea is THAT important

Arsenal extended their dominance over their London rivals on Wednesday night with a 3-2 victory at Stamford Bridge to establish a slender advantage ahead of their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium in a few weeks.

Goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyokeres, and Martin Zubimendi proved too much for Alejandro Garnacho’s brace for the host, as Liam Rosenior joined a long list of Chelsea managers who failed to win their first home games in charge of the club.

The result means Mikel Arteta’s team will reach the final if they avoid defeat in the second leg, where they’ll face either Manchester City or Newcastle United at Wembley in English football’s first awarded trophy of the season.

While Mikel Arteta and his players will be disappointed that the result did not reflect the quality of chances they had to blow their host away, it is one they need so much and will take in any form, especially given how things have gone in past years.

Why Arsenal’s Carabao Cup win at Chelsea is that important

Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea on Wednesday marked their first semi-final win under Mikel Arteta since beating Manchester City 2-0 at Wembley in the 2020 Emirates FA Cup.

Since then, the club has suffered semi-final eliminations in the EFL Carabao Cup, Europa League, and Champions League, a bad omen that has seen them without a major trophy since their FA Cup conquest in the aforementioned year.

The win at Chelsea may not be satisfying by their standard, but Mikel Arteta and his players will accept anything to break the jinx, they have to complete the job at home in February and ensure their place in the final.

If the Gunners can seal progress to the Wembley final, it will give them much confidence in potential semi-finals in the more prestigious competitions, especially with their 100 percent record in finals under their Spanish manager.

Arsenal’s win over Chelsea in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final doubleheader, and with an unbeaten home record this season, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic that the prolonged jinx could be about to be broken.

Kehinde-Hassan Afolabi