Kai Havertz came off the bench to score the decisive goal as Arsenal edged Chelsea 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium, securing their place in the Carabao Cup final. The Gunners entered the match with a 3-2 advantage from the first leg two weeks ago.

In a tense and closely contested encounter, Havertz capitalized on Declan Rice’s cross, skillfully dribbled past Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, and slotted the ball into an empty net in the 97th minute to seal Arsenal’s passage to their first cup final since 2020.

Chelsea, needing a goal to force extra time after the five-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge in the first leg, dominated possession and had 14 shots compared to Arsenal’s five. However, they were unable to carve out any clear-cut opportunities.

Arsenal largely focused on defending their lead, launching only occasional attacks. Their disciplined performance also made them the first club in Europe’s major leagues to record 20 clean sheets this season.

The Gunners were without Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard for the match. Saka was sidelined due to an injury sustained during the warm-up before Arsenal’s 4-0 win over Leeds, while Odegaard, who came on as a second-half substitute at Elland Road, was not included in the squad.

In their absence, Noni Madueke started in place of Saka, and Eberechi Eze featured in midfield. Up front, Viktor Gyokeres led the attack after scoring four goals in his last six appearances. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus were among the substitutes.

Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga started, with David Raya on the bench.