Chelsea are back in this game… again!
The Blues were 2-0 and 3-1 down and looked pretty hopeless and lacking in confidence at times. But every time Arsenal have got ahead by two, we’ve been able to peg them back and keep ourselves alive in the two legged tie.
In this case it was a Pedro Neto corner which found a thicket of bodies at the near post. A glancing touch sent the ball flying into space at the far post, where Alejandro Garnacho was waiting. The ball was bouncing up to him and he had to time his volley perfectly to keep his effort low. But he managed it. Defenders on the line couldn’t stop it.
There was a brief panic as the VAR checked for a foul on Kepa, but nothing dodgy was found and the goal was quickly waved through.
Garnacho does big credit towards his chances of starting in the league
Alejandro Garnacho scores for Chelsea against Arsenal.
Alejandro Garnacho scores for Chelsea against Arsenal.
You can see the goal in the clips embedded here:
Alejandro Garnacho gets ANOTHER! 😮 pic.twitter.com/zDGx6hTDf8
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 14, 2026
[Footage from Sky Sports]
Garnacho’s double off the bench here is just what he will have wanted with a new manager in place. He’s done a lot of good work towards starting in the league now, and Liam Rosenior will be delighted with what he’s seen from the Argentine, even in a defeat.
In other news…
The first goal came from Garnacho too, in a similar position. Both of them were technically, dealing with a tricky ball coming in, and both have brought the Blues to within one goal of their opposition, giving some hope with a second leg still to play.
Liam Rosenior is without a lot of senior players for this game, and there’s some debate over who will have been behind that decision. The coach knew what he was getting himself into, given what happened with Enzo Maresca before him.
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