Arsenal won the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night by a score of 3-2. The visitors scored through Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres, and Martin Zubimendi. Alejandro Garnacho, who came on as a substitute, scored twice for the Blues in what eventually turned into a wild game.
Liam Rosenior, the new Chelsea manager, played his first competitive game at Stamford Bridge since taking over for Enzo Maresca. The match was the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final, and the second leg is set for early February. Arsenal, who are in first place in the Premier League, took control early and held off a late Chelsea fightback to take a lead into the second leg.
After only seven minutes, White scored by heading the ball into an empty net from a corner while Robert Sanchez was stuck in no man’s land. Four minutes into the second half, Gyökeres made it 2-0 when Sanchez couldn’t catch White’s low cross. The Swedish striker ended a long stretch without scoring with his close-range shot.
Garnacho scored in the 57th minute to bring Chelsea back into the game. The Argentine, who came on as a substitute, took control of Pedro Neto’s cross and shot through Kepa’s legs at the back post. But Arsenal got their two-goal lead back when Zubimendi dribbled past two defenders and scored from 12 yards out in the 71st minute.
Garnacho scored his second, 12 minutes before the end, hitting the ground with a half-volley after a corner kick hit him in the path. It made the end of the game tense, but Arsenal held on. When Jorrel Hato caught Gabriel Jesus in the box late in the game, the visitors almost got a penalty, but the offside flag quickly put an end to those hopes.
Alejandro Garnacho Impresses for Chelsea
Garnacho moved from Manchester United to Chelsea in the summer for a reported £40 million, but his time in west London hasn’t been easy so far. The 21-year-old winger notably came off the bench and scored twice, just like he did in the last round of the tournament against Cardiff City.
His two goals showed Chelsea what he was capable of, which is why they spent so much money on him, even though it wasn’t enough on the night.
Rosenior chose Estevão and Pedro Neto to start the first leg instead of Garnacho. The choice seemed questionable when Garnacho’s entry sparked Chelsea’s attempt to come back, but Arsenal’s lead was too big to be fully overturned.