Advantage Arsenal after Gyokeres goal helps to give Gunners slender lead in entertaining League Cup clash at The Bridge
Gyokeres goal helps make it advantage Arsenal: Five Things We Learned After Gunners beat Chelsea in pulsating capital Carabao clash
Advantage Arsenal after Gyokeres goal helps to give Gunners slender lead in entertaining League Cup clash at The Bridge
Layth’s Take is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
My picture taken from the Chelsea press box of the magnificent 4,000 travelling Gooners celebrating Martin Zubimendi’s goal at Stamford Bridge. CREDIT:Layth (@laythy29)
1 - Arsenal never do things the easy way
A Viktor Gyokeres goal and an assist helped Arsenal to a 3-2 win over Chelsea in the first leg of a pulsating League Cup semi-final clash.
On a rainy evening in west London, this captivating capital clash at Stamford Bridge saw Mikel Arteta’s side emerge triumphant to take a slender lead back to N5 in the second leg in early February.
Arteta’s dominant side had appeared to be coasting at 2-0 and 3-1, up following an opener from Ben White that was supplemented by the Swedish striker’s first goal in nine games for the Gunners, prior to Martin Zubimendi grabbing the Gunners third.
Former Manchester United for Alejandro Garnacho scored twice for the dogged Blues, but the North Londoners held on to spoil Liam Rosenior’s first home game in charge of Chelsea.
However, the Gunners will rue the missed opportunity to have made this two-legged tie safe after 90 riveting minutes, especially knowing Chelsea boss Rosenior started without injured the influential Cole Palmer and captain Reece James, while Moises Caicedo was missing through suspension.
Reflecting on the narrow result, which, despite Arteta losing four semi-finals during his time in charge, should have seen a wider winning margin for the victors, the Arsenal boss said during his post-match press conference that I attended last night in the packed Stamford Bridge media room:“The feeling is not perfect, but with so much quality on the pitch, we have to value what the team have done.”
Commanding Arsenal could have made it four, when Mikel Merino’s excellent volley was kept out by the hapless Robert Sanchez, who partially redeemed his earlier errors, the toes on his right boot somehow denying the Arsenal midfielder a vital goal, for if the ball had entered the net, the tie would have surely been over at 4-1.
But that was before lively substitute Garnacho grabbed his second goal of an absorbing evening with seven minutes remaining, to reduce the defeat to 3-2, handing Chelsea an unexpected lifeline for the return tie. The former Old Trafford winger volleying home after Kepa Arrizabalaga’s clearance dropped at his feet to set up a thrilling grandstand finish, which ultimately saw Arsenal edge over the line to make it 10 games unbeaten in all competitions.
During his presser the quietly impressive Rosenior praised Chelsea’s spirit, even after the total now stands at a meagre three wins in their last 13 matches.
*“The battling spiriting is what made me so happy,*” the 41-year-old new boss said, adding:‘I’m never happy to lose a game of football, of course, but I saw an energy, I saw a determination, and I saw an intensity.”
The return leg in North London in three weeks’ time promises to be just as intense.
2 - Gyokeres goal gives Gunners genuine hope
In a bid to win this tournament for only the third time in their history, Arteta picked a strong line-up, with an equally strong bench, making eight changes to the Gunners starting XI that beat Portsmouth 4-1 down on the south coast on Sunday.
Former Blue Kepa appeared in his second cup game in a week, while Arteta was rewarded with persisting with Gyokeres in big games, after the 27-year-old returned to the starting line-up in SW6.
After a respectful minute’s applause from both sets of supporters for Chelsea legend Eddie McCreadie who sadly died last week, the atmosphere at The Bridge erupted into an ear-splitting racket, as this capital clash kicked off.
Four minutes after the break, Gyokeres grabbed his first strike in open play for more than two months, to double the Gunners lead in front of 4,000 joyous Gooners.
The former Sporting Lisbon forward pouncing on a poor mistake by keeper Sanchez after the Chelsea keeper failed to gather the ball on the line from White’s cross. Allowing the £63.5m Gyokeres to do what he was purchased for, namely snap up chances in the box.
Arteta was quick to praise the Arsenal striker after the match, saying: “I think he had a really good performance overall…what he brings to the team, it’s a lot sometimes.
“I understand people cannot appreciate it, we certainly do that, and on top of that he got rewarded with a goal.”
The goal was also Gyokeres’ first since scoring a decisive penalty in the 1-0 win at Everton on December 20, albeit to make it a respectable eight for the season.
One trusts the amount of analysis aimed at the Arsenal forward will also now be applied to other misfiring strikers around the league, a number of who have netted far fewer goals than the bustling Swede.
3 - Inconsistent VAR makes decisions a farce
The pre-match atmosphere had barely faded from supporters throats when the Gunners went ahead through Ben White. The Arsenal defender netting his first Gunners goal since grabbing a brace back in April 2024 during Arsenal’s 5-0 rout of Chelsea in N5.
The opener coming on seven minutes, after Blues keeper Sanchez flapped at Declan Rice’s corner, as the 4,000 travelling Gooners celebrated wildly at the other end of the Bridge.
[As an aside Arsenal boss Arteta made a point of praising Ben White after the match: “*He is someone you can count on in any circumstances.*”]
In a similar looking action to VAR eventually disallowing Antoine Semenya’s controversial disallowed ‘goal’ for Manchester City at Newcastle in the other semi-final on Tuesday evening, the powers that be at Stockley Park, decreed White’s goal would stand. The decision coming at a fraction of the five and a half minutes waiting time those poor souls at St James’s Park, and millions watching on television had to endure 24 hours previously.
It was correct resolution. Even if the two different outcomes this week simply underlined the farcical and inconsistent nature of the wretched way VAR is operated in this country.
The opener was Arsenal’s 24th goal from set-pieces during this campaign so far, and their 18th from a corner. No wonder the visiting fans in the away end joyfully chorused: “Set Piece FC ole, ole, ole.”
Followed up by an ironic chant - though you do really never know when it comes to Chelsea, who have powered through 27 managers and caretaker bosses this century - when singing: ‘Sacked in the morning’, aimed at new boss Rosenior.
4 - Arsenal’s travelling support was superb
At times from my vantage point in the Stamford Bridge press box slap bang in front of the dugouts and tunnel - which for me makes it the best view in English football for a journalist - all you could hear was the noise coming from the magnificent 4,000 travelling Gooners massed in the away end. (For video of manically exuberant goal celebrations visit the Gooner Fanzine’s Facebook page)
I thought the support from the 4,000 travelling Gooners was absolutely superb throughout the entire 90 minutes.
They were certainly in impish form too, especially when regaling us with that ditty about ‘Thomas Frank being a silver member,” which had my normally stern demeanour in the press box convulsing with laughter.
5 - Special Zubimendi
While Wham’s Last Christmas may be slightly out of date in January, it was still great to hear the travelling Gooners sing their version of it, as it meant they were honouring Martin Zubimendi.
The former Real Sociedad midfielder must surely be one of the buys of the season, after again showing his quality in red and white throughout a hard-fought match.
As Arsenal dominated the home side, the sublime Zubimendi had an athletic effort that flew narrowly over Sanchez’s bar in the early stages.
In an absorbing contest, the notable Zubimendi made it 3-1 for the Gunners on 71 minutes, after latching onto Gyokeres’ ball, with the Swede now turned provider.
The goal coming after the exquisite Basque creative made headway in a crowded box, powered by his vision and quick feet, before unleashing a superb strike into the top corner.
A special player indeed, whose performances have been one of the highlights of the season so far.
PS: Relentless Arteta
See you at the City Ground on Saturday, via Mikel’s pre-Forest press conference at Colney on Friday, as well as Renée Slegers FA Cup presser.
Come on you Gunners. Cheers, Layth
Layth’s Take is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.