Ben White converted from close-range by positioning well to nod home a Declan Rice corner with seven minutes played.
Rice revelled in the taunting from his former club’s fans in the corner, as seen in a clip circulating social media, as he effortlessly stroked his delivery into an inviting area.
In their favourite period to score after half-time, Viktor Gyokeres bundled the second home, aided by the ball slipping through Robert Sanchez’s gloves, after some initially impressive work by Bukayo Saka and White’s combination.
Substitute Alejandro Garnacho halved the deficit to wipe Arsenal’s possibility of taking a clean sheet.
Martin Zubimendi’s left-footed strike restored the important larger scoring margin, albeit momentarily, as Garnacho smashed his volley beneath Kepa Arrizabalaga for his brace.
Half-time, equivalent to 1-0 in this two-legged tie, but Arsenal could have walked away unblemished, and all but securing a spot in the coveted final.
Instead, Chelsea pegged them back twice by virtue of Liam Rosenior’s first and most effective substitute, despite fielding a weaker starting side, largely due to key injuries.
Here are four things we learnt from Arsenal’s victory:
Ben White proved his worth in an Arsenal shirt
There have been rumours circulating that White could be on his way out the door in the summer due to his lack of minutes and interest from Premier League suitors.
His early goal was quite a rare sight as it was his first since his two goals against Chelsea in Arsenal’s 2024 home rout over The Blues. White’s cross eventually fell to his former Brighton youth colleague Gyokeres to tap-in once Bukayo Saka sensed his trademark overlap.
Working in tandem with Saka, overlapping at the right moments, and creating an unrivalled synergy makes him valuable, especially when managing the load of Jurrien Timber.
The Dutchman continues to get the nod as Mikel Arteta’s starting choice this season at right-back, but that partnership with Saka is unique and White will be keen to reap the rewards of his toil to help Arsenal become title challengers.
Gyokeres put on his best display for Arsenal to date
The familiar story of very little involvement and touches, akin to certain strikers across the Premier League, with major questions over how patient Arsenal can be about Gyokeres’ output.
Yet, early in the second half, he capitalised on Sanchez’s error and White’s ball into an area Gyokeres relishes in and lurks in so often.
Aside from giving the two Chelsea centre-backs plenty to think about physically and roaming across the front line, he showed for the ball for his assist, flicking it to Zubimendi on the edge of the area, who was quick to support the striker.
One opportunity to shoot and Gyokeres does not pass it up, hunting for more regular goals and hoping to rediscover his confidence.
His teammates must adjust and get to grips with what they need to do when playing with the Swede, specifically. Zubimendi’s subtle movement and White’s prompt cross are examples of where Gyokeres will thrive and be recognised.
He has finally delivered in a game of greater significance with goal contributions from open play against more challenging opponents.
The resilience to maintain his standards in all facets of his game, like his work-rate when pressing, is commendable, just as much as Arteta continuing to play him with thoughts to ponder over Jesus and Havertz’s returns.
Before pursuing his signature, Zubimendi had been associated with the elegant and technical Spanish ball-playing midfielder, who may add the impetus and decisive pass Arsenal had previously lacked.
He radiates composure and control, affording Rice the license to move forwards, but also brings a lot more to the table than a pass through the lines and managing momentum in-possession.
His third goal stemmed from an important movement to support Gyokeres, while that composure shone through when he delayed pulling the trigger to bypass the defenders and picked the right moment to release his shot on his supposedly weaker foot.
This also overshadowed the defensive shift he tirelessly put in. He wouldn’t be one of Arsenal’s most played players in his maiden campaign in the Premier League if he had little to offer defensively.
The brief confrontation with Enzo Fernandez attempting to ruffle his feathers shows the midfield battles he undertakes, while he seems to display his composed demeanour so comfortably.
The teamsheets showed the result of Arsenal’s astute spending compared to Chelsea
Irrespective of net spend and Chelsea’s ability to recoup funds from selling, Arteta was able to deploy arguably his strongest squad in this semi-final without concerns over fitness and the substitutes at his disposal.
On the other hand, Rosenior had little attacking firepower to bring on from the bench, albeit Garnacho turned out to rescue Chelsea.
The Blues were ravaged by injuries and a suspension to Moises Caicedo, but their youthfulness and lack of attackers on the bench on Wednesday night begs the question over how lucrative their recruitment model will be when it comes to successes on the pitch.
Arsenal’s bench was stacked with players who could easily start every Premier League game without too much concern.
Nearing its completion, Arsenal’s project should be capable of winning titles. However, Chelsea’s expenditure at this stage should be warranting greater consistency, and the finishing touches of experience continues to set Arsenal apart from their London rivals, who haven't beaten them since 2021.