Sánchez's Errors Hand Arsenal a First-Leg Lead, Despite Garnacho's Chelsea Double
The latest display of Arsenal's power and aggression left no doubt about their grip on the Carabao Cup semi-final. A late goal from Chelsea substitute Alejandro Garnacho, his second of an eventful cameo, was the only thing that kept the game close. Despite this, it's hard to predict anything other than Arsenal's progression to the final, with Mikel Arteta on the path to a rare piece of silverware this season.
Arsenal brought the physical fight, bullying Chelsea and making Liam Rosenior fret on his first home game as the Chelsea manager. They scored the opener from a familiar source, Ben White converting from a Declan Rice corner, their 24th goal from a set piece this season.
Robert Sánchez offered minimal resistance in the Chelsea goal, struggling with deliveries and at fault for Arsenal's second, turned in by Viktor Gyökeres early in the second half. Sánchez's handling error on a low cross from White was particularly grotesque, an erratic performance overall.
Chelsea battled, especially Garnacho, whose first goal prompted Arsenal to score again. Martín Zubimendi provided the moment of the night, a flash of silk amid the steel, his ice-cold finish after Gyökeres’s layoff leading Arteta to rub his eyes in astonishment.
At that point, it felt as though Arsenal would score again, turning the second leg into a mere formality. Credit to Chelsea for staying alive, to Garnacho for another confident conversion. Rosenior could praise the spirit of his players, but the smart money said it was simply an illusion.
It was comfortably the biggest game of Rosenior's managerial career, and he could have been luckier with his player availability. The headline absentees were the injured Reece James and Cole Palmer, and the suspended Moisés Caicedo. Liam Delap was a late cry-off due to illness.
Arteta's idea was to leave nothing to chance. He has been stung by too many semi-final defeats, and he has managed to get through only one of five so far during his time in charge at Arsenal, against Manchester City on the victorious FA Cup run in 2019-20, his only trophy to date. He went as strong as possible with his XI, apart from giving Kepa Arrizabalaga a runout in goal.
If it was the dream start for Arsenal, it was a nightmare for Rosenior. He had been introduced to the Stamford Bridge crowd before kick-off, but there was only hesitation from his defenders after Jurriën Timber won an early corner off Trevoh Chalobah. The Arsenal fans chanted 'set piece again' as Rice dropped the kick into the area of maximum discomfort.
It was a horrible moment for Sánchez, who was boxed in and ran into his teammate Marc Cucurella, before stretching up an arm in a vain waft at the ball. White headed down and in from point-blank range.
Arsenal brought the intensity, pressing high. Rosenior roamed his technical area, clapping in quickfire bursts to gee up his players, but it was tough going before the interval. Chelsea diced with disaster as they tried to play out from the back, with Arsenal players hounding them every step of the way. Sánchez looked particularly shaky.
Estêvão Willian was a bright spot for the home team, with a jet-heeled burst in the 37th minute, but no help from his teammates towards the corner flag. Inevitably, he was crowded out. Moments earlier, he had cut inside to unload a vicious shot with minimal backlift that Arrizabalaga repelled.
The Stamford Bridge natives were restless, and there were boos from them at half-time. Arsenal had toyed with a second goal, with Zubimendi swiping one shot high, William Saliba going close with another, and the goal did come after the restart.
Arsenal played quickly from a throw-in on the right, Bukayo Saka releasing White on the overlap, but the full-back’s low cross looked straightforward for Sánchez. Yet his first move was almost to jump, a weird way to set himself, and the fumble was a consequence. Gyökeres needed a goal, and he won't score an easier one.
Garnacho's response was well-timed, as the mood among the home fans was turning. The dissatisfaction at the hierarchy is palpable, with many supporters losing faith in Behdad Eghbali, the co-controlling owner, and the youth-first project he is overseeing. They told him they were 'not wanted here'. There were also chants in support of the former owner, Roman Abramovich.
Rosenior had introduced Garnacho for the ineffective Marc Guiu, and the goal followed a Pedro Neto cross. Garnacho lurked unmarked beyond the back post, a rare Arsenal defensive lapse, and lashed past Arrizabalaga.
Back came Arsenal. Zubimendi’s composure was astonishing, his fake-to-shoot move sending Wesley Fofana off towards Fulham Broadway station, buying time for the shot past Sánchez. The Chelsea goalkeeper would save brilliantly to keep out a volley from the substitute Mikel Merino, while Gabriel Magalhães might have scored from a corner.
Arsenal were rampant, although Garnacho took a little wind out of their sails when he rammed a shot down and in after Gabriel could only half-clear following a corner. It was only a little.
