Arsenal seize first leg advantage after costly Chelsea mistakes despite Garnacho’s fightback

Arsenal marched into Stamford Bridge with cold intent and left with a commanding advantage that felt heavier than the scoreline suggested. This Carabao Cup semi-final first leg carried the tension of a season-defining moment for both clubs, yet it was Chelsea who buckled under the weight of it.

From the opening minutes, Arsenal imposed themselves physically and mentally. Their pressing was relentless and their confidence unmistakable. Chelsea struggled to settle and were punished early when Ben White converted from a corner in the seventh minute. The set piece felt painfully familiar for the home side. Declan Rice delivered, and Robert Sánchez faltered. Boxed in and hesitant, the goalkeeper collided with his own defender before White nodded home from close range.

The goal set the tone. Arsenal smelled weakness and kept pushing. Chelsea attempted to play out from the back, but panic followed every touch. Sánchez looked rattled, his decision-making shaky as Arsenal players swarmed him at every opportunity. The crowd grew restless. The mood darkened.

Despite the pressure, Chelsea did have moments of resistance. Estêvão Willian injected urgency and pace, briefly lifting the home support. He drove forward with intent and tested Kepa Arrizabalaga with a fierce strike, but the effort only delayed what felt inevitable.

After the interval, the defining moment arrived. Arsenal worked the ball quickly down the right. Bukayo Saka released White, whose low cross appeared routine. Sánchez misjudged it entirely. His hands fumbled, his feet froze, and Viktor Gyökeres pounced. The striker needed no invitation. He rolled the ball home, and Arsenal doubled their lead without breaking stride.

At that point, the tie threatened to slip away from Chelsea completely. Arsenal were dominant. Martín Zubimendi added a third with a moment of pure composure, ghosting into space and finishing with surgical calm after a neat exchange with Gyökeres. Even Mikel Arteta looked stunned by the ease of it.

Chelsea was wounded but not dead. Alejandro Garnacho had been introduced from the bench and immediately brought belief. His first goal arrived from a Pedro Neto cross, finding space at the back post where Arsenal briefly switched off. The finish was sharp, and the stadium stirred.

Yet hope remained fragile. Arsenal continued to slice through Chelsea’s midfield and defence. They pressed high, recycled possession and looked capable of scoring at will. Sánchez, meanwhile, endured a torrid night. Each touch drew gasps. Each save attempt felt like a gamble.

Garnacho struck again late on, reacting quickest after a loose clearance and drilling the ball past Arrizabalaga. It trimmed the deficit and offered Chelsea a lifeline, but it did little to change the overall narrative.

This was Arsenal’s night. Their aggression, structure and belief overwhelmed a Chelsea side still searching for identity. The errors were decisive, the punishment ruthless.

As the whistle blew, Arsenal walked off knowing the tie was firmly in their hands. Chelsea was left to confront uncomfortable truths. The second leg remains to be played, but the damage has already been done.