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Righto, Ed Aarons’ report is here:
That being the case, this is it from me. Thanks all for your company and comments, sorry I couldn’t use them all; peace.
“We had to wade through [redacted] to get there,” returns Kári Tulinius, “but it’s a lovely story for Havertz to score in a semi-final after all that time away. I don’t know if scoring in big games makes you a megalopsychos, but Kai has a way of coming up with the goods on the biggest stage.”
Yeah, I don’t think he’s that – if I’m honest, he’s not the player I hoped and assumed he’d become when I watched him for Leverkusen. But he is a good player – Arteta loves his intelligence and endeavour – and, as you say, he isn’t scared to score in big games.
I can’t believe how poor Chelsea were tonight – if they were my team I’d be cursing football for having been invented and humanity for not refusing to evolve. A semi-final second leg that’s an away derby, and they couldn’t even send in a decent cross, never mind create a proper chance. They seemed clueless as to how they might create, all the edge of a velvet circle and an absolute piece of nonsense.
Over the two leg and, as Arsene Wenger would say, footballistically speaking, this wasn’t close, though Chelsea were in the tie until the end. Arsenal were much better at Stamford Bridge, comfortable tonight, and remain in all four competitions they entered.
ShareFULL-TIME: Arsenal (4) 1-0 (2) Chelsea
Arsenal ought to have sorted this in the first leg, but were never really in danger of giving up the second. They go to Wembley to face either Manchester City or Newcastle, seeking their first trophy since 2020.
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz (centre left) and Gabriel celebrate after their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg victory over Chelsea. Photograph: John Walton/PAShare
Updated at 17.09 EST
GOAL! Arsenal (4) 1-0 (2) Chelsea (Havertz 90+7)
This is really over! Chelsea, all their men but one upfield, are caught on the counter, Rice appearing on the left touchline, at halfway. He carries forward and slides into the middle for Havertz, who ignores Martinelli alongside, rounding Sanchez to the right and sliding home. He’s back!
Arsenal’s Kai Havertz rounds Chelsea keeper Roberto Sanchez … Photograph: Toby Melville/ReutersAnd then slots the ball into the empty net. Photograph: Kieran McManus/ShutterstockHavertz celebrates his last minute winner which seals Arsenal’s place in the final. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty ImagesArsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his backroom staff celebrate. Photograph: Kieran McManus/ShutterstockShare
Updated at 17.26 EST
90+7 min I don’t think Chelsea have even got down the side or to the line in the 97 minutes we’ve seen. The ball goes out, Gabriel noises up the crowd, and this is over.
Updated at 16.57 EST
90+6 min Chelsea find Garnacho but, without a trick to beat a man who can match him for pace, he passes inside, giving it away. Arsenal – and we – are almost there.
90+4 min There’s no sense that Chelsea have practised breaking down a low block. They’ve played without wit, bravery, belief, devil, joy, cohesion, invention, imagination, conviction, urgency, and a million other words I’d use if I wasn’t duty-bound to tell you they’ve lumped a couple of balls into the box only to be crowded out.
90+3 min Fofana and Acheampong are up front, but can Chelsea find decent delivery? I think we all know the answer to that little teaser.
90+2 min Sanchez meets a backpass and lashes it … into touch. Arsenal will disappear a minute or so over that.
90 min Fernandez lamps another shot over the bar; we’ll have six additional minutes. Together, we can get through them.
89 min “And to think I could have been shovelling snow all this time,” says Joe Pearson. “Missed opportunity!”
I can’t remember the last time I watched semi-final so devoid of intensity. Chelsea have been so wet.
88 min His impact is instant: Chelsea win a free-kick miles out, Fernandez floats aimlessly into the box, and Fofana bumps behind.
87 min Another change for Chelsea, Acheampong replacing Gusto. That should sort it.
86 min Estevao crosses into the box, Joao Pedro can only head back out of it. They’ve been so disappointing in attack it’s like Maresca never left.
84 min Eze picks up possession ands feeds it one more to Martinelli, and he’s in! No he isn’t! Chalobah slides in makes a fine challenge from behind, then for kicks brings his other leg through to make sure the Arsenal man eats turf. There’s minor shoving, but VAR is happy, saying the contract after the challenge was natural, when anyone who’s played football at any level surely knows it was deliberate.
Gabriel Martinelli is felled by Trevoh Chalobah and the Chelsea player escapes punishment. Photograph: Catherine Ivill/AMA/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.57 EST
83 min I’d love to know what Jorge Valdano thinks of this game. Perhaps the same as he thought of Liverpool v Chelsea in 2005, just without the stick.
82 min Fernandez again goes flat to the near post and Fofana attacks it on the leap, extending a foot and guiding a shot wide.
81 min …then Palmer directs the free-kick into it, and Chelsea do well to force a corner in the repechage that follows. Chalobah’s shot heading wide but hitting Martinelli on its way.
Arsenal’s Gabriel (third left) blocks a free-kick by Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. Photograph: John Walton/PAShare
Updated at 16.44 EST
80 min … and they’re still arguing over the wall…
79 min Now Chelsea win a free-kick, this one just outside the D, fractionally left of centre. By the standards of what we’ve seen so far tonight, this is a gilt-edged opportunity…
77 min Chelsea concede a free-kick 35 yards out and Eze, who is, it appears, playing, is behind it, but then Rice pulls rank and knocks the ball wide, Trossard’s cross is cleared, and Arsenal go again, Rice appearing on the left of the box and finding Zubimendi down the line. the cross is a beauty, picking out Gabriel on the burst at the far post, and he heads hard … this looks like the match … but it’s directly into Cucurella’s phizog! I’m not sure how much he knew about the block, but he did adjust position well, so deserves the credit.
Ooof. Photograph: David Price/Arsenal FC/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.50 EST
75 min Chelsea send on Garnacho for Andrey Santos, and he goes to the left, with Palmer now in behind. Really, Garnacho is a big-space player and he’s not getting that here, but he has so much, er, megalopsychia that, warranted or not, he’s always a danger.
Updated at 16.35 EST
73 min Santos trips Zubimendi off the ball, back garden-style, and the ref calls the captains together, but there’s a disappointing lack of aggro.
72 min Palmer slides through midfield, but Joao Pedro takes possession, unaware that Estevao is in space on the diagonal behind him, and is quickly blocked off. Arsenal have been collectively poor tonight, but are so defensively well-drilled that they’ve given up not a single clear-cut chance.
70 min Fofana saves a corner but concedes a throw near the flag; again, Arsenal go backwards, but when Chelsea look to construct something, Timber turns one way then t’other, escaping Estevao, who hauls him back and is booked.
69 min Now two changes for Arsenal, Havertz for Gyokeres and Trossard for Madueke, two Arteta favourites sent on to try and confirm the win.
68 min Chelsea set Gusto away down the right, he nicks it by Hincapie then tumbles over the defender’s planted foot and is correctly cautioned for diving.
Updated at 16.28 EST
68 min A rare Arsenal attack, Hincapie crossing and Sanchez claiming.
Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez grabs the ball. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPAShare
Updated at 16.47 EST
67 min Caicedo lofts over the top, Gabriel puts a hand on Joao Pedro’s shoulder and, knowing he’s not getting the ball, goes down; the ref doesn’t want to know.
65 min Chelsea have upped it, Esetevao pulling wide then laying back to Fernandez, who also tries a curler, the ball disappearing over the bar once more.
64 min But the delivery is poor and into the ground, the clearance reaching Cucurella, whose shot is like his barnet: curling, over the top, and generally suboptimal.
Marc Cucurella of Chelsea (right) has an unsuccessful pop at goal. Photograph: Tolga Akmen/EPAShare
Updated at 16.34 EST
63 min A decent pass between the lines, I think from Chalobah, picks out Gusto, who wins a corner off Hincapie. Fernandez comes over to take it, the box loaded.
61 min Since Rosenior took over at Chelsea, no side in Europe has more goal involvement from subs. I’ve not watched all these games, but from what I have seen, it’s been more a case of correcting errors than inspired changes.
60 min Gusto hurts himself so takes treatment, then Chelsea make their change, Estevao and Palmer replacing Hato and Delap, which means a change to 4-2-3-1, Estevao on the left, Palrmer the right and Fernandez in behind.
58 min “There’s a flaw in Karl Tulnius’s point about megalopsychia,” reckons Colum Farrelly, “as shown by the England cricket team which shows iron self-belief and exudes such confidence that others … just laugh at them, really. You needed to … demonstrate ability.”
57 min Estevao and Palmer are stripped. The longer this remains goalless, the more nervous Arsenal – and the home crowd – will get.
56 min Madueke skirts around the outside of Delap, who kicks him over and is booked.
Chelsea’s Liam Delap (left) trips Arsenal’s Noni Madueke and goes into the ref’s book Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty ImagesShare
Updated at 16.33 EST
54 min “Continuing the theme (and distracting from the poor football), a friend of mine was in the central nightclub The End in the 90s,” begins Matthew Davis. “He ran into a guy with bleached blond hair and leather get up and said ‘Are you trying to look like that **** Mr C? To which, to his eternal credit, he replied ‘I am that **** Mr C’.”
Yes, I’m afraid I know too well what and where The End is, but Mr C is a legend of the game. I saw him quite recently at a party he organised in an office, replacing bogroll. He’s refined, he’s fine, he makes you feel fine and all that.
52 min Delap ragdolls Hicapie, tossing him aside and escaping unpunished, so the Arsenal man charges after someone, anyone, seeking revenge, eventually fouling Joao Pedro; Arteta is booked, I think for complaining but it might be for his little trousers.
52 min The ball is clumped backwards and forwards; both Estevao and Palmer warm up like their introduction is imminent.
50 min For a second, it looks like Gyokeres is away, gambolling down the left, then Chalobah comes across and humps clear.
47 min Chelsea win a corner, Fernandez swings it in and everyone, Kepa included, misses it, the ball bobbling behind. There’s a quick VAR check – seriously, it’s quick, I promise – to see if Saliba fouled Joao Pedro, but he did not.
Everyone misses the ball as it passes through the Arsenal area. Photograph: Paul Childs/Action Images/ReutersShare
Updated at 16.16 EST