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Righto, Ed Aarons\u2019 report is here:<\/p>\n
That being the case, this is it from me. Thanks all for your company and comments, sorry I couldn\u2019t use them all; peace.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe had to wade through [redacted] to get there,\u201d returns K\u00e1ri Tulinius, \u201cbut it\u2019s a lovely story for Havertz to score in a semi-final after all that time away. I don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Yeah, I don\u2019t think he\u2019s that \u2013 if I\u2019m honest, he\u2019s not the player I hoped and assumed he\u2019d become when I watched him for Leverkusen. But he is a good player \u2013 Arteta loves his intelligence and endeavour \u2013 and, as you say, he isn\u2019t scared to score in big games.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I can\u2019t believe how poor Chelsea<\/a> were tonight \u2013 if they were my team I\u2019d be cursing football for having been invented and humanity for not refusing to evolve. A semi-final second leg that\u2019s an away derby, and they couldn\u2019t 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Over the two leg and, as Arsene Wenger would say, footballistically speaking, this wasn\u2019t close, though Chelsea<\/a> were in the tie until the end. Arsenal were much better at Stamford Bridge, comfortable tonight, and remain in all four competitions they entered.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>FULL-TIME: Arsenal (4) 1-0 (2) Chelsea<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Arsenal’s Kai Havertz (centre left) and Gabriel celebrate after their Carabao Cup semi-final second leg victory over Chelsea. Photograph: John Walton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.09 EST<\/p>\n GOAL! Arsenal (4) 1-0 (2) Chelsea (Havertz 90+7)<\/p>\n This is really over! Chelsea<\/a>, 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\u2019s back!<\/p>\n Arsenal\u2019s Kai Havertz rounds Chelsea keeper Roberto Sanchez \u2026 Photograph: Toby Melville\/ReutersAnd then slots the ball into the empty net. Photograph: Kieran McManus\/ShutterstockHavertz celebrates his last minute winner which seals Arsenal\u2019s place in the final. Photograph: David Price\/Arsenal FC\/Getty ImagesArsenal manager Mikel Arteta and his backroom staff celebrate. Photograph: Kieran McManus\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.26 EST<\/p>\n 90+7 min I don\u2019t think Chelsea<\/a> have even got down the side or to the line in the 97 minutes we\u2019ve seen. The ball goes out, Gabriel noises up the crowd, and this is over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.57 EST<\/p>\n 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 \u2013 and we \u2013 are almost there.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+4 min There\u2019s no sense that Chelsea<\/a> have practised breaking down a low block. They\u2019ve played without wit, bravery, belief, devil, joy, cohesion, invention, imagination, conviction, urgency, and a million other words I\u2019d use if I wasn\u2019t duty-bound to tell you they\u2019ve lumped a couple of balls into the box only to be crowded out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+3 min Fofana and Acheampong are up front, but can Chelsea<\/a> find decent delivery? I think we all know the answer to that little teaser.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90+2 min Sanchez meets a backpass and lashes it \u2026 into touch. Arsenal<\/a> will disappear a minute or so over that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 90 min Fernandez lamps another shot over the bar; we\u2019ll have six additional minutes. Together, we can get through them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 89 min \u201cAnd to think I could have been shovelling snow all this time,\u201d says Joe Pearson. \u201cMissed opportunity!\u201d<\/p>\n I can\u2019t remember the last time I watched semi-final so devoid of intensity. Chelsea<\/a> have been so wet.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 88 min His impact is instant: Chelsea<\/a> win a free-kick miles out, Fernandez floats aimlessly into the box, and Fofana bumps behind.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 87 min Another change for Chelsea<\/a>, Acheampong replacing Gusto. That should sort it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 86 min Estevao crosses into the box, Joao Pedro can only head back out of it. They\u2019ve been so disappointing in attack it\u2019s like Maresca never left.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 84 min Eze picks up possession ands feeds it one more to Martinelli, and he\u2019s in! No he isn\u2019t! Chalobah slides in makes a fine challenge from behind, then for kicks brings his other leg through to make sure the Arsenal<\/a> man eats turf. There\u2019s minor shoving, but VAR is happy, saying the contract after the challenge was natural, when anyone who\u2019s played football at any level surely knows it was deliberate.<\/p>\n Gabriel Martinelli is felled by Trevoh Chalobah and the Chelsea player escapes punishment. Photograph: Catherine Ivill\/AMA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.57 EST<\/p>\n 83 min I\u2019d love to know what Jorge Valdano thinks of this game. Perhaps the same as he thought of Liverpool v Chelsea<\/a> in 2005, just without the stick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 81 min \u2026then Palmer directs the free-kick into it, and Chelsea<\/a> do well to force a corner in the repechage that follows. Chalobah\u2019s shot heading wide but hitting Martinelli on its way.<\/p>\n Arsenal’s Gabriel (third left) blocks a free-kick by Chelsea’s Cole Palmer. Photograph: John Walton\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.44 EST<\/p>\n 80 min \u2026 and they\u2019re still arguing over the wall\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 79 min Now Chelsea<\/a> win a free-kick, this one just outside the D, fractionally left of centre. By the standards of what we\u2019ve seen so far tonight, this is a gilt-edged opportunity\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019s 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 \u2026 this looks like the match \u2026 but it\u2019s directly into Cucurella\u2019s phizog! I\u2019m not sure how much he knew about the block, but he did adjust position well, so deserves the credit.<\/p>\n Ooof. Photograph: David Price\/Arsenal FC\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.50 EST<\/p>\n 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\u2019s not getting that here, but he has so much, er, megalopsychia that, warranted or not, he\u2019s always a danger.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.35 EST<\/p>\n 73 min Santos trips Zubimendi off the ball, back garden-style, and the ref calls the captains together, but there\u2019s a disappointing lack of aggro.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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<\/a> have been collectively poor tonight, but are so defensively well-drilled that they\u2019ve given up not a single clear-cut chance.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 70 min Fofana saves a corner but concedes a throw near the flag; again, Arsenal go backwards, but when Chelsea<\/a> look to construct something, Timber turns one way then t\u2019other, escaping Estevao, who hauls him back and is booked.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 69 min Now two changes for Arsenal<\/a>, Havertz for Gyokeres and Trossard for Madueke, two Arteta favourites sent on to try and confirm the win.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 68 min Chelsea set Gusto away down the right, he nicks it by Hincapie then tumbles over the defender\u2019s planted foot and is correctly cautioned for diving.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.28 EST<\/p>\n 68 min A rare Arsenal<\/a> attack, Hincapie crossing and Sanchez claiming.<\/p>\n Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez grabs the ball. Photograph: Tolga Akmen\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.47 EST<\/p>\n 67 min Caicedo lofts over the top, Gabriel puts a hand on Joao Pedro\u2019s shoulder and, knowing he\u2019s not getting the ball, goes down; the ref doesn\u2019t want to know.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Marc Cucurella of Chelsea (right) has an unsuccessful pop at goal. Photograph: Tolga Akmen\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.34 EST<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 61 min Since Rosenior took over at Chelsea<\/a>, no side in Europe has more goal involvement from subs. I\u2019ve not watched all these games, but from what I have seen, it\u2019s been more a case of correcting errors than inspired changes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 60 min Gusto hurts himself so takes treatment, then Chelsea<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 58 min \u201cThere\u2019s a flaw in Karl Tulnius\u2019s point about megalopsychia,\u201d reckons Colum Farrelly, \u201cas shown by the England cricket team which shows iron self-belief and exudes such confidence that others \u2026 just laugh at them, really. You needed to \u2026 demonstrate ability.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 57 min Estevao and Palmer are stripped. The longer this remains goalless, the more nervous Arsenal<\/a> \u2013 and the home crowd \u2013 will get.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 56 min Madueke skirts around the outside of Delap, who kicks him over and is booked.<\/p>\n Chelsea’s Liam Delap (left) trips Arsenal’s Noni Madueke and goes into the ref\u2019s book Photograph: Adrian Dennis\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a016.33 EST<\/p>\n 54 min \u201cContinuing the theme (and distracting from the poor football), a friend of mine was in the central nightclub The End in the 90s,\u201d begins Matthew Davis. \u201cHe ran into a guy with bleached blond hair and leather get up and said \u2018Are you trying to look like that **** Mr C? To which, to his eternal credit, he replied \u2018I am that **** Mr C\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n Yes, I\u2019m 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\u2019s refined, he\u2019s fine, he makes you feel fine and all that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 52 min Delap ragdolls Hicapie, tossing him aside and escaping unpunished, so the Arsenal<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 52 min The ball is clumped backwards and forwards; both Estevao and Palmer warm up like their introduction is imminent.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 50 min For a second, it looks like Gyokeres is away, gambolling down the left, then Chalobah comes across and humps clear.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n