Arsenal are through to the Carabao Cup final after beating Chelsea 4-2 on aggregate, playing out a 1–0 win at the Emirates.
The Gunners had a clear game plan from the off, as Mikel Arteta’s side knew they had got the job done at Stamford Bridge.
It was a dreary first half from Arsenal, and things didn’t get better in the second, as if either team were threatening, it was Chelsea, but everything changed in the last minute as Kai Havertz scored.
A boring night was a successful night for Arteta’s side, as a spot in the Carabao Cup final has been confirmed.
In one of the ugliest performances you’ll see this season, here is how the Arsenal squad rated against Chelsea.
Tell us who Arsenal’s most disappointing performer was against Chelsea 🧐
Kepa Arrizabalaga – 5
Great distribution, Gabriel Martinelli had a field day with Kepa’s long passes. It wasn’t all rosy for the Arsenal goalkeeper, though, as the Spaniard failed to command his box the way David Raya does.
Piero Hincapie – 7
Hincapie’s energy was top-drawer, but the Ecuadorian’s passing was questionable at times. Defensively, however, he looked strong and was constantly harassing Chelsea’s right-hand side.
William Saliba – 6
Had a few nervous moments in the first half but marshalled the defence well.
Gabriel Magalhaes – 6.5
Gabriel made his mark on the game known early on, asserting his dominance on Chelsea’s forwards with a ferocious approach in duels. The centre-back did look uncomfortable in some moments, playing some wayward passes under pressure.
Jurrien Timber – 5
Too slow in possession, there were several opportunities for Timber to be more progressive, but he passed on them. A contributor to Arsenal’s conservative approach.
Martin Zubimendi – 5
Zubimendi needed to play the ball forward more often; there were many instances of the Spaniard not moving the ball upfield quickly enough.
Declan Rice – 4
An uncharacteristically sluggish night for Rice, who looked very tired.
The 27-year-old misplaced several passes and was beaten in more duels than usual; however, at one moment, when everyone else was caught napping, he was there to save the day defensively.
Eberechi Eze – 2
It was a night for Eze to stand out, and he did, but for the wrong reasons.
The Englishman’s work rate was visible as any pace in Arsenal’s pressing was non-existent.
Odegaard may be frustrating, but the captain is aggressive in his press, which is what the Gunners were missing.
Gabriel Martinelli – 7
Martinelli looked hungry, frequently catching Chelsea out with his darting runs from the left into the central channels, a lively night from the Brazilian who put in a terrific defensive shift.
Noni Madueke – 5
Madueke clearly wanted to make a statement against his former club, making his presence known to Marc Cucurella early on.
Filling in for Bukayo Saka, Madueke had a busy night but wasn’t able to make the difference as he did against Leeds.
Viktor Gyokeres – 3
Gyokeres made his presence known when he was in the game, but the issue was that, for the most part, he was anonymous.
Presence alone isn’t enough for Arsenal’s £64m striker, and he needed to show better movement both in and out of possession.
Kai Havertz – 6
Gyokeres was barely in the game, and for the most part, neither was his replacement, Havertz.
That was until the last seconds of the contest, when the German came on to end the tie to the dismay of his former club.
Leandro Trossard – 6
Trossard was lively when he came on as a substitute, making some clever runs on the left side while bringing experience and assurance to that side.
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