Sports
Three things we learned from Arsenal win as Mikel Arteta’s warrior leads by example
Wembley is within touching distance for Arsenal after a successful night at Stamford Bridge.
Ben White opened the scoring before Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi got on the scoresheet after the break, but Alejandro Garnacho’s sharp finishes either side of that Zubimendi strike stopped this from being the dominant night it could have been.
Arsenal are unbeaten at home this season. Should they continue on February 3 in the second leg, Mikel Arteta will lead his side out at Wembley with the chance to end a trophy drought of almost six years.
Mikel Arteta
REUTERS
The job is only half done for Arsenal but victory at Stamford Bridge was still a significant moment.
Across eight previous matches in two-legged semi-finals under Arteta, Arsenal had not won a single one.
This first leg against Chelsea served up more goals for Arsenal than those eight games did combined, and provided a result that leaves Arsenal in pole position to reach the final.
At 2-0 and 3-1, the Gunners could perhaps have put the tie to bed. Mikel Merino was denied by a sensational save from Robert Sanchez and Gabriel headed a huge chance over the bar from, you guessed it, a corner.
Arteta being the perfectionist he is, will no doubt have some regret over those moments, but he will still surely reflect on this as a job well done.
His side are one more positive performance away from a first final since 2020.
Viktor Gyokeres
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Lift-off display for Gyokeres?
Few Arsenal players will have enjoyed this night as much as Gyokeres.
The striker came into this match with a non-penalty goal since November 1 and, with Kai Havertz back to fitness, real doubts over his place in the side,
In the first half he held the ball up better than he has been and although he miscued one header well wide, it was good movement across his man.
The away end sang his name and those chants were at full blast in the second half when Gyokeres doubled the lead.
This was not a thing of beauty, a tap-in after an awful error from Sanchez, but Gyokeres was in the right place at the right time. Too often that has not been the case in recent weeks.
Gyokeres was visibly playing with more confidence and he did really well to flick the ball perfectly into Zubimendi’s goal for the third goal. Exactly the kind of night he needed.
William Saliba
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Centre-back duo put on a show
Arsenal conceded twice and were not exactly at their stingy best in defence but this was still another reminder of what a sensational centre-back partnership they have
There were doubts over William Saliba’s fitness heading into the match but he started and put on a masterclass on the ball.
He cut into space on the edge of the box and curled an effort onto the roof of the net. In the second half, he dropped a shoulder to send the blue shirts scrambling the wrong way and then played a perfect pass into Bukayo Saka’s path, leading to a run that left Benoit Badiashile with a booking.
On the other side of the coin, Gabriel held down the fort like a warrior. There were no pretty turns or slick strolls forward, but there was some brutally effective defending.
The Brazilian ended the match with ten clearances to his name. No other Arsenal player made more than three. Nobody on the pitch won more aerial duels.
Arsenal have had to chop and change in defence far more than they would like this season. When fit, there is surely not a better partnership in the centre of defence in Europe than Gabriel and Saliba.
