Arsenal came from behind to beat London rivals Chelsea 2-1 and claim a place in the final of the League Cup.
Below are four talking points from the Emirates Stadium.
Chelsea start well but fade
Antonio Conte’s side came flying out of the traps in Wednesday’s second leg, deservedly taking the lead through Eden Hazard in the seventh minute. The Belgian was fielded in a central role with Willian deployed to the right and Pedro Rodriguez to the left, with the visitors’ attacking trio looking extremely sharp in the opening exchanges.
Yet for all their neat interplay and territorial dominance, the Blues did not create a great deal in the first half. They were then rather poor after the break, managing just a single shot on target as Arsenal hustled them out of the game. After a promising start, this was a pretty flat performance from Chelsea.
Slice of fortune to goals but Arsenal deserve win
Deflections were key to both of Arsenal’s goals, but they deserved the win in the end. Having been outplayed in the opening 20 minutes, the Gunners gradually gained a foothold and then took control in the second period, once Arsene Wenger had switched from a four-man defence to three at the back. Mohamed Elneny dropped back to play alongside Shkodran Mustafi and Laurent Koscielny, a tactical shift which proved instrumental to the outcome.
Arsenal were also much more aggressive after the interval, and it was they who fashioned the better opportunities. Wenger’s men used to struggle against Chelsea, but they have now lost only one of their last eight meetings with the west Londoners.
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Wilshere continues revival – now for a new contract?
Jack Wilshere was key to Arsenal’s triumph here, contributing both with and without the ball in the centre of the park. He has done brilliantly since re-establishing himself in Wenger’s first-choice XI in December; more importantly, the injury-prone midfielder has managed to stay fit throughout that period.
While the future of Mesut Ozil, whose contract expires in June, remains uncertain, Wilshere appears likely to put pen to paper on fresh terms at the Emirates Stadium. Once the January transfer window closes, the Gunners should sit down with the 26-year-old and make sure he signs.
Both teams close to signing new strikers
By the time these two teams next take to the field, they could each have a new striker: Chelsea look set to sign Roma centre-forward Edin Dzeko in the coming days, while Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang remains Wenger’s principal transfer target this month.
Aubameyang is the younger of the two, but it is still not clear how Arsenal intend to use him and what his arrival would mean for Alexandre Lacazette, the Gunners’ big-money signing of summer 2017. Dzeko, meanwhile, has plenty to offer and possesses Premier League experience, but it will also be fascinating to learn whether Conte sees the Bosnian or Alvaro Morata as his go-to marksman.
