Arsenal moved closer to ending their six-year trophy drought by beating Chelsea 3-2 in the Carabao Cup semifinal first leg at Stamford Bridge. Goals from Ben White, Viktor Gyökeres, and Martín Zubimendi secured the win, while Alejandro Garnacho’s late brace gave Chelsea hope for the return leg. The Gunners have not won a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, a long wait for a club of their stature.

This victory addresses Mikel Arteta's most glaring weakness: his team's inability to win semifinals. Across four previous semifinal ties, Arsenal had failed to win a single match, a mental block that stalled their progress. Arteta called it 'halftime,' acknowledging the second leg will be a 'big fight,' but this result finally provides tangible momentum after years of falling short in key games.

Chelsea, under new boss Liam Rosenior, battled well despite missing key players like Cole Palmer and Reece James. Rosenior took responsibility for goalkeeper Robert Sánchez’s errors that gifted Arsenal their early advantage. With the return leg scheduled for February 3 at the Emirates, Arsenal are now heavy favorites to reach the final and potentially secure the silverware that has eluded them for so long.