Arsenal Book Wembley Date as Arteta Targets Long-Overdue Silverware

Arsenal reached their first final in six years after a gritty semi-final victory, keeping alive
hopes of ending a 30-year wait for the EFL Cup.
The Gunners will face Manchester City or Newcastle at Wembley on 22 March, with City
holding a 2-0 lead ahead of the second leg. Arsenal have not won the competition since
1993 and are chasing their first trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, which remains Mikel
Arteta’s only silverware since taking charge in 2019.
Arteta praised his side’s resilience and understanding of the task. “We knew it was
going to be a real battle out there. That resilience, that clarity to understand what kind of
game we had to play, we did so well,” he said. He also highlighted the atmosphere,
adding that it made a huge difference and that the club had waited years to reach this
position.
Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior admitted his side were competitive but lacked a
decisive moment. “It’s painful to lose,” he said, while insisting improvements were visible
across the two legs.
Despite missing Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, Arsenal ground out the result, with
Kai Havertz sealing the tie deep into stoppage time by rounding Robert Sanchez on the
counter to send the Gunners to Wembley.