Find all the best facts, stats and Opta data from the second leg of this EFL Cup semi-final with our Arsenal vs Chelsea stats page.
Arsenal will return to Wembley for the first time since Mikel Arteta’s first season in charge after overcoming Chelsea in a tense and closely contested EFL Cup semi-final.
Arteta has built one of the most effective defensive units English football has ever seen and, knowing a clean sheet would be enough to see his side through to the competition’s showpiece event next month, Arsenal produced a typically solid display to get the job done.
In the end, there was no way through for Chelsea, who battled bravely but scarcely got a sight of the Arsenal goal all night. Kai Havertz’s late breakaway goal added some gloss to the night, but it was the defence that won Arsenal this tie.
The lead that they had held from first leg complicated the task facing each team a little. The hosts knew a draw on the night would be enough and therefore had less motivation than usual to take risks and commit men forward to try and break the deadlock. Chelsea, meanwhile, were all too aware how important it was to avoid conceding. Arsenal had lost only one home game all season – the recent 3-2 defeat to Manchester United – so Chelsea wouldn’t have fancied their chances of coming back from going an early goal down on the night, and two down on aggregate.
Liam Rosenior started with an extra man in central defence, meaning Chelsea were playing with a back three for the first time in 78 competitive games – a run stretching back to a Conference League game against Astana in December 2024.
It all made for a first half that was low on attacking intent, and with both teams desperate to avoid allowing any possibility of a gap opening up, strong challenges were being made across the pitch. The two teams produced more fouls (13) than they did either shots (six) or touches in the opposition box (12) in the first period.
There was more urgency to Chelsea’s play after the break. Marc Cucurella, supposedly playing at left wing-back, pushed forward much more, and his team looked to spring quick attacks in behind the Arsenal defence. However, the hosts grabbed the game by keeping hold of the ball. They had 65% possession over the first 15 minutes of the second half, having had just 43.6% of the ball before the break.
Having changed the game against West Ham at the weekend with a triple change at half-time, Rosenior decided this was the point at which substitutions were needed and the handbrake needed to come off. He brought on Cole Palmer and Estêvão and changed shape to go more attacking.
Mikel Arteta responded with a couple of attacking changes of his own, but his side struggled to balance the fact they were still trying to protect a lead with the need to retain some threat of their own at the other end. Between the 35th and 77th minutes, Arsenal did not attempt a single shot.
Chelsea piled forwards, but all of their play was in front of the Arsenal defence. The clock ticked down on a tense and tetchy affair and Arsenal sank deeper and deeper towards their own goal as they edged closer and closer to a first final in any competition since their FA Cup win in 2019-20. There were half-chances for Chelsea but nothing of note, and they could not find a way through. And with the last action of the game, Havertz raced onto Declan Rice’s through ball to round Robert Sánchez in the Chelsea goal and finish the tie off.
Ultimately, and predictably, Arsenal’s immense defence stood strong. Arsenal, who have not won a major trophy since 2020 and had lost out in their last four semi-finals, now have a huge opportunity to end that drought.
Our Opta match centre delivers you all the Arsenal vs Chelsea stats from the EFL Cup semi-final second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday 3 February 2026.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own match analysis.
Underneath the match centre you can find the official Opta stats on the game as well.
Arsenal vs Chelsea: Post-Match Facts
- Arsenal have reached their ninth League Cup final in their history; only Liverpool (15), Chelsea (10) and Manchester United (10) have reached the final of the competition more often.
- This is only the second semi-final tie that Arsenal have progressed from under Mikel Arteta and their first since their 2019-20 FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City; they had been eliminated in their four semi-final ties since then.
- Chelsea have failed to progress from a League Cup semi-final tie for the first time since 2017-18 against Arsenal, having progressed on the three occasions since prior to this season.
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