Arsenal beats Chelsea 3-2 in English League Cup semifinals

Arsenal scored two goals off errors by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to set up a 3-2 win at Chelsea in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday. A corner sailed over Sanchez in the seventh minute, allowing Ben White to head into an unguarded net, before the Spanish keeper let a low cross squirm through his grasp to gift Viktor Gyokeres a tap-in in the 49th.

Substitute Alejandro Garnacho pulled a goal back but Martin Zubimendi restored Arsenal’s two-goal cushion by slotting home a finish in the 70th. Garnacho’s second goal — in the 83rd — gave Chelsea a lifeline ahead of the second leg on Feb. 3 at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium. Still, Mikel Arteta’s team is the favorite to advance to the March 22 final at Wembley Stadium in what is shaping up to be a banner season for the Gunners, who lead the Premier League by six points and top the Champions League standings.

Liam Rosenior, taking charge of his first home match as Chelsea’s new coach, refused to criticize Sanchez for his mistakes. “I said to him before the game and I made this really clear — when my players make mistakes, I’m accountable. That’s on me,” Rosenior said. “I’ll stay positive with him, as I will all the group. My job is to help them, not to blame them.”

City ahead: In the other semifinal matchup, Manchester City won 2-0 at Newcastle in the first leg on Tuesday. Their second match is on Feb. 4. It means the most likely title match is City vs. Arsenal, the top two in the league. That would be a rematch of the 2018 final — the last one Arsenal reached in the League Cup — which City won 3-0.

Rosenior’s home debut: Rosenior was hired last week on a 6-year deal and won in the FA Cup over the weekend. That was away, against a second-division opponent in Charlton Athletic, so this was Rosenior’s first real test and Arsenal could have left Stamford Bridge in a commanding position.

Instead, Garnacho’s late goal gives hope to Chelsea, which was without Reece James, Cole Palmer and Malo Gusto as they manage injuries and Moises Caicedo through suspension. “I love the energy of my team, we kept going until the end,” Rosenior said. “Frustrated with the manner we conceded the goals but a lot of positive aspects to the performance considering the players we had out today.”

White said Arsenal allowed Chelsea to apply pressure in the second half. “Not up to our standards really,” he said.Set-piece kings: Rosenior insisted Monday that Arsenal shouldn’t be labeled as “Set Piece FC” — a reference to the team’s prowess in dead-ball situations — but the opener came from that route.

Sanchez came for the ball that was swung in by Declan Rice but it flew over him, while Chelsea striker Joao Pedro inexplicably failed to jump and attempt to clear. It left White with a simple task to head home. That was Arsenal’s 24th goal from a set piece in all competitions this season, according to the BBC, with 18 coming from corners. That was a sloppy mistake by Sanchez, but his second was worse. White’s ball across the face of the six-yard box should easily have been gathered by the goalkeeper but it went through his arms as he dived.