English League Cup – Dzekeresh scores as Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-2.

In another match of the first leg of the 2025/26 EFL Cup semi-final, Arsenal, playing at Stamford Bridge, defeated Chelsea 3-2 thanks to goals from Ben White, Dzekeresh and Martin Zuweimendy.

Seven minutes into the match, Rice took a corner from the left, and Ben White headed it in, giving Arsenal a dream start of 1-0. In the 11th minute, Chelsea midfielder Enzo received a header from a teammate and fired a long-range shot from the edge of the penalty area, but the ball was saved by Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa.

In the 14th minute, Martin Zuweimendy crossed from the right wing, and Dzekeresh received the ball, dribbled past the defender, and fired a low shot, but the ball went wide of the goal. In the 22nd minute, Chelsea attempted a counter-attack, with Pedro Neto breaking through the defense and dribbling into the penalty area before crossing the ball, but it was cleared by an opposing player.

In the 23rd minute, Arsenal's free kick was cleared, and Martin Zuweimendy volleyed the ball high in the box. In the 30th minute, Chelsea created an attacking opportunity when Estewan Willian received a diagonal pass from Enzo and shot from inside the box, but the ball was blocked by Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa.

In the 34th minute, Martin Zuweimendi received the ball at the edge of the penalty area and took a long-range shot, but the ball went over the post. In the 43rd minute, Saka was tackled by Chelsea defender Cucurella while dribbling forward, and the referee showed Cucurella a yellow card.

In the 49th minute of the second half, Ben White crossed from the right wing into the box. Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made a mistake while clearing the ball, and Dzekeresh capitalized on the opportunity to slot it home, giving Arsenal a 2-0 lead over Chelsea. In the 53rd minute, Chelsea substituted Ganacho and Badiashile for Giou and Achampong.

In the 57th minute, Pedro Neto chipped the ball from the right wing, and Ganaggio controlled it before unleashing a powerful shot to pull one back for Chelsea, making it 1-2. In the 67th minute, Rice took a free kick, but his shot went over the post.

In the 71st minute, Arsenal launched a passing combination, and Martin Zuwmendy received a pass from Dzekeresh, broke through the defense, and fired a shot into the net, extending Arsenal's lead to 3-1. In the 75th minute, Arsenal created another attacking opportunity, with Merino volleying in the ensuing scramble, but his shot was saved by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

In the 79th minute, Arsenal took a corner kick, and Gabriel headed the ball towards the goal, but it went over the bar. In the 83rd minute, Chelsea countered from a corner kick, and Ganacho received the ball and volleyed it into the net, making the score 2-3 for Chelsea.

Ultimately, Arsenal defeated Chelsea 3-2 away from home, gaining an advantage in advancing to the final.