Arsenal can win two or three trophies after beating Chelsea to reach Carabao Cup final, says Jamie Redknapp | Football news

Jamie Redknapp has backed Arsenal to go on and win “two or three” trophies after beating Chelsea to reach the Carabao Cup final on a night described as “magical” by manager Mikel Arteta.

A 97th-minute breakaway goal from substitute Kai Havertz against his former club clinched a hard-fought 1-0 victory on the night at the Emirates Stadium and a 4-2 aggregate success as the Gunners ended a run of four consecutive semi-final defeats.

Six points clear at the top of the Premier League, through to the Champions League last 16 and the FA Cup fourth round, the win keeps their season alive on four fronts as they aim to win their first title since the 2020 FA Cup.

The Gunners will face Manchester City or Newcastle in the final on March 22 and Aerial sports Expert Redknapp believes securing his place at Wembley could act as a stepping stone.

“Arsenal are ready to win,” he said. Aerial sports.

“They must have suffered over the last few years after being so close, but I look at the team, their depth and the way they play, they are by far the better team.

“They haven't been in their best form recently, but I think this result will relax them. Maybe they can start to enjoy it a little more and play with a little more flair.

“They played a little tight, a little safe, but now I think they can start to relax and play, and we will see an even better Arsenal, the Arsenal we saw at the start of the season.

“To get to the Cup final, to be six points clear at the top of the Premier League and to be the best team in the Champions League, it’s an absolutely incredible effort.

“There’s no reason why they can’t win two or even three trophies.”

He added: “Arsenal have been built to win over the last few years.

“The work done by the manager is incredible.

“He takes a lot of criticism and people are very quick to judge and look at the team, talking about how many set pieces they score from and asking, 'Are they good enough offensively?'

“Arsenal are a winning machine at the moment.

“It's not always pretty. In 1989, when Arsenal won the championship, it wasn't pretty, but there are no pictures on the scoreboards.

“No one cares about it at the end of the year. It's just about putting the trophy in your hands.”

Arteta thanks crowd after Man Utd boos

Arteta savored a special night for his team and thanked the crowd for their support after boos were heard following their recent 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.

“We are so happy,” Arteta said afterwards. “I think overall, in these two matches, we deserved to qualify.

“It was a long game. We expected it. We finished it in a great way, with Kai scoring the goal the way he did and the reaction from the crowd.

“The starters, the finishers, the staff were all there. It was magical. Really happy because it was a really difficult match against a great opponent and we are at Wembley.

“I think the crowd was great today. They brought so much energy and confidence to the team at different times. I think we all deserve to be together at Wembley.”

He added: “These are the best vitamins we can give to our body because we play every three days.

“The fact that you work so hard to make these moments and experience these moments together is just magical because you can see the joy and the smiles and the energy and everything.”

Arteta also praised match-winner Havertz, who was making just his sixth appearance of the campaign after an injury-plagued season.

“I think everyone who knows Kai will feel happy for him in a special way because he deserves the best for the way he works, the way he treats people, the way he behaves every day.

“Today was a special moment for him and I hope he enjoyed it because he fully deserves it. I think his teammates enjoyed it too.”

Analysis: Arsenal's success lies in defense

Sky Sports' Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:

Havertz sealed the victory. His goal, superbly scored against his former club, made him Arsenal's hero of the evening.

But this success, like so many others this season, was achieved thanks to their collective defensive excellence. Chelsea finished the game with Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez, Alejandro Garnacho and Estevao on the pitch, but never really seemed to find the goal they needed to send the tie into overtime.

Arsenal were simply too well organized, too combative, too strong. Remarkably, the clean sheet was the 20th in 38 matches in all competitions. They are the first team from Europe's top five leagues to reach this milestone this season.

Many players made notable contributions to the last shutout. Declan Rice was a force of nature in front of the defense. Piero Hincapie excelled at left back. Central defenders Gabriel and William Saliba weren't bad either.

But this performance reminds once again, in a season full of twists and turns, that Arsenal's real strength lies in the collective.