Jamie Redknapp backed Arsenal to go on and win “two or three” trophies after they beat 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 secured a hard-fought 1-0 win 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 last 16 of the Champions League and into the fourth round of the FA Cup, victory keeps their season alive on four fronts as they aim to win their first silverware since the 2020 FA Cup.
The Gunners will face either Manchester City or Newcastle in the final on March 22 and Sky Sports pundit Redknapp feels securing their place at Wembley could act as a stepping stone.
“Arsenal are ready to win,” he added Sky Sports.
“They’ve had to suffer the last couple of years coming so close, but I look at the squad and the depth and the way they play, it’s by far the best team.
“They haven’t been at their best lately but I think this result will actually relax them. They might start to enjoy it a bit more and play with a bit more flair.
“They have been playing a bit close, a bit 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 a cup final, to be six points clear at the top of the Premier League and to be the top team in the Champions League, it’s an absolutely incredible effort.
“There’s no reason why they can’t win two, even three trophies.”
He added: “Arsenal have been set up to win for the last few years.
“The work the manager has done is incredible.
“He takes a lot of criticism and people are very quick to judge and jump on the team, talk about how many set pieces they score from and say, ‘Are they good enough offensively?’
“Arsenal are a winning machine right now.
“It’s not always pretty. In 1989, when Arsenal won the league, it wasn’t pretty, but there are no pictures on the scorecards.
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Clinton Morrison praised Arsenal’s defensive display against Chelsea
“Nobody cares at the end of the year. It’s just about getting that trophy in your hands.”
Arteta thanks crowd after Man Utd boo
Arteta enjoyed a special night for his side and thanked the crowd for their support after boos were heard in the wake of their recent 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.
“We are so happy,” Arteta said afterwards. “Overall, I think that over the two games we deserved to go through.
“It was a long game. We expected that. We ended it in a beautiful way at the end, with Kai scoring the goal the way he did and the reaction from the crowd.
Declan Rice celebrates the victory over Chelsea
“The starters, the finishers, the staff all there. It was magical. Really happy because it was a really tough game against a great opponent and we’re at Wembley.
“I think the crowd were brilliant today. They brought so much energy and belief to the team at different moments. I think we all deserve to be together at Wembley.”
He added: “These are the best vitamins we can put in our bodies because we play every three days.
Kai Havertz celebrates his late goal which confirmed Arsenal’s place in the Carabao Cup final
“The fact that you work so hard to achieve these moments and have these moments together is just magical because you can see the joy, the smiles, the energy and everything.”
Arteta also hailed 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 conducts himself every single 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 built on defence
Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:
Havertz sealed the victory. His goal, beautifully taken against his former club, made him Arsenal’s hero of the night.
But this success, like so many others this season, was achieved through their collective excellence defensively. Chelsea finished the game with Cole Palmer, Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez, Alejandro Garnacho and Estevao on the pitch but never really looked like finding the goal they needed to send the tie into extra time.
Arsenal were simply too well organised, too combative, too strong. Remarkably, the clean sheet was their 20th in 38 games in all competitions. They are the first team across Europe’s top five leagues to reach this milestone this season.
There were plenty of players who made notable contributions to the latest shut-out. Declan Rice was a force of nature in front of the defence. Piero Hincapie excelled at left back. Center backs Gabriel and William Saliba weren’t bad either.
But this performance was another reminder, in a season of many, that Arsenal’s true strength lies in the collective.