Nobody said it had to be pretty. And for large portions of Arsenal’s 3-2 win at Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final first leg on Wednesday, it certainly was not. But for Mikel Arteta and his players there was a beauty in the physicality, the remorseless levels of aggression.
Arsenal won because of what they did without the ball. Yes, there were nice moments from them in possession, most obviously Martín Zubimendi’s goal for 3-1. His gliding run from right to left inside the penalty area, especially the fake-to-shoot move that removed the Chelsea defender Wesley Fofana from the equation, the composure amid the maelstrom, before the execution, was jaw-dropping.
