Advertisement
Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta (left) scores his teams opening goal ahead of Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Adam Davy/EMPICS
AS IT HAPPENED

As it happened: Arsenal v Chelsea, Capital One Cup

Ramsey, Cazorla and Wilshere all started for the Gunners while Mata and Eto’o got run-outs for the Pensioners.

A LONDON DERBY awaited at The Emirates as Arsene Wenger locked tactical horns with Jose Mourinho again.

As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail patrick@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_iepost a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.

You may need to refresh the page for YouTube videos and other elements to display correctly.

Arsenal 0 — 2 Chelsea

Welcome along to the pick of this evening’s Capital One Cup action. We will keep you posted on the other four games taking place, including Norwich’s visit to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United. Our main focus, however, will be on Arsenal v Chelsea at The Emirates.

Let’s start you off with the team news…

Arsenal: Fabianski, Jenkinson, Vermaelen (c), Koscielny, Monreal, Ramsey, Wilshere, Rosicky, Cazorla, Ryo, Bendtner.

Yep, you read that right. Nicklas Bendtner is starting up front for the Gunners.

Chelsea: Schwarzer; Azpilicueta, Cahill, D Luiz, Bertrand; Essien (c), Mikel, De Bruyne, Mata, Willian, Eto’o.

10 changes in that Chelsea team. Only Gary Cahill remains in the visiting team after the 2 — 1 over Manchester City on Sunday.

For all you Manchester United fans out there, here is the line-up David Moyes is going with: Lindegaard; Rafael, Ferdinand, Vidic, Buttner, Zaha, Cleverley, Jones, Young, Januzaj, Hernandez.

The other games on tap are Birmingham v Stoke, Burnley v West Ham and Leicester v Fulham.

It all kicked off in the 2007 League Cup final when Arsenal and Chelsea’s players were involved in an injury time melee. Two men were booked and three sent off. Chelsea won 2 — 1

YouTube credit: Kellmer3

Chelsea KICK-OFF

Eto’o with the first shot in anger but Koscielny gets the block in. Mata with the corner but Arsenal head clear.

Cazorla with a hefty first touch and Chelsea get another corner. That is headed clear too. Chelsea stroking the ball around with purpose in the opening minutes.

Looking at some League Cup stats here. It has had seven different sponsor names — my favourite being The Milk Cup — and has been won a record eight times by Liverpool. Chelsea are on four while Arsenal have won just two but lost five.

Arsenal playing an odd 4-5-1 at present with Bendtner ambling around up front on his own. The three in the middle for Arsenal are all neat and tidy operators. Bendtner has Arsenal’s first shot on goal (if you could call it that). It hits Cesar Azpilicueta in the back of the head. The Danish striker is jogging around the Emirates with a hairstyle very much like Tom Cruise in the Last Samurai.

Another Liverpool loanee has made a scoring impact for his club. Oussama Assaidi follow’s Fabio Borini’s lead to put Stoke 1-0 up at Birmingham.

Arsenal earn a corner after Ryo hits Bertrand with a cross. It followed an flowing counter-attack with Cazorla getting in started. He feathers in a corner that is headed clear at the front post.

First shot on target comes from Chelsea as De Bruyne cuts in and fires a low drive that Lukas Fabianski deals with comfortably. 20 minutes gone.

GOALS: Javier Hernandez [penalty] puts United 1 — 0 up and Hugo Rodallega scores for Fulham.

GOAL! Arsenal 0 — 1 Chelsea (Azpilicueta ’25)

Clanger! Jenkinson with a powder-puff header back to Fabianski and Azpilicueta is rewarded for chasing the ball down. He beats Fabianski to oit and pokes the ball home.

He called it earlier today…

Wilshere is looking lively but Arsenal are missing out on Giroud, or any credible striker, at the moment. Lots of nice, short passes but no penetration.

Eto’o has a shot that goes out for a throw-in. It was that bad. Meanwhile, Birmingham are level with Stoke as Tom Adeyemi slots home.

Juan Mata has adapted to the Mourinho doctrine as he races around the centre of the pitch to close down the Arsenal midfielders. Ramsey tries to spark his side but his legit tackle on Mikel is called foul by the ref. Just over five minutes left in the half.

Essien is the latest Chelsea player to give Arsenal a throw-in with a lamentable shot off target. Leicester have levelled affairs against Fulham. Wes Morgan with the goal.

Into injury time here and Koscielny steams forward from defence and beats two men before the attack peters out.

HALF-TIME

Here is that Azpilicueta goal after Jenkinson’s soft header back to Fabianski:

YouTube credit: BestComedyHD

The second half KICKS OFF with no changes on either side.

Mesut Özil and Olivier Giroud get the Arsenal crowd going with a gentle bit of warm-up jogging up the touchline.

Eto’o finding his range. He cuts in from left, just outside the box and flashes a low shot just past Fabianski’s lefthand post. Chelsea still in charge after 50 minutes.

Cazorla is way off target with his long-range effort. The Gunners have yet to work 41-year-old Mark Schwarzer in the Chelsea goal. Ramsey has a shot deflected wide but the corner comes to nought.

Arsenal on a roll now and Rosicky forces Cahill into sliding in to concede a corner. It is cleared but Cazorla and Rosicky get it back. They find Bendtner 12 yards out but with his back to goal. He has the ball for less than a second but is berated for passing the ball back out of the box rather than turning to shoot. He is not well liked in North London.

Worry not Chelsea fans, David Luiz has got this…

Andrew Matthews/PA Wire

GOALS: Javier Hernandez with another for United. Leicester are now 3 — 2 up on Fulham and Peter Crouch has put Stoke 2 — 1 up on Birmingham.

Chelsea have retreated completely in the second half. They almost pay for it as Ramsey gets past De Bruyne and fizzes a shot wide. Özil on for the passenger, Ryo Miyaichi.

GOAL! Arsenal 0 — 2 Chelsea (Mata ’65)

What a strike! Cross into the box, Willian contests in the air and it drops to Mata. He takes a touch with his left and buries a 22-yard strike with his right.

Bendtner’s misery is over as he is replaced by Giroud. Ramires on for De Bruyne.

He has been on the pitch less than 90 seconds and Giroud gets the first Arsenal shot on target. Straight and Schwarzer’s body but it squirms out to the wing and Arsenal earn a free. It deflects out off Cahill but is not spotted by the officials. Goal-kick.

What a difference Giroud has made. Genuine targetman. Shame, for Arsenal, that he came on after that Mata goal.

Stoke (through Marko Arnautovic) go 3 — 1 up. The Potters, Manchester United and Chelsea look set for advancement to the next round. Quarter of an hour left in most ties now.

Wilshere has time and space but his driver from 25 yards out is too high and Schwarzer’s sheet remains clean.

Wenger may have given the ghost up on this match as he calls Ramsey ashore. Nine minutes left.

It was noted earlier in the game that Chelsea had seven Champions League winners in the starting line-up. Arsenal can’t say the same and that has been the difference — that and Jenkinson — tonight.

Matt Taylor has scored a penalty for West Ham and put them 1 — 0 up on Burnley at Turfmoor.

Jenkinson botches a great chance to cross for an unmarked Giroud in the Chelsea box and the visitors break. Ba, on for Eto’o, tries to force his way through but concedes a foul outside the Arsenal box. Cazorla flashes a shot wide as Arsenal set up another attack up the left flank.

More GOALS to tell you about as a Giorgos Karagounis free puts Fulham level at 3 — 3 with Leicester. Phil Jones puts United 3 — 0 up on Norwich. Peter Lovenkrands has grabbed a goal back for Brum, they trail Stoke 3 — 2.

FULL-TIME

We will leave you with Juan Mata’s excellent goal:

YouTube credit: GOAL

We’ll stay with the other games until they finish up. Jack Collinson has put West Ham 2 — 0 up on Burnley with a penalty. Peter Lovenkrands has equalised for Birmingham against Stoke.

11 minutes of injury time at Old Trafford adter Robert Snodgrass needed treatment before he was stretchered off. Birmingham and Stoke finished 4 — 3 to Mark Hughes’ men. Leicester beat Fulham 4 — 3 and West Ham defeated Burnley 2 — 0.

We’ll sign off there. Stay with us for post-match reactions and videos of the best goals from tonight’s games.

Like football? Follow TheScore.ie’s dedicated Twitter account @football_ie >

Wes Hoolahan and Love/Hate stars to take part in Owen Heary tribute match

Your Voice
Readers Comments
18
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.