rewrite this title Arsenal can win two or three trophies after beating Chelsea to reach Carabao Cup final, says Jamie Redknapp

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 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 losses.

Six points clear at the top of the Premier League, through to the last 16 of the Champions League and in the fourth round of the FA Cup, the 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 serve as a springboard.

“Arsenal are ready to win,” he said on Sky Sports.

“They have had to suffer these last few years having come so close, but I look at the squad and the depth, and the way they are playing, they are by far the best team.

“They haven’t been at their best of late but I think this result will actually relax them. They might be able to start enjoying it a bit more and play with a bit more flair.

“They have been playing a bit tight, a bit safe but now I think they can start to relax and play, and we’ll 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 they can’t win two, even three trophies.”

He added: “Arsenal have been set up to win the last few years.

“The job the manager has done is incredible.

“He takes a lot of criticism and people are very quick to judge and jump on the team, talking about how many set-pieces they score from and saying, ‘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.

“Nobody cares at the end of the year. It is just about getting that trophy in your hands.”

Arteta thanks crowd after Man Utd boos

Arteta savoured 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 loss to Manchester United.

“We are so happy,” said Arteta afterwards. “I think overall, over the two games, we deserved to go through.

“It was a long match. We expected that. We wrapped it up at the end in a beautiful way, with Kai scoring the goal in the manner that he did and the reaction from the crowd.

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

“I think the crowd was brilliant today. They brought so much energy and belief to the team in different moments. I think we all deserve to be together in Wembley.”

He added: “It’s the best vitamins that we can put in our bodies because we’re playing every three days.

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

Arteta also saluted match-winner Havertz, who was making only his sixth appearance of the campaign following an injury-hit season.

“I think everybody that 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 single day.

“Today was a special moment for him and I hope that he enjoyed it because he fully deserves it. I think his team-mates enjoyed it as well.”

Analysis: Arsenal success built on defence

Sky Sports’ Nick Wright at the Emirates Stadium:

Havertz put the seal on the victory. His goal, superbly 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 to 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 side across Europe’s top-five leagues to reach that 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. Centre-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.