Arsenal feasts on Sanchez mistakes to set up 3-2 win over Chelsea in League Cup semifinals

By Canadian Press on January 14, 2026.

Arsenal scored two goals off errors by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez to set up a 3-2 win at Chelsea in the first leg of the English League Cup semifinals on Wednesday.

A corner sailed over Sanchez in the seventh minute, allowing Ben White to head into an unguarded net, before the Spanish keeper let a low cross squirm through his grasp to gift Viktor Gyokeres a tap-in in the 49th.

Substitute Alejandro Garnacho pulled a goal back but Martin Zubimendi restored Arsenal’s two-goal cushion by slotting home a finish in the 70th.

Garnacho’s second goal — in the 83rd — gave Chelsea a lifeline ahead of the second leg on Feb. 3 at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.

Still, Mikel Arteta’s team is the favorite to advance to the March 22 final at Wembley Stadium in what is shaping up to be a banner season for the Gunners, who lead the Premier League by six points and top the Champions League standings.

In the other semifinal matchup, Manchester City won 2-0 at Newcastle in the first leg on Tuesday. Their second match is on Feb. 4.

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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Steve Douglas, The Associated Press