Alejandro Garnacho scored both goals for Chelsea in their 3–2 loss to Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the first leg of the EFL Cup semifinals.
Garnacho was Chelsea’s main attacking threat on the night. After Arsenal took a two-goal lead through Ben White in the 7th minute and Viktor Gyökeres shortly after halftime, the Argentine winger pulled one back in the 57th minute, finishing a quick attacking move to keep the hosts in the tie.
The game became tense as Chelsea tried to push forward, and Enzo Fernández, wearing the captain’s armband, was heavily involved in midfield battles. Following Arsenal’s third goal, scored by Martín Zubimendi in the 71st minute, Fernández showed clear anger toward the Spanish midfielder after a challenge. New head coach Liam Rosenior was seen stepping in to calm the Argentine captain.
Garnacho gave Chelsea renewed hope by scoring again late in the match, reducing the deficit to 3–2 and completing his brace.
Chelsea, captained by Enzo Fernández, will now look to overturn the result in the second leg on February 3 at the Emirates Stadium.
With Almada and Mastantuono struggling for minutes, Garnacho’s performance today forced the coaching staff to rethink the forward options for the World Cup. I still believe Almada will be selected, as he is a different player when playing for the national team. The same applies to nico.G. However, it now appears the real competition is between Soùle and garnacho. Dybala is slipping down the pecking order and will need an exceptional finish to the season with Roma otherwise, he is out.