Story by[]Alex Howell - Arsenal reporterThu, January 15, 2026 at 8:12 AM UTC·1 min readThis entertaining victory really highlighted the quality that Mikel Arteta has at his disposal. The Arsenal manager was able to make eight changes for this game, and bring in his strongest XI, after making 10 changes for Sunday's FA Cup third-round win at Portsmouth. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOne of those players who stayed in the side was Ben White, and he started in a back four of William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber. That backline provided an imposing threat from set-pieces and White's opener was the 24th goal Arsenal have scored from a set-piece in all competitions this season, the most by any club in Europe's top five leagues. It was also a good night for Viktor Gyokeres, who scored a goal from open play for the first time in 16 games and provided an assist for Martin Zubimendi's goal. Arteta will hope that it is the confidence boost his forward needs. The EFL Cup is not Arteta's or Arsenal's main objective this season but getting in a position to win a trophy relatively early would be a huge boost as they try to win the Premier League or Champions League. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArteta said before the game that an EFL Cup triumph would give his team "a nudge" and "a sense that the objective is really close", providing "a massive motivation for everybody". There's still another leg to go in this tie but this was the first individual semi-final match that Arsenal have won in nine attempts and marks another step in the progression they have made this season.