LONDON -- Arsene Wenger paid tribute to "silent leader" Nacho Monreal after the left-back created another goal for Arsenal in Wednesday's 2-1 win over Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semifinals.
Monreal's header took a double deflection before going into the net for a first-half equaliser at the Emirates. While it was credited as an Antonio Rudiger own goal, Monreal has now had a direct hand in four goals in the last two games. He scored one and set up two more in the 4-1 league win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, despite limping off with a minor hamstring problem in the first half.
And Wenger agreed that the Spaniard doesn't always get the credit he deserves outside the club.
"For me he gets very much credit, but maybe there's a bit less focus on him because he's not a candidate for the English national team, he doesn't make many statements or is maybe not a lot on social networks," Wenger told a news conference.
"But our job is about performances. I like the word 'silent leaders.' That means people come, they perform, they don't talk, they go home, and they come in the next morning, they train well, and the next day they do it again.
"They are the real leaders in the teams."
Wednesday's win means Arsenal will return to Wembley for a fourth cup final in the last five seasons, a big boost for the club after going out in the third round of the FA Cup and losing star forward Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United this month.
It was also another crucial win over Chelsea, having beaten them in last season's FA Cup final and the Community Shield in August.
"It's a great satisfying night for us because we managed to beat a strong team. I felt that in January we paid a heavy price for the uncertainty that was existing in our dressing room," Wenger said.
"Now we are back with more clarity, we know what we have to do, we can focus on our game."
The Gunners trailed to Eden Hazard's early goal, but gradually found their rhythm and played better after Wenger switched to a back-three formation at half-time.
"I felt in the first half there were psychological and tactical reasons for us not expressing the quality of our game. We rectified that at half-time," Wenger said.
"And in the second half we won the ball high up and the we could get our midfield, which is very technically talented, into the game. And then we controlled the game."
Arsenal will face Manchester City in the final on Feb. 25. The League Cup is the only domestic trophy Wenger has yet to win in England, and the Frenchman admitted he has "unfinished business" after losing the final in 2007 and 2011.
"But we are again at Wembley, I don't know how many times we have been there, but we are in a final again and we can take our fans there, that's what we want," Wenger said.
"But of course now that we are in it we want to win it. We play against a very strong side so it could become a very interesting game."