Arsenal booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after a nail-biting penalty shootout victory over Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. The quarter-final clash ended 1-1 after extra time before the Gunners held their nerve from the spot, setting up a last-four tie with London rivals Chelsea.
Late Drama Forces Penalties
The match seemed destined for a narrow Arsenal win after a Maxence Lacroix own goal in the 80th minute broke the deadlock. Bukayo Saka's corner caused chaos in the six-yard box, with the final touch coming off the unfortunate Palace defender. However, Mikel Arteta's side were denied a straightforward victory in the fifth minute of added time when England defender Marc Guehi stabbed home from close range to send the tie to penalties.
In the shootout, Arsenal were flawless, converting all their kicks. The decisive moment came when Crystal Palace's Maxence Lacroix, who had earlier scored at the wrong end, saw his spot-kick missed, sending the Gunners through.
Arteta's Rotated Side Tested
Mikel Arteta made eight changes to his starting lineup, handing a first start in 11 months to Gabriel Jesus. Despite fielding a team featuring the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke, Arsenal struggled to break down a resolute Palace defence for large periods. The Gunners dominated possession but lacked a cutting edge, forcing Arteta to introduce Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka from the bench in search of a goal.
For Crystal Palace, goalkeeper Walter Benitez was in inspired form, making several crucial saves to keep his team in the contest, including a late stop to deny Declan Rice and force the shootout.
Key Talking Points and Squad Depth
The performance raised questions about the depth of Arsenal's squad. Despite the heavy rotation, the team still needed its star players to secure the win. The match also highlighted the versatility of defender Riccardo Calafiori, who slotted in centrally alongside William Saliba amid Arsenal's injury crisis at the back.
Gabriel Jesus's return was a positive, completing 85 minutes on his 100th appearance for the club, though he failed to reproduce the hat-trick heroics he managed against Palace in the same competition a year ago. Meanwhile, young talent Ethan Nwaneri remained an unused substitute, underscoring the fierce competition for places in Arsenal's midfield.
The victory keeps Arsenal's hopes of silverware this season alive, with a two-legged semi-final against Chelsea now awaiting them in the New Year.
