Arsenal progressed to the Carabao Cup semi-finals after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Crystal Palace, with Kepa Arrizabalaga emerging as the hero at Selhurst Park.

The Gunners appeared to have secured their passage when Maxence Lacroix unfortunately put the ball into his own net in the 80th minute, following a corner. However, Palace responded with a late equaliser, as Marc Guehi converted a header in the fifth minute of added time after a free-kick from Adam Wharton and a flick-on from Jefferson Lerma.

Even with the score level, the drama wasn’t over. Declan Rice had a golden opportunity to win it for Arsenal in the dying seconds, but his effort was brilliantly saved by Walter Benitez, who was arguably Palace’s standout performer on the night with several crucial stops, including two from Gabriel Jesus.

The match ultimately went to penalties, and after a tense exchange, it was Kepa Arrizabalaga who sealed the win for Arsenal, diving to his right to deny Lacroix and send the Gunners through.

Arsenal will now face London rivals Chelsea in a two-legged semi-final tie for a place in the Carabao Cup final.

Gunners’ Performance Under Scrutiny

While Mikel Arteta will be relieved to see his side advance, the performance itself will likely draw criticism. “We were not at our best tonight, and that’s something we need to address,” a source close to the Arsenal manager indicated. The Gunners, having made eight changes to the team that defeated Everton, appeared disjointed at times.

Gabriel Jesus made his first start in 345 days after recovering from an ACL injury, but Arsenal struggled to find fluency. A recent dip in form, with draws against Sunderland and Chelsea and a loss to Aston Villa, suggests the team is not yet consistently hitting the heights they achieved earlier in the season.

William Saliba’s late foul leading to the Palace equaliser caused a moment of anxiety, but his teammates ultimately bailed him out.

Palace Show Fight Despite Challenges

Crystal Palace can take heart from a brave performance, particularly given their injury woes. Manager Oliver Glasner is building a resilient side, despite a stretched squad.

The Eagles are enjoying a successful 2025, having already secured the FA Cup and Community Shield, and are also competing in Europe for the first time. However, their recent form has been slightly patchy, with fatigue potentially setting in due to a demanding schedule.

Palace were without key player Daniel Munoz through injury, and lost Chris Richards to a worrying injury during the match, while Jean-Philippe Mateta was also carrying a knock. Despite these setbacks, Glasner’s side pushed a top team all the way.

“We showed great character to come back and take it to penalties,” a Palace insider commented. “The manager is doing a fantastic job with what he has.”

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