Arsenal’s pursuit of silverware remained firmly on track on a nerve-wracking night in the Carabao Cup as they overcame Crystal Palace in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at the Emirates Stadium. In a contest that swung late on and tested Arsenal’s composure, Kepa Arrizabalaga emerged as the unlikely match-winner, producing a decisive save to secure their place in the semi-finals.
The result also said a lot about where Arsenal are as a group right now. With the team leading the Premier League and holding on to their Champions League status, Arteta has shown they can push through tough times and dominate games too. Palace pushed them to the brink, a late equalizer threatening to undo their work, but Arsenal remained composed and found a way through when it mattered most.
Watch the full shootout here:
In the post-match press conference, Arteta was quick to single out Kepa, who was largely trusted in cup competitions, for performing when it mattered most.
“I’m happy for him,” Arteta said. “He deserves it. He’s a very good guy, a hard worker and gives his best every training session.”
“I’m happy for him. He saves a lot of penalties and the decisive one. It shows that everyone in this team has their time and saved us.”
The Arsenal manager also reflected on the wider demands facing his squad as the draw across the competitions begins to pile up and insists it is a challenge his players are embracing.
“I see it as a privilege at the end, because of the attitude of the players,” Arteta said. “I mean, they make your job fun. We have situations where we don’t have a choice, but that’s okay.”
“Whatever role they have, they fill it. And when they play, they play it. Every player has to have that mindset if you want to achieve what we want to achieve.”
On the pitch, Arsenal’s pressure finally paid off with an unfortunate own goal by Lacroix, who turned Bukayo Saka’s dangerous corner into his own net. However, Palace refused to fold and hit back through Marco Guehi after extended time to take the tie to a shoot-out after Declan Rice went close to winning it late on.
Both teams converted a long series of penalties before Kepa finally got it right, diving to his right to deny Lacroix and spark celebrations in the stadium. Arsenal now progress to a heavyweight semi-final against Chelsea, keeping alive their hopes of ending their wait for a trophy while continuing strong competition in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup.
– The end
Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
December 24, 2025
