Arsenal reach League Cup semis with shoot-out win over Palace

AFP | London

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Kepa Arrizabalaga was Arsenal’s League Cup quarter-final hero with the decisive penalty shoot-out save that completed a miserable evening for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix on Tuesday.

Lacroix’s own goal put Arsenal ahead with 10 minutes left at the Emirates Stadium before Marc Guehi snatched Palace’s stoppage-time equaliser in the 1-1 draw.

That set the stage for a shootout in which both teams scored their first seven penalties.

William Saliba converted Arsenal’s eighth kick and Kepa dived to his right to save Lacroix’s effort and secure an 8-7 victory.

It was a cathartic moment for the Spanish goalkeeper, who infamously refused to be substituted before Chelsea’s League Cup final penalty shoot-out defeat against Manchester City in 2019.

Kepa also missed a spot-kick in the Blues’ 2022 League Cup final shoot-out loss to Liverpool.

The Gunners will play London rivals Chelsea in the semi-finals over two legs in January and February, with Manchester City facing holders Newcastle in the other last four clash.

“We generated a lot and should have scored many more goals. When you don’t close the games, it can always happen that you concede,” Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.

“We had some big individual performances. Kepa, his level of commitment with the group is just incredible.

“I think the players were so composed with the penalties and in the end, Kepa managed to save one. We are where we want to be.”

Arsenal are into the League Cup semi-finals for a second successive year as they chase their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.

The north Londoners have only won the League Cup twice, with their last triumph coming in 1992-93, before any of their current squad were born.

After celebrating Christmas on Thursday, Arteta’s men will turn their attention back to the title race with home games against Brighton and thirdplaced Aston Villa to close out 2025.

Winning their first English title since 2004 is clearly Arsenal’s main aim this season, but lifting the League Cup in March would be a significant boost to a club starved of silverware in recent years.

Arteta made eight changes to the side that won at Everton on Saturday, but still fielded a strong line-up featuring William Saliba, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.