EFL Cup: Arsenal edge Palace on penalties to setup semi-final clash against Chelsea

Arsenal advanced to the Carabao Cup semi-finals after edging Crystal Palace on penalties in a dramatic quarter-final that swung repeatedly in the closing stages.

The tie appeared settled late on when Palace defender Maxence Lacroix inadvertently turned the ball into his own net under pressure from an Arsenal corner, only for the visitors to force a last-gasp equaliser deep into stoppage time.

Late twists force shootout

Just as Arsenal prepared to see out the win, Adam Wharton delivered a dangerous free-kick in the fifth minute of added time.

Jefferson Lerma flicked it on, and Marc Guéhi reacted quickest to bundle home from close range, sending the contest to penalties.

Arsenal still had one final opportunity to avoid the shootout, but Declan Rice was denied with the last kick of the game by an outstanding save from Palace goalkeeper Walter Benítez, who had kept his side alive throughout the night.

Arrizabalaga proves decisive

The penalty shootout was of high quality, stretching to 8-7 before the decisive moment arrived. Lacroix, already unfortunate with the own goal, saw his spot-kick saved low to the right by Kepa Arrizabalaga, handing Arsenal progression and ending Palace’s resistance.

The save underlined Arrizabalaga’s importance on the night, delivering when it mattered most to secure Arsenal’s place in the last four.

Arteta rotates, performance remains uneven

Mikel Arteta made eight changes from the side that beat Everton at the weekend, including handing Gabriel Jesus his first start in 345 days following recovery from an ACL injury.

The heavy rotation showed, with Arsenal lacking fluency and squandering several chances before the late drama unfolded.

William Saliba conceded the unnecessary free-kick that led to Palace’s equaliser, though the error ultimately proved non-fatal thanks to Arsenal’s performance in the shootout.

Semi-final showdown confirmed

The Gunners now face Chelsea over two legs in an all-London semi-final. While progression will satisfy Arteta from a results standpoint, the overall performance showed that Arsenal remain short of the levels they set earlier in the season, despite moving past a recent run of inconsistent results.