Kepa Arrizabalaga saved a decisive penalty from Maxence Lacroix to send Arsenal into the League Cup semi-finals after a high-stakes 8-7 shootout victory at the Emirates Stadium. Following a 1-1 draw in regulation time, both sides converted their first seven spot-kicks before William Saliba scored Arsenal's eighth.
Kepa then dived to his right to deny Lacroix, securing a semi-final clash against his former club, Chelsea.
Arsenal dominated the majority of the match but struggled to beat Palace’s second-choice goalkeeper, Walter Benitez, who produced a series of reflex saves to deny Noni Madueke and Gabriel Jesus. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 80th minute when a Bukayo Saka corner caused chaos in the box, leading to Lacroix poking the ball into his own net under pressure.
However, Palace responded in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Marc Guehi tapped in from close range following a header from Jefferson Lerma. "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," Mikel Arteta said after the match.
Gabriel Jesus made his first start in 345 days, marking his 100th appearance for the club after returning from a serious ACL injury. Arteta made eight changes to his starting lineup, while Palace manager Oliver Glasner was forced to field a side similar to the one beaten by Leeds on Saturday.
Palace’s injury list grew during the match when defender Chris Richards was stretchered off with an ankle injury. Despite the exit, Glasner praised his team's resilience: “I’m delighted with the second-half performance today, especially after the first-half... it’s important to build on that and show great character again.”
Arteta highlighted Kepa's integration and professionalism despite the late drama in regulation. “Kepa, his level of commitment to the group is just incredible,” the Arsenal manager remarked. “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.”
The victory moves Arsenal into the semi-finals for a second successive year as they pursue their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020. The club has not won the League Cup since the 1992-93 season.
Arsenal’s focus now shifts back to the Premier League title race, with home games against Brighton and Aston Villa scheduled to close out 2025. The semi-final against Chelsea will be played over two legs in January and February, while Manchester City faces Newcastle in the other half of the draw.
