Arsenal 1-1 (8-7 pens) Crystal Palace: Gunners sneak into Carabao Cup semi-finals after Kepa Arrizabalaga makes only save in epic shootout
After another night in the nerve shredder. Another own goal, more goalkeeping heroics and the drama of penalties it is Arsenal who take their place in a Carabao Cup semi final against Chelsea.
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s save from Maxence Lacroix won it after 15 penalties had been converted and deepened the pain for the Palace centre half.
Arsenal thought they had won it late when Lacroix toed the ball into his own net as Palace tried to defend a pinballing corner.
It was the third successive own goal scored by Arteta’s team at the Emirates Stadium after two by Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez had been sensational, and it always seemed as though it would take something spectacular or freakish to beat him.
It proved to be the latter in the 80th minute but Oliver Glanser’s team are blessed with outstanding character and a taste for silverware, they do not give up and summoned an equaliser in the fifth minute of stoppage time.
Maxence Lacroix’s penalty was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga to send Arsenal through
The Gunners erupted in celebration after a tense shootout was decided by one miss
Arsenal progressed on home turf but were pushed all the way by Oliver Glasner’s men
Marc Guehi pounced to poke in the ball past Kepa after Jefferson Lerma had headed down a free kick from Adam Wharton.
Palace refused to go quietly but in the end they went.
Arsenal have not won this trophy since 1993 and often since it has been little more than a vehicle for giving fringe players a run. Such is the depth of Arteta’s current squad that many of those fringe players are stronger than ever.
Noni Madueke started on the right wing ahead of Bukayo Saka and was in on goal inside three minutes, a move he started by winning possession from a Palace throw and dashing forward for the return.
His effort was straight at Benitez, the goalkeeper who was the only concession by Palace boss Oliver Glasner to the idea of Carabao Cup squad rotation and who soon warmed to his task.
Benitez denied Madueke before a brilliant save, down low to his left to keep out a Gabriel Jesus header and then up to smother the rebound. All within the first 25 minutes.
Glasner’s efforts to dance around the worst of the fixture congestion has seen form suffer.
This was their fourth game in 10 days, injuries are eating away and, apart from the change in goal, they were as strong as could be.
Marc Guehi scored in stoppage time to send the game to penalties on a cold night in London
Lacroix had scored an own goal to put the hosts ahead and his pain was doubled at the end
As is their way, they came with a plan to sit deep and spring on the counterattack. There was an early flash of how they might damage Arsenal’s depleted defence when Tyrick Mitchell burst down the left and fired over.
Arsenal though totally dominated the first half. They did not get Eberechi Eze on the ball in the most dangerous areas quite as much as they would have liked but caused damage on the flanks.
Madueke was incisive on the right and, on the left, Gabriel Martinelli sizzled, tormenting Jaydee Canvot in for the injured Daniel Munoz at right wing back. Canvot, only 19 and a centre half by trade, looked uncomfortable with Martinelli to contain in the open spaces.
Benitez made another reflex save from Madueke before half time and Jurrien Timber planted a free header over from 10 yards. For all the pressure, Palace made it to the interval without conceding, and Glasner acted.
Canvot was rescued from his misery, replaced by Nathaniel Clyne, and Justin Devenny for Eddie Nketiah, added running power.
Immediately, they looked happier. Lerma headed wide and Guehi miscued a shot. Wharton grew in influence in midfield when the first half simply passed him by. Those in the away end found their voices.
Wharton fizzed one past a post from 25 yards. It was a much more even tie and Arteta’s responded by sending on Leonardo Trossard for Martinelli, who taken a blow in a clash of knees with Canvot at the end of the first half.
Martinelli returned for the second half but was never moving quite so fluently nor enjoying the same levels of success against the experience of Clyne and did not make it past the hour.
Arsenal are into the final four where they will face Chelsea over two legs
Glasner’s side put up a great fight on what has been an exhausting week for them
Then came Saka and Martin Odegaard from the bench. Eze, who scored the only goal against former club Palace in the Premier League in October, and Madueke came off.
Momentum swung Arsenal’s way again. They pinned the visitors back and Jesus, who scored a hat trick when his team beat Palace 3-2 at this same stage of last season’s Carabao Cup, glanced another header wide at the near post.
Palace suffered a blow when they lost Chris Richards for the closing stages. As Richards was being carried around the perimeter of the pitch on a stretcher, Jesus fired another chance over, a shot on the bounce.
Glasner reshuffled again, with Lerma dropping into the right side of the back three and Will Hughes into midfield.
After the barrage in the first half, Benitez had been shielded well in the second until Trossard and Mikel Merino combined to set up Jesus again.
Benitez pushed his effort over only to concede from the resulting corner. Taken by Saka, there was a header from Riccardo Calafiori and a shot by Timber blocked before the ball hit Lacroix on the foot and ricocheted into the net.
Arsenal thought they had won it but the fun was only beginning. Then came Guehi’s leveller. Then came the penalties. More misfortune and agony for Lacroix. Delight for Kepa. Arsenal move on in the winning habit.
