Arsenal secured a dramatic passage to the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Tuesday night, defeating London rivals Crystal Palace 8-7 in a tense penalty shootout. The victory, sealed on 23rd December 2025, provided a festive boost for Mikel Arteta's side in their final match before Christmas.
Nail-biting finish at the Emirates
The Gunners looked to have booked their spot in normal time after a Maxence Lacroix own goal put them ahead. However, a stoppage-time equaliser from Marc Guehi sent the quarter-final tie to penalties. Both teams displayed remarkable composure from the spot until Arsenal's Spanish goalkeeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, saved Lacroix's effort to become the match-winner.
Defensive rock earns top marks
The individual performances painted a picture of a patchy but ultimately successful team display. At the heart of the defence, William Saliba was awarded a standout 9/10 rating, described as a "vital presence" with several decisive interventions. Alongside him, Riccardo Calafiori, who moved to centre-back, earned a 7 for a composed display, though he was partly culpable for Palace's late leveller.
In goal, Kepa's rating of 8 reflected a night of mixed distribution but ultimate heroics in the shootout. The full-back areas saw more varied fortunes, with Jurrien Timber (7) active but wasteful, and Myles Lewis-Skelly (6) solid if unspectacular.
Midfield control and attacking frustration
The midfield was anchored impressively by Christian Norgaard, who received an 8 for his cool, controlling performance. His partner, Mikel Merino, was given a 7, looking more effective later on when he moved into a forward role. Further ahead, Eberechi Eze had a quiet night against his former club, earning a 6.
In attack, the return of Gabriel Jesus to the starting line-up was a positive, with the Brazilian's tenacity earning a 7, despite a noticeable lack of sharpness in front of goal. Gabriel Martinelli (8) was a constant threat on the left wing. The main source of frustration was Noni Madueke, whose rating of 5 was criticised for promising moments being undone by poor decision-making and a lack of end product.
Substitutes Leandro Trossard, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, and Declan Rice all made positive impacts from the bench, with Trossard and Saka particularly influential in driving the team forward during extra time.
The result sets up a Carabao Cup semi-final clash for Arsenal, continuing their pursuit of silverware this season, while the performance offered Arteta both clear positives and areas for improvement.
