Kepa Heroics Send Arsenal Past Crystal Palace in Dramatic Penalty Shootout
Here is a detailed, up-to-date match report on Arsenal vs Crystal Palace, based on a game that happened about 7 hours ago: the Carabao Cup (League Cup) quarter-final tie at the Emirates Stadium. Arsenal 1–1 Crystal Palace Arsenal won 8–7 on penalties
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace — Full Match Report
Carabao Cup Quarter-Final
Emirates Stadium, London
Tuesday, 23 December 2025
Full Time: 1-1 (Arsenal win 8-7 on penalties)
Arsenal through to League Cup semi-final.
Overview & Significance
This tie was one of the standout matches of the Carabao Cup quarterfinals. Arsenal, double-chasing silverware in both competitions, were pitted against the physicality, organisation, and fighting spirit of Crystal Palace. With both teams facing fixture congestion and physical fatigue late into December, this clash tested the squad depth, tactical adaptability, and mental endurance.
The 90 minutes of regular time had finished 1–1, with Arsenal eventually advancing in dramatic fashion through a tight penalty shootout. There was no requirement for extra time in the normative sense herein: the rules take the game directly to penalties after full time in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals.
Pre Match Context
Tactical & Squad News
Arsenal deployed a relatively rotated side, mixing first-team quality with the depths of their squad in an attempt to keep key starters fresh amidst the trials and tribulations of the Premier League and European commitments.
Crystal Palace also rotated, but they have been hammered by injuries this season, with crucial defenders Daniel Muñoz, Daichi Kamada and Chadi Riad, and midfielder Cheick Doucouré, all out.
The fact that Palace defender Chris Richards hobbled off on a stretcher with a serious foot injury was another huge blow on a night when Arsene Wenger's squad is already stretched.
First Half — Arsenal’s Early Control
The game began, and Arsenal dominated possession from the first whistle, looking to press home with their attacking structure and territorial advantage.
Key Early Patterns
Central midfield and forward areas saw rotations that included Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Christian Nørgaard.
The Gunners controlled the ball, maintained superior passing sequences, and forced Crystal Palace into a defensive shell.
Yet, despite having the lion's share of possession, Arsenal hardly managed to turn this territorial dominance into clear-cut chances during the opening phase of the match. Palace's goalkeeper Walter BenÃtez was called upon time after time, and made several crucial interventions that kept the score level well into the second half.
Second Half — Breakthrough & Drama
Arsenal Goal (80′) – Own Goal by Maxence Lacroix
Eventually, Arsenal broke through in the 80th minute. A corner kick from Arsenal turned dangerous inside the box. Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix sent the ball into his own net in an attempt to clear; that was the deflection Arsenal needed to take the lead.
This was a perfect example of how set-pieces and penalties can define tight cup ties, with Arsenal's corner delivery forcing the defensive error. Up until that point, Palace had defended resolutely, but the pressure told.
Palace Equaliser (90+ ) - Marc Guéhi
Just as the match seemed likely to remain won by Arsenal, Crystal Palace got their response deep into stoppage time.
But from one expertly taken set piece, Palace captain Marc Guéhi headed in an equalizer to stun the crowd into silence and send this semifinal to penalties.
This was a late response typical of Palace's never-say-die approach, which completely changed the momentum going into penalties.
Penalty Shootout — Nerve-Shredding Finish
The game was tied 1–1, and the outcome was to be decided by penalties.
Penalty Summary
Both sides were perfectly calm from the spot as the first 15 penalties found the back of the net.
The most important miss came from Maxence Lacroix, who had already been punished earlier with the own goal. His penalty was saved by Arsenal’s goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga and turned the shootout in Arsenal’s favour.
Kepa Arrizabalaga-Arsenal's Hero
Kepa's save proved decisive. There, the experience and calmness under extreme pressure arsenals secured an 8–7 penalty shootout win and a place in the Carabao Cup semi-final.
Tactical Breakdown
Approach of Arsenal
Possession & Control
Arsenal dominated the ball retention and territorial advantage throughout the 90 minutes, constantly seeking to stretch Palace's defensive block.
Creation of Opportunity
Though Arsenal did register a multitude of shots and created at least a half-dozen half-chances, they could not really convert these into clear-cut scoring chances, largely because of BenÃtez's brilliant saves and Palace's organized defending.
Rotation Strategy
Arteta's rotation brought fresh legs and maintained the attacking dynamism of the team, but it also brought in moments of a lack of cohesion - near misses and some miscommunication in the final third.
Crystal Palace's Approach
Defensive Compactness
Palace was more about defensive shape and organisation, therefore absorbing pressure to then look for counters or set-piece openings, which kept them competitive into the final minutes.
Risk & Reward
DESPITE being under the cosh for most of the match, Palace came back to equalize late on because of their set-piece perfection-underlining the effectiveness of these situations when properly utilised.
Strain Injury
Chris Richards' serious injury disrupted Palace's defensive plans, forcing tactical reshuffles in the middle of the match.
Important Performance
Arsenal
Kepa Arrizabalaga
Crucial penalty save and calmness under pressure were match-deciding.
Walter BenÃtez (Palace’s keeper)
An outstanding performance from the keeper, as he kept Arsenal at bay with a number of brilliant saves, taking the tie to penalties.
Maxence Lacroix
A night of mixed fortune an own goal, a missed penalty, and he was the villain of the piece.
Marc Guéhi
His late equalizer forced the shoot-out.
Post-Match Reactions
Mikel Arteta - Arsenal Manager
Arteta was satisfied with his squad's resilience and patience, adding, "It was a difficult match; we had some chances, but we showed that when the team mentally wants, it prevails in penalties.
Oliver Glasner (Palace Manager) Glasner stressed the tactical discipline and courage of his team, also in view of injuries and the tight schedule. He regretted the shootout defeat but celebrated a performance worthy of praise by the players and their fight. What’s Next? Arsenal won through to face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final early in 2026 with this tie sure to be very competitive as both claims for silverware. ReutersCrystal Palace return to their Premier League campaign, having rested around mid-table, and are still in pursuit of valuable points that would see them climb the standings. Match Summary (Key Stats) Statistic Arsenal Crystal Palace Goals (90 mins) 1. 1. Penalty Shootout 8 7 Own Goal Scored 1 (Lacroix) This is what occurred in 1995. Late Equaliser — 1 (Guéhi) This tie only served to reiterate how unpredictable and full of drama a cup football fixture can be, where apart from tactics and technical quality, grit, nerve, and psychological resilience play an important part.
Source: Reuters, The Guardian, The Sun