Arsenal scrape past Palace in Arteta’s most important competition on path to dynasty
That was a close call for Arsenal, but they still have a chance to win a competition that could act as a springboard to even greater success. Don’t underestimate the importance of their Carabao Cup campaign this season.
Arsenal edged Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties, but it’s remarkable we even reached a shootout between these London rivals. The Gunners should have been out of sight in the first half, yet somehow they weren’t. You always felt Palace would come out sharper after the break, and they did.
The second half quickly became competitive, with the Eagles chasing their first League Cup quarter-final win since 2011/12, when Darren Ambrose scored that goal at Old Trafford to knock out Manchester United.
Walter Benitez was phenomenal. He had to be. Gabriel Jesus was up against his favourite opponent, and Benitez produced some remarkable stops. He first denied Jesus and stopped Noni Madueke from the rebound. That Jesus chance came from a sublime Gabriel Martinelli cross, and the Brazilian winger was outstanding before being forced off with an injury.
Martinelli looked electric, twisting makeshift right-wing-back Jaydee Canvot inside out multiple times and producing elite end-product, only for teammates to waste some golden chances.
It’s Arsenal in the #CarabaoCup semi-finals. 🔵🆚🔴 pic.twitter.com/82uB2vyxpt
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) December 23, 2025
Palace grew into the game as the second half progressed, and you could sense Arsenal’s missed chances were coming back to bite them. But with 10 minutes left, Eagles defender Maxence Lacroix poked the ball past his own goalkeeper.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had a choice: sit back and pray or go for the kill. Considering how freely they’d been creating, it had to be the latter. Declan Rice replacing Jesus hinted that Arteta might be thinking defensively, but with few options, Mikel Merino was pushed up to centre-forward.
Yet a relatively comfortable spell for the hosts, Marc Guehi nutmegged Kepa in the fifth minute of injury time to send the quarter-final to penalties. Suddenly, Arsenal were the underdogs against a confident Benitez with nothing to lose.
The only penalty miss came from Lacroix, and Arsenal survived. Their 90-minute misses didn’t haunt them this time, but the scare was real.
Arsenal desperately need a trophy this season. It’s not just the Carabao Cup; it’s the first tangible silverware and could unlock momentum for a club that hasn’t lifted anything since the 2020 FA Cup.
The League Cup could also set the tone for April and May, when the Premier League and Champions League run-in gets real. Winning this competition can give Arsenal a boost that can snowball into something special.
Some will question their trophy credentials after such a narrow escape, but the Gunners remain in a strong position to reach a major final. For a long time, the League Cup was treated as a playground for youngsters; now it’s a serious competition for clubs chasing domestic and European glory.
If Arsenal can go all the way and finally feel that winning buzz, their ceiling will be sky-high. Tuesday night could have been a disaster. But they survived, and in doing so, kept alive their ambitions of silverware this season.
For Arteta, this isn’t just about the trophy. Carabao Cup success can open the trophy floodgates and create a sense of winning culture in a squad that has flirted with greatness. If Arsenal can navigate Chelsea and win at Wembley on March 22, they’ll approach the final weeks of the season with the belief and momentum strong enough to get them over the line in even bigger competitions.
The Palace match was a big scare, but Arsenal are still very much in business. The Carabao Cup isn’t just a contingency plan – it’s a golden opportunity to kick-start a dynasty.
