Kepa Arrizabalaga saved a decisive penalty from Maxence Lacroix to send Arsenal into the Carabao Cup semi-finals after a dramatic 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at the Emirates.
The Gunners thought they had secured progress in the 80th minute when Lacroix inadvertently bundled an Arsenal corner into his own net.
However, Palace—who have enjoyed a historic 2025—forced a shootout in the 95th minute when Marc Guehi pounced on a knockdown to equalize.
In a clinical shootout featuring 15 successful spot-kicks, Lacroix’s night went from bad to worse as Kepa dived right to parry his effort away, sealing an 8-7 victory for the hosts.
Kepa Arrizabalaga’s save sends Arsenal to a two-legged semi-final against Chelsea.
Gabriel Jesus made his first start in 345 days following a long-term ACL injury.
Despite the win, Mikel Arteta will likely be concerned by a disjointed performance that saw his side struggle to put the game away before the late drama unfolded.
