Kepa Arrizabalaga penalty hero was the headline of the dramatic, tense and raw-emotional night when Arsenal won the Carabao Cup quarter-finals against Crystal Palace by penalty. It was the eventual spot-kick which was saved by the Spanish goalkeeper which sent the Gunners into semi-finals where a two legged derby against London rivals Chelsea now awaits.
At the Emirates Stadium, the goals of Arsenal seemed to have earned them victory in the regular time of play, but Crystal Palace scored in the very end of the stoppage time. Then it was a penalty shootout of the highest quality, which pushed nerves and skill, followed by Arrizabalaga providing the moment which resolved the draw.
The 90 minutes late drama is a turbulent one.
First, Arsenal believed that they had won after Crystal Palace centreback Maxence Lacroix diverted the ball into his own net in the 80 th minute. As the centre-back tried to receive the ball in a corner positioned by the Arsenal, he was limited to passing the ball out of his own goal and the goalkeeper, this projecting the celebrations of home fans.
Palace would not give up though. At fifth minute of stoppage time, Adam Wharton gave a provocative free-kick into the box. Jefferson Lerma was the first to make contact and Marc Guehi responded who can to stab a goal at close range and the goal effortlessly killed the Emirates and inserted an additional strain into the game. Declan Rice was ranged to make the last kick of the match but Crystal Palace substitute goalkeeper Walter Benitez made yet another excellent save to defy the midfielder and to preserve his team.
Palace painful and miserable penalty shootout.
The shootout itself was of the highest quality where both parties were accurate as the pressure mounted. Palace was corresponding to Arsenal kick by kick, exhibiting calm in the face of the failure of taking away the goal so late.
But at 8-7, Lacroix was again in the centre of the limelight as the shootout got to that point. The unlucky player, who already had the own goal on the board, approached taking the ninth penalty by Palace. Kepa Arrizabalaga penalty hero had his way this time. Leaping straight up to his right-hand side, he volleyed the ball off to cause pandemonium celebrations and one that proved that Arsenal had been passed through to the last four.
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In terms of Arsenal, the development was the point of interest, and the performance could be improved. Eight changes made by Mikel Arteta since the previous weekend victory over Everton and there was no rhythm created. Gabriel Jesus started his first game in 345 days since ACL recovery, and some of the fringe players could not enforce themselves at the beginning of the match.Nevertheless, Arsenal had chances to aim at winning the game on its own. The excellent Benitez was twice beaten off by Jesus, and Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard could not find good fluency. Arteta was a frustrated figure in the touchline, particularly when William Saliba gave William Saliba the free-kick which resulted in an equalizer by Palace.
Although the draws and the defeats seasonally preceding it, Arsenal still know how to win, even when they are not at their best, which could be crucial in the further development of the season.
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In the case of Crystal Palace, the loss was disappointing and motivating at the same time. The Eagles have been in one of their strongest periods under Oliver Glasner already having lifted the FA Cup and Community Shield already making their debut European tour.
Squad depth is however starting to challenge them. The injury to Daniel Munoz, Chris Richards and Jean-Philippe Mateta caused Palace to be in a bad shape, but their stamina was reflected. Benitez was exemplary in goal and Guehi and Wharton wore the leadership hat in challenging times.
| Arsenal | Rating | Crystal Palace | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gabriel Martinelli | 7.12 | Walter Benítez | 8.06 |
| Kepa Arrizabalaga | 6.53 | Marc Guehi | 7.29 |
| William Saliba | 6.69 | Adam Wharton | 6.71 |
| Declan Rice | 6.07 | Jefferson Lerma | 6.48 |
| Gabriel Jesus | 6.26 | Maxence Lacroix | 5.64 |
In the end, Palace lost only on a last-minute equaliser and shoot-out calmness, but the fact remains that they are a team that finish in the semi-final against the Prem top dogs; that they need to improve akin to the better-compete reality. In the case of Palace, it has turned into the matter of fatigue and injuries management as they juggle between domestic and European commitments.
On a single night, however, the limelight was on Kepa Arrizabalaga penalty savior, whose great save kept the Arsenal dream of taking the Carabao Cup alive.
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