Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga emerged as the hero of the Carabao Cup quarter-final on Tuesday night, producing a decisive penalty shoot-out save that sealed victory for the Gunners and compounded a difficult outing for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix.
Lacroix’s own goal put Arsenal ahead with 10 minutes left at the Emirates Stadium before Marc Guehi snatched Palace’s stoppage-time equaliser in the 1-1 draw.
That set the stage for a shoot-out in which both teams scored their first seven penalties.
William Saliba converted Arsenal’s eighth kick and Kepa dived to his right to save Lacroix’s effort and secure an 8-7 victory.
It was a cathartic moment for the Spanish goalkeeper, who infamously refused to be substituted before Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final penalty shoot-out defeat against Manchester City in 2019.
Kepa also missed a spot-kick in the Blues’ 2022 Carabao Cup final shoot-out loss to Liverpool.
Arsenal will play London rivals Chelsea in the semi-finals over two legs in January and February, with Manchester City facing holders Newcastle in the other last four clash.
Arsenal are into the Carabao Cup semi-finals for a second successive year as they chase their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
The Gunners have only won the Carabao Cup twice, with their last triumph coming in 1992-93, before any of their current squad were born.
After celebrating Christmas on Thursday, Mikel Arteta’s men will turn their attention back to the title race with home games against Brighton and third-placed Aston Villa to close out 2025.
While Arsenal’s primary goal this season remains their first English league title since 2004, claiming the Carabao Cup in March would provide a much-needed boost and add valuable silverware to a club eager to end its recent trophy drought.
