WHAT. A. NIGHT.
Arsenal are through to the Carabao Cup semi-finals – but bloody hell, did they make it hard for themselves! The Gunners needed sixteen penalties to finally put Crystal Palace to bed in one of the most bonkers shootouts you'll ever see.
Kepa the Hero as Lacroix's Nightmare Continues
Spare a thought for Maxence Lacroix. The poor lad scored an own goal to hand Arsenal the lead in the 80th minute, then missed THE penalty that sent the Eagles home. Talk about a night to forget!
Kepa Arrizabalaga – who'd barely had a sniff all game – dived to his right to palm away Lacroix's tame effort after 15 perfect penalties from both sides. Scenes at the Emirates!
Arteta Fumes at Missed Chances
Boss Mikel Arteta wasn't exactly jumping for joy afterwards, despite reaching the last four. The Spaniard was fuming at how his side nearly threw it all away.
"The margin should have been much bigger," he said. "We generated a lot and after 94 minutes, it should have been three or four. That was emotionally tough to accept, but we stayed calm and showed great composure in the shootout."
Benítez the Brick Wall
Let's be honest – if it wasn't for Walter Benítez having the game of his life, Arsenal would've been 4-0 up by halftime. The Palace keeper denied Noni Madueke three times, pulled off a stunning double save from Gabriel Jesus, and even kept out Declan Rice in the final seconds of normal time.
80% possession. Seven shots on target. One goal. You do the maths.
Merino Takes a Pop at Saliba
Here's the thing though – Arsenal only needed those penalties because William Saliba decided to boot someone in the 94th minute. From the resulting free-kick, Marc Guéhi bundled home to make it 1-1.
Midfielder Mikel Merino wasn't impressed: "We cannot concede that free-kick. We have to be a much more composed and mature team."
Ouch. That'll sting in training tomorrow.
Jesus Returns – Finally!
Good news for Gooners though – Gabriel Jesus is back! The Brazilian made his first start in 345 days and looked lively despite not finding the net. Arteta will be hoping he can rediscover his scoring boots soon.
What's Next?
Arsenal now face Chelsea in a mouthwatering two-legged semi-final in January. First leg at Stamford Bridge on January 13th. You won't want to miss that one!
But first, the Gunners host Brighton on Boxing Day. No rest for the wicked in the Premier League title race.
