Arsenal Outlast Palace in 8-7 Penalty Thriller, Set Up League Cup Semi-final Against Chelsea
Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 8-7 in a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw in the League Cup quarter-final on Dec. 23. The Gunners will now face Chelsea in a London derby semi-final.
A London derby is set for the League Cup semi-finals. Arsenal booked their spot after a dramatic 8-7 penalty shootout victory against Crystal Palace on Tuesday at Emirates Stadium, following a 1-1 draw in normal time. The win sets up a high-stakes clash with their city rivals, Chelsea.
Late Drama Pushes Match to Penalties
The match appeared to be heading Arsenal's way when a Maxence Lacroix own goal put them ahead in the 80th minute. After failing to clear a Bukayo Saka corner, Lacroix inadvertently knocked the ball over his own line. However, Palace staged a stunning comeback deep into stoppage time. In the fifth minute of added time, Marc Guehi swept the ball into the net following a free kick, sending the game to a decisive shootout.
Kepa's Heroics Seal the Victory
Both teams were flawless from the spot through seven rounds of penalties. The shootout's pivotal moment came when Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga dove to his right to save Lacroix’s spot kick, ending the tense affair. "We generated a lot (of chances). We should have scored many more goals than the one that we scored," Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told Sky Sports. "Overall, another victory, I'm really happy."
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