Kepa Arrizabalaga was Arsenal’s hero in the League Cup quarter-final with the decisive penalty shoot-out that completed a miserable evening for Crystal Palace defender Maxence Lacroix on Tuesday.
Lacroix’s own goal put Arsenal ahead with ten minutes remaining at the Emirates Stadium before Marc Guehi grabbed Palace’s equalizer in stoppage time 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 win.
It was a liberating moment for the Spanish goalkeeper, who infamously refused to be substituted before Chelsea’s penalty shootout defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final in 2019.
Kepa also missed a penalty in the Blues’ 2022 League Cup final shoot-out defeat to Liverpool.
Arsenal will play London rivals Chelsea in the two-match semi-finals in January and February, while Manchester City will face holders Newcastle in the other last four.
«We generated a lot and should have scored many more goals. If you don’t close the games, you can always concede,» Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said.
“We had some great individual performances. Kepa, his commitment to the group is just incredible.
«I think the players were so calm with the penalties and in the end Kepa saved one. We are where we want to be.»
Arsenal are in the semi-finals of the League Cup for the second year in a row and are chasing their first trophy since winning the FA Cup in 2020.
The North Londoners have only won the League Cup twice, with their last win coming in 1992-93, before anyone from their current squad was born.
After celebrating Christmas on Thursday, 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.
Winning their first English title since 2004 is clearly Arsenal’s main target this season, but clinching the League Cup in March would be a significant boost for a club that has lacked success in recent years.
Arteta made eight changes to the side that won at Everton on Saturday, but still had a strong line-up of William Saliba, Mikel Merino, Eberechi Eze, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus.
Jesus, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in January, started for the first time in 345 days after returning to action as a substitute against Club Brugge earlier this month.
Kepa salvation
Noni Madueke, another Arteta substitute, should have given Arsenal an early lead but was denied twice by Palace keeper Walter Benitez, who put in an inspired performance.
Benitez lunged to his left to deny Jesus’ close-range header with another fine save and deflected another Madueke shot.
By the time Jurrien Timber headed wastefully over from ten yards, Arteta must have wondered whether Arsenal would ever break through.
Arteta sent on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard in the second half, with the latter making an immediate impression with a cross that Jesus nodded narrowly wide.
Arsenal finally broke the deadlock in the 80th minute.
Not for the first time this season, it was a Gunners set-piece that did the damage as Saka’s corner caused chaos and Lacroix, under pressure from Saliba, poked past Benitez as he tried to clear.
But Palace gave Arsenal a taste of their own set-piece medicine and equalized with the first shot on target in the 95th minute.
Adam Wharton’s free kick was headed by Jefferson Lerma and Guehi fired in from close range.
After a series of pointless penalties in the shoot-out, Kepa ended up as Arsenal’s savior.
Published on December 24, 2025
