Kepa Keeps Out Own-Goalist Lacroix

Penalty shoot-outs are supposed to shred nerves. Fifteen perfect kicks, nine minutes of stoppage time chaos, one last dive – and suddenly Arsenal are back where they belong: Carabao Cup semi-finalists.

The moment belonged to Kepa Arrizabalaga, who flung himself to the right to deny Maxence Lacroix's crumby penalty and finally end an epic shoot-out against Crystal Palace. Justice, if ever a night deserved it.

That Lacroix was the villain or the overbaked, mouldy croissant at both ends only added to the drama. His own goal late in normal time looked like it would be enough to send us through – until Palace gatecrashed the party with a stoppage-time equaliser that nobody in red and white had ordered.

North Bank pressure cooker

Palace won the toss and bizarrely chose to swap ends, meaning we attacked the North Bank first – and from the opening whistle it felt ominous for them.

Noni Madueke was clean through early after a delicious Gabriel Martinelli slide-rule pass, but shot straight at Walter Benítez. Martinelli then began terrorising Jaydee Canvot, twisting him inside out with every touch. One knee clash later, it was a miracle Canvot survived the half at all.

Palace's only real threat before the break came when Tyrick Mitchell wandered forward and blazed over, but otherwise it was all Arsenal: corners, crosses, pressure. Gabriel Jesus headed against the line, Jurrien Timber somehow headed over unmarked, and Madueke twice tested Benítez from inside the box.

If VAR existed at this stage, we might have been talking about a shirt-pull penalty too. But it doesn't. And we weren't.

Second-half nerves – and one familiar twist

Canvot didn't reappear after the break – Nathaniel Clyne mercifully replaced him – and Palace finally showed signs of life. Jefferson Lerma nearly caught Kepa out with a monstrous throw, bouncing awkwardly before our keeper clawed it in on the line.

Then came the cavalry. Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka entered the fray, and immediately the tempo shifted. Ødegaard's first contribution was a teasing cross for Jesus – making his 100th Arsenal appearance – but the header drifted wide.

Eventually, the breakthrough arrived. A Saka corner caused chaos, Riccardo Calafiori's header was blocked, and Lacroix obligingly stabbed into his own net. Three home games. Three own goals. Emirates voodoo is alive and well.

Too late to relax

Palace, inevitably, refused to behave. Nine added minutes followed an injury stoppage, and deep into that chaos Marc Guéhi poked home from close range after a Lerma free-kick was nodded down.

Groans. Deep breaths. Penalties.

Every Arsenal taker held their nerve. Ødegaard. Rice. Saka. Trossard. Merino. Calafiori. Timber. Saliba. Eight from eight. And then Kepa guessed right, Lacroix guessed wrong, and the place erupted.

Semi-final number 18 secured.

What's next?

Chelsea over two legs. Stamford Bridge first in mid-January, then back to the Emirates in early February. But before that, there's Premier League business to handle – Brighton, then Aston Villa – and this squad looks very much alive to it all.

Cup football doesn't care about control or xG spreadsheets. It cares about moments.

On this night, Arsenal had them.