Arsenal dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, monopolising possession and territory throughout a one-sided first half. However, Crystal Palace stayed alive thanks largely to the inspired performance of their second-choice goalkeeper, Walter Benítez. The Argentine produced a series of sharp saves to deny Arsenal a deserved lead, frustrating a home side that looked in complete control but lacked a finishing touch.
The breakthrough eventually came in unfortunate fashion for Palace when defender Maxence Lacroix diverted the ball into his own net, a moment that appeared to have sealed Arsenal’s passage to a semi-final clash with Chelsea. The match had already taken a physical toll, with Palace centre-back Chris Richards forced to receive stitches after suffering a deep cut to his foot in a painful collision.
Yet Palace refused to fold. Deep into stoppage time, Marc Guéhi rose to the occasion, striking a dramatic equaliser in the fifth minute of added time to force penalties and stun the Emirates crowd. What followed was an extraordinary shootout in which the first 15 spot kicks were converted without error. The decisive moment came when Lacroix, already unfortunate with the own goal, saw his penalty saved by Kepa, allowing Arsenal to scrape through by the narrowest of margins.
Arteta admitted the late setback was difficult to absorb, despite his side’s overall dominance. He noted that Arsenal should have put the tie beyond doubt earlier, arguing that the margin of victory should have been far greater given their control of the match.
The Spanish manager benefited from Palace’s request to reschedule the fixture due to European commitments, making eight changes from the side that won away at Everton. Even so, Arsenal again found Palace a stubborn opponent, as they had at the same stage last season. It took the second-half introduction of key figures Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka to inject urgency and creativity, finally tilting the balance before Guéhi’s dramatic intervention.
Glasner, meanwhile, was candid in his assessment of Palace’s display. He criticised his team’s poor first-half showing but praised their character and improved second-half performance, stressing the importance of building on that response after a punishing schedule.
Palace were stretched thin, forced to field a near-identical lineup to the one heavily beaten by Leeds days earlier. Teenager Jaydee Canvot was deployed out of position at right wing-back and endured a difficult evening against Gabriel Martinelli. The strain on the squad was evident, with Guéhi making his 31st start of an already exhausting campaign for club and country.
For Arsenal, the night also carried personal significance for Gabriel Jesus, who made his first start in 345 days following an ACL injury suffered against Manchester United in January. The timing of that injury had been particularly cruel, halting a rich vein of form that had included a hat-trick against Palace in this very competition. Marking his 100th appearance for the club against the same opponents felt fitting, and he came close to crowning the occasion with a goal, only to be denied by Benítez.
Questions remain over Arsenal’s £64 million signing Viktor Gyökeres, and Jesus appeared keen to seize his chance to impress. Benítez, signed on a free from PSV Eindhoven and usually playing understudy to Dean Henderson, underlined his quality with another assured display, including an early stop from Noni Madueke after Gabriel Martinelli’s cutback.
Despite Palace’s resilience and a dramatic late surge, Arsenal ultimately held their nerve when it mattered most. Kepa’s decisive save ensured progression, reinforcing the fine margins that define knockout football and sending Arteta’s side into the semi-finals with confidence, belief and a reminder that dominance alone is never enough without composure at the crucial moment.
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