Arsenal narrowly win on penalties to advance; Arteta praises team performance.

2025-12-24 02:29

In the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties to advance to the semi-finals.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was all smiles in the post-match interview, praising the players' personality and qualities under pressure.

The match was full of twists and turns. Although Arsenal took the lead thanks to an own goal by Maxence Lacroix, they were equalized by Marc Guieil in stoppage time.

In the penalty shootout, Arsenal players displayed exceptional mental fortitude, with all eight penalty takers converting their penalties. Ultimately, goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga saved Lacroix's penalty, completing his redemption and securing the victory.

In a post-match interview, Arteta said: "Although the lead should have been greater and the goal conceded was regrettable, I loved the control the players showed under emotional pressure. Their composure and calmness when taking the penalty were very convincing."

According to statistics, Arsenal has had an extremely high penalty shootout success rate since 2020, converting 32 out of 35 penalties, which fully demonstrates the team's significant improvement in mental strength.

Currently, Arsenal not only tops the Premier League table but also leads the Champions League. In addition, they have reached the Carabao Cup semi-finals, demonstrating the team's strong ability to compete on multiple fronts.

Arteta emphasized the squad's depth: "We made eight changes today, but with such a large-scale rotation, the team still maintained a very high level of cohesion and unity, which I am extremely proud of."