According to Will Hughes, Crystal Palace players did not feel fatigued in the League Cup quarter-final against Arsenal. Crystal Palace have a very tight schedule for the 2025/26 season so far, and this match was their 28th of the season, as well as the last of three different matches played in six days.  

Despite ultimately losing in the penalty shootout, Will Hughes and his teammates can still gain valuable confidence from the 1-1 draw they achieved at the Emirates Stadium in 90 minutes.  

Will Hughes said: "The team is very disappointed to be eliminated in a penalty shootout. I think we were a little lax in the first half, although luck was on our side at times. But we worked hard to turn things around in the second half, and it's always a shame to lose in a penalty shootout."  

"While it's easy to attribute the loss to fatigue, we didn't show any signs of exhaustion in the second half. In fact, we got stronger as the game progressed. Arsenal is a strong team, and there were certainly some problems during the match. But overall, especially in the second half, our performance was quite excellent."  

Will Hughes added when discussing the schedule: "As everyone knows, we've played a record number of games this season. This may also be a first for Crystal Palace. So far, we've had a good run in all cup competitions, and the FA Cup is still ahead."  

The player came on as a substitute in the 75th minute, replacing the injured Chris Richards. Speaking about the performance of the rest of the Crystal Palace team, he said: "The game was very tough. People often think you come on full energy, but in a high-intensity game, it's not easy to recover. You have to quickly adapt to the pace of the game and get into the game. It's difficult, but that's exactly what we're here for."  

"Our goal on the field was to influence the course of the game as much as possible. I think many people didn't expect me to take a penalty in the shootout. I've converted all four penalties I've taken in my career so far. While I wouldn't say I was the first choice, I'm always full of confidence in a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, both teams took very high-quality penalties, and it's these high-level penalties that decide the outcome of the match."