Arsenal defeated Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties in the 2025/26 EFL Cup quarter-finals to advance to the semi-finals. Mikel Arteta stated after the match that his team created numerous chances and their performance on penalties was highly convincing.

Saka took a corner kick in the 80th minute of the second half, and Lacroix inadvertently kicked the ball into his own net while clearing it, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead.

In the second half stoppage time, Crystal Palace took a free kick, Jefferson Lerma headed the ball towards goal, and then Gueye kicked the ball into the goal, helping Crystal Palace equalize the score at 1-1.

With neither side able to secure a victory in regulation time, the match went to a tough penalty shootout. During the shootout, Ødegaard, Rice, Saka, Trossard, Merino, Carafiori, Timber, and Saliba all scored their penalties, while goalkeeper Kepa saved Lacroix's.

Arsenal ultimately defeated Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties, securing their place in the League Cup semi-finals.

After the match, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said, "I am very happy to win the game, which is exactly the result we wanted. We were playing against a well-organized team, and it was very difficult to penetrate them and create chances, but I think we created a lot of chances and had many scoring opportunities today."

"In my opinion, the score difference should have been larger. But our defense in the penalty area was not good enough, and we should not have allowed the opponent to have consecutive attacking opportunities before conceding the goal. What makes me very happy is that, although it is difficult to accept that the score has been tied emotionally, we remained very calm in the penalty shootout and our penalty performance was very convincing."

Arteta continued, "The penalty performance was incredible. Every penalty was different, but the players once again showed great composure, attitude, and quality. In the end, Kepa also fulfilled his duty and helped us advance smoothly."

In addition, Arteta said, "We made eight changes to the lineup, and it's rare to see such a cohesive performance under these circumstances, and I'm very proud of everything I've seen. At the same time, some players also delivered outstanding individual performances. So, it's a happy day."