Arsenal will face Chelsea in the EFL cup semi-final after beating Crystal Palace 8-7 on penalties.

Arsenal secured a spot in the EFL cup semi-finals after a gruelling game against Crystal Palace which ended in penalties.

The Gunners were unable to break down the Eagles in the first half despite having most of the possession and having 9 shots in total.

Arsenal dominated the first half and Palace were happy to soak pressure and allow Arsenal to have the ball. Arsenal tried to get a goal in the first half but Benitez proved impossible to beat.

In the second half, Palace took the game to Arsenal and they played like they had it all to lose, making Arsenal panic. However, the Gunners were the first to break the deadlock as Palace’s failure to clear the ball led to Lacroix own goal.

Arsenal tried to hold onto the lead by maintaining possession and putting pressure on Palace after precise passing. But their efforts went down the drain as Guehi equalized for Palace deep into stoppage time.

With little time left, both teams had to settle for a draw, leading to penalties. The penalty shootout was an absolute masterclass as each penalty was well-taken. It seemed like the game would see keepers decide the game until Lacroix stepped up and saw his penalty saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Kepa’s penalty save guaranteed Arsenal a chance of winning the League Cup as they face Chelsea in the semi-finals.