This competition may not be Mikel Arteta or Oliver Glasner’s top priority this season but that didn’t stop their sides from producing a spectacle full of blood and thunder. It was one-way traffic for Arsenal in the first half but they found Crystal Palace’s second-string goalkeeper Walter Benítez in an inspired mood as he kept his side in the contest with some fine saves.
An own goal from Maxence Lacroix looked to have booked a semi-final against Chelsea after Chris Richards had been carried off for Palace with a nasty gash to his ankle. But Marc Guéhi had other ideas and his goal in the fifth minute of injury-time took this rematch of last year’s quarter-final to penalties. The first 15 were all successful before the unfortunate Lacroix saw his spot-kick saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga to send Arsenal through in dramatic style.
Continue reading…This competition may not be Mikel Arteta or Oliver Glasner’s top priority this season but that didn’t stop their sides from producing a spectacle full of blood and thunder. It was one-way traffic for Arsenal in the first half but they found Crystal Palace’s second-string goalkeeper Walter Benítez in an inspired mood as he kept his side in the contest with some fine saves.An own goal from Maxence Lacroix looked to have booked a semi-final against Chelsea after Chris Richards had been carried off for Palace with a nasty gash to his ankle. But Marc Guéhi had other ideas and his goal in the fifth minute of injury-time took this rematch of last year’s quarter-final to penalties. The first 15 were all successful before the unfortunate Lacroix saw his spot-kick saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga to send Arsenal through in dramatic style. Continue reading…