Arsenal stumbled their way into the League Cup semi finals on Tuesday night, edging past Crystal Palace on penalties in a game that owed more to luck than dominance. A late own goal, a stoppage time equaliser and a shoot out decided by a single miss summed it up, sometimes you don’t need to be great, just fortunate.
Mikel Arteta’s side drew 1-1 with Palace at the Emirates before squeezing through 8-7 on spot kicks, with Kepa Arrizabalaga the unlikely hero. Maxence Lacroix endured a night to forget, turning the ball into his own net late on before seeing his penalty saved to end the contest. Arsenal were through, but it wasn’t exactly convincing.
For long spells, it felt like one of those nights Arsenal fans have seen too often over the years. Plenty of the ball, plenty of chances, and very little end product. Noni Madueke, Gabriel Jesus and Riccardo Calafiori all wasted decent openings, while Walter Benitez kept Palace alive with a string of routine but important saves. Arsenal has had better teams than this fail to win this competition.
The breakthrough, when it came, was scruffy. Bukayo Saka’s corner caused panic in the Palace box and Lacroix, under pressure from William Saliba, diverted it past his own goalkeeper. Relief around the Emirates was obvious. But Arsenal couldn’t even protect that slice of good fortune, conceding with Palace’s first shot on target deep into stoppage time as Marc Guehi poked home from a set piece.
The shoot out felt like a coin toss, and Arsenal finally landed on the right side of it. Both teams rattled in their penalties until Saliba scored Arsenal’s eighth and Kepa guessed right to save Lacroix’s effort. Redemption for the Spaniard, who has history with League Cup shoot outs, and a reminder that trophies often hinge on moments rather than merit.
And that’s the uncomfortable truth for Arsenal. This current squad, talented as it is, doesn’t come close to some of the great sides the club has had in the past teams packed with legends who never managed to win the League Cup at all. The Invincibles didn’t lift it. Arsène Wenger’s best sides fell short. Yet this group are now two games from Wembley, largely thanks to timing and luck.
If fortune is all Arsenal needs to finally get their hands on the League Cup again, then this could be their year. The draw opens up a little, confidence grows, and suddenly silverware looks possible without being spectacular. Chelsea await in the semi finals, with Manchester City and Newcastle on the other side of the draw.
Arteta will talk about character and resilience, but history shows that winning cups is often about riding your luck. Arsenal did exactly that here. They won’t care how it looks after years of watching better teams come up empty, maybe all they need is a bit of good fortune to finally get over the line.
