Burkina Faso
Indonesia
Lithuania
Montenegro
North Macedonia
United Arab Emirates

Arsenal3 - 2Crystal Palace

sportsmole.co.uk, 18 December 2024, 21:36
Arsenal booked their spot in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup courtesy of a 3-2 success over fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night.

Palace made the breakthrough in the fourth minute of the contest through Jean-Philippe Mateta, with the striker proving to be too strong for Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior before finishing into the back of the net to silence the home supporters.

Gabriel Jesus levelled the scores early in the second period courtesy of a brilliant finish over Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson, before the Brazilian scored twice more to complete his hat trick at the Emirates Stadium.

Palace gave Arsenal a late scare when Eddie Nketiah scored against his former club to make it 3-2 in the 85th minute, but Mikel Arteta's side closed out the final stages to book their spot in the semi-finals of the competition.

The Gunners have not won the EFL Cup since the 1992-93 campaign, but they are now present in the final four and will be eyeing domestic silverware in the middle of March.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Well then, it was not quite the performance that Arsenal fans would have had in mind, but it was a much-changed outfit, with head coach Arteta understandably altering his usual XI.

Palace were bright early on and took the lead through Mateta, but the Arsenal response was strong, and it proved to be a very important night for Jesus, with the Brazilian answering some critics with an excellent treble.

The 27-year-old is yet to score in 13 Premier League appearances this season, while he had just one goal to his name this term ahead of his outing against Palace on Wednesday night.

Arsenal will still believe that they are more than in the Premier League title race, but a lack of trophies is a criticism which has been aimed at Arteta, so this is an important competition for the Gunners.

In truth, it was just about the perfect night for Arsenal when all was said and done, with a number of squad players being given valuable minutes, while a misfiring forward has surely boosted his confidence ahead of the festive period.

For Palace, positives can also be taken, and they did threaten to score a third in the final exchanges, but their priority for this season is also the Premier League.

ARSENAL VS. CRYSTAL PALACE HIGHLIGHTS

Jean-Philippe Mateta goal vs. Arsenal (4th min, Arsenal 0-1 Palace)

Palace make the breakthrough in the fourth minute of the contest, as Mateta muscles Kiwior off the ball before finishing into the back of the net; not sure about the defending from the Poland international, but it was brilliant work from the Palace forward.

Gabriel Jesus goal vs. Crystal Palace (54th min, Arsenal 1-1 Palace)

Arsenal level the scores in the 54th minute of the contest through Jesus, with the Brazilian breaking into the Palace penalty box before expertly lifting the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper - wonderful work from the South American there.

Gabriel Jesus goal vs. Crystal Palace (73rd min, Arsenal 2-1 Palace)

The turnaround is complete! Arsenal have their second of the match, with Jesus at the double, as the Brazilian fires into the bottom corner of the net after being released by Bukayo Saka, who has only just entered the field.

Gabriel Jesus goal vs. Crystal Palace (81st min, Arsenal 3-1 Palace)

Hat-trick hero! Jesus has his third of the match and surely secures progression for Arsenal, with the forward producing another excellent finish after a quick counter-attack ended with Martin Odegaard finding his teammate.

Eddie Nketiah goal vs. Arsenal (85th min, Arsenal 3-2 Palace)

Late drama! Palace have their second of the match through former Arsenal forward Nketiah, who heads a cross from Nathaniel Clyne into the back of the net. Can the Eagles score a third late on?

MAN OF THE MATCH - GABRIEL JESUS

As mentioned, Jesus was in need of a boost due to a poor season to date, and this was the perfect night for him, as he demonstrated that he can be a valuable player for Arteta during a busy festive period.

The Brazilian's three goals were all excellent, but his overall performance was also tremendous, with the Brazilian completing two dribbles and boasting a pass success rate of 91%, while he had five shots in total.

ARSENAL VS. CRYSTAL PALACE MATCH STATS

Possession: Arsenal 72%-28% Crystal Palace

Shots: Arsenal 13-9 Crystal Palace

Shots on target: Arsenal 10-4 Crystal Palace

Corners: Arsenal 4-2 Crystal Palace

Fouls: Arsenal 7-14 Crystal Palace

BEST STAT

WHAT NEXT?

These two teams will now lock horns for a Premier League contest at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening; Arsenal are currently third in the Premier League table, six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.

Palace, meanwhile, will bring a four-game unbeaten run in the league into Saturday's contest, and the Eagles are currently 15th in the division, four points clear of the relegation zone.

Written by

Matt Law

Show more

Top News

16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aiming to keep their hopes of a European finish alive, Fulham travel to the Gtech Community Stadium to face Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. 16 May 2025 talksport.com Crystal Palace may never have won the FA Cup, but the 1990 final is best remembered for Ian Wright's heroics. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fulham are expected to make a couple of changes to their attacking line for the trip to Brentford on Sunday afternoon. 16 May 2025 talksport.com Hansi Flick seemed to hush the Barcelona celebrations after they won the LaLiga title away at rivals Espanyol. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fighting to earn a spot in the Conference League next season, Brentford and Fulham clash at the Gtech Community Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona are reportedly among five clubs interested in signing Manchester United forward Alejandro Garnacho during this summer's transfer window, with the Red Devils facing a difficult decision when it comes to the 20-year-old. 16 May 2025 talksport.com Nostalgia makes us yearn for the days of football when everything felt better. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Still clinging on to a precious top-four place, Juventus play their final home game of the Serie A season when they welcome Udinese to Turin on Sunday. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United are reportedly in discussions with Italian clubs over the possibility of selling both Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee during this summer's transfer window. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Real Sociedad attacker Takefuso Kubo is reportedly preparing to switch clubs during this summer's transfer window, with a number of Premier League clubs believed to be interested in his services. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk All transfer business is done and dusted for this season, but that doesn't stop clubs from preparing ahead for next season. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Liverpool hit the road one more time in 2024-25 on Monday night, as Arne Slot's Premier League champions clash with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium. 16 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa vs. Spurs (Friday, 7.30pm) A Premier League win for Aston Villa against visitors Tottenham Hotspur at Villa park on Friday could put them in a strong position from which to qualify for the Champions League. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk With the title race going down to the wire, Benfica make the trip to Braga, aiming for maximum points in the final matchday of the season and hoping that will be enough to snatch the Primeira Liga crown from their city rivals. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk On the final matchday of the 2024-25 Primeira Liga season, out-of-form Famalicao will welcome Casa Pia to Estadio Municipal 22 de Junho on Saturday. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Knowing that victory will definitely see them crowned Primeira Liga champions for a second consecutive season, Sporting Lisbon welcome Europe-chasing Vitoria de Guimaraes for their final game of the campaign. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund could claim a Champions League spot in their final Bundesliga game of the season if they beat relegated visitors Holstein Kiel on Saturday at Signal Iduna Park. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Marseille are the latest team to express an interest in signing Arsenal centre-back Jakub Kiwior, according to a report. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will hope to celebrate the final game of the season with a victory against hosts Hoffenheim on Saturday at PreZero Arena. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Shocking footage has emerged of a car driving through a crowd of supporters ahead of Espanyol and Barcelona's La Liga clash on Thursday evening. 15 May 2025 talksport.com Everyone agrees that it's time for Liverpool to flash the cash, but what could that look like? 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Separated by two places in the Bundesliga table, struggling duo Borussia Monchengladbach and Wolfsburg clash in gameweek 34 at Borussia-Park. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Defeated Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will hope to derail hosts' Mainz 05's chances of qualifying for European football when they play them at Mewa Arena on Saturday in their final game of the season. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk The first Canadian Classique matchup of the 2025 MLS campaign takes place on Saturday as CF Montreal seek their first victory at Saputo Stadium this year when they host Toronto. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Chelsea attacker Raheem Sterling could supposedly be offered a surprise escape route by ex-Blues boss Jose Mourinho and his Fenerbahce side this summer. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk RB Leipzig will miss out on European football if they lose against visitors Stuttgart on Saturday at Red Bull Arena in their final Bundesliga game of the season. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Barcelona have secured the 2024-25 La Liga title with two games to spare courtesy of their 2-0 victory over Espanyol in the Catalan derby on Thursday night. 15 May 2025 talksport.com A car was filmed running over a crowd of people in terrifying scenes before the LaLiga clash between Espanyol and Barcelona. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal have been warned off handing a new four-year contract to Belgian attacker Leandro Trossard, but a renewal on shorter terms must not be discounted. 15 May 2025 sportsmole.co.uk Looking to move one step closer to a spot in the Champions League, Chelsea host Manchester United at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League on Friday night.
Tomorrow at 19:00
L1
Lens Lens
-
sch
Monaco Monaco
Tomorrow at 19:00
L1
Lyon Lyon
-
sch
Angers Angers
Sun 18 May, 12:30
ERD
Ajax Ajax
-
sch
Twente Twente