Kepa's Late-Season Shield: Arsenal Kick Off a Chelsea Showdown After a Nail-Biting League Cup Shootout

Arsenal edge past Palace on penalties to reach League Cup semi-finals

Arsenal goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga is set to face his former club Chelsea in the English League Cup quarterfinals after delivering a decisive performance in a dramatic shootout against Crystal Palace.

The Gunners progressed to the semi-finals on Tuesday after Kepa saved a penalty from Frenchman Maxence Lacroix in an 8-7 penalty shootout win following a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium.

Kepa, who spent seven years with Chelsea before moving north London in the summer window, could deny his former club a shot at a big final this season.

"If we want to win the trophy, and that is what we want, we have to fight against strong teams," Kepa said. "Both semi-final legs will be big and tough, but we will prepare well and fight to win."

Arsenal will meet Chelsea for a place in Wembley, with the first leg at Stamford Bridge on January 14 and the return at the Emirates on February 3.

Arsenal looked set to advance in regulation before Marc Guehi scored a stoppage-time equaliser, the third goal they have conceded in the 90th minute or later in their last five matches.

Kepa, who came on for the club's Spanish goalkeeper David Raya, said, "We conceded late goals in more than one match, and that is something we must fix." The 31-year-old added, "But we are in the next round and we are happy. We worked hard. We should have scored two in the first half because we played well; the second half was even."

He praised his teammates for their impressive penalties, noting they kept them in the tie and gave him a chance to make saves.

Arsenal's 1-1 draw gave them the win on penalties, and they now prepare for a Chelsea showdown in the semis.

Punchline 1: If defending late leads were an Olympic sport, Arsenal would finally win gold—after a dramatic pit stop at Wembley. Punchline 2: Kepa’s new nickname in London? K-Pen—because he keeps opening Wembley doors, one save at a time.