Arsenal player ratings vs Crystal Palace as six players earn 8/10 in shootout win
Daily mirror December 24, 2025 08:39 AM

Arsenal scraped through to their third Carabao semi-final in five seasons, after beatingCrystal Palace after an epic penalty shootout. The Gunners dominated the opening 45 minutes at the Emirates, with the visitors thankful to goalkeeper Walter Benitez for keeping them in the tie.

But Palace's resistance was finally broken in the 80th minute when Maxence Lacroix inadvertently turned into his own net following a wicked Bukayo Saka story. However, an injury-time equaliser from Marc Guehi forced the game into penalties after Jefferson Lerma's header set up Guehi for a tap-in.

There were then 15 perfect penalties, before Kepa emerged as the hero in the penalty shoot-out, securing Arsenal's progression to the semi-finals.

Here's how our sister title Football London, rated the Arsenal players.

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Arsenal player ratings

Kepa Arrizabalaga 8 – Had very little to do in the first half. The same was true in the second half until the 95th minute when Marc Guehi tapped in from close range. It took eight attempts but Kepa eventually saved Lacroix's penalty to send the Gunners through.

Jurrien Timber 7 – Caught out a couple of times on the ball in his own half in the first period. Had a few big chances at the other end which he couldn't capitalise on.

William Saliba 8 – Made an excellent challenge on Mateta when he absolutely needed to. He also made a crucial tackle on the same player in the second half, preventing the French striker from taking a shot in the box.

Riccardo Calafiori 8 – He had an opportunity from a corner but sent his shot over the bar with the outside of his boot. His adventurous runs through the centre of the pitch disrupted play effectively. He initiated the chaos in the box with his header from Saka's corner, which eventually resulted in Lacroix scoring an own goal.

Myles Lewis-Skelly 7 – He made a solid tackle on Mateta in the first half, stopping a clear run at goal. His passing frustrated Arteta, who didn't hide his feelings on the touchline, but the young player drove the team forward impressively at times.

Christian Norgaard 8 – He stood out in the middle and took on the role of long throw taker. He demonstrated good game reading skills, breaking up play effectively, leading to questions about why he hasn't been trusted more often.

Mikel Merino 7 – He delivered a beautiful pass through the Palace midfield to find Eberechi Eze in the box. Arsenal may have missed the energy they usually get from Declan Rice, but the Spaniard helped maintain their progressive movement.

Eberechi Eze 6 – Had a quiet first half but missed a golden opportunity to score in the second when he failed to capitalise on a Madueke cross.

Noni Madueke 8 – Had an early chance after winning the ball high up the pitch and was found again by Martinelli, but his shot lacked power. Despite failing to beat Benitez at close range, he continued to find himself in scoring positions.

Gabriel Jesus 8 – Was unfortunate not to score with a strong header that forced Benitez into a low save. His link-up play was excellent, helping the wide players get involved, and his performance improved further when Odegaard came on.

Gabriel Martinelli 8 – Provided a superb pass to Madueke, which should have resulted in a goal. He had some great duels with Canvot and delivered dangerous crosses. However, a knee collision saw his performance dip in the second half, leading to his substitution for Trossard.

Substitutes:.

Leandro Trossard 6 – Came on for Gabriel Martinelli in the second half and caused problems down the left with his quality crosses. Scored in shootout.

Martin Odegaard 7 – Made an immediate impact with a fantastic cross that Jesus narrowly headed wide. Arsenal are clearly a stronger side with their captain on the pitch. Scored in shootout.

Bukayo Saka 7 – The substitute's corner kick led to Lacroix's own goal, thanks to a fantastic curling cross that Calafiori headed, causing chaos. Scored in shootout.

Declan Rice 6 – Came on late in the game to replace Gabriel Jesus. Had a last-minute opportunity thwarted by Benitez. Scored in shootout.

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