Arsenal will face Crystal Palace tonight at 7:30 PM in the League Cup Quarter-finals, marking their first appearance at this stage in three years.
The last time they reached the quarter-finals was in the 2021/22 season, where they were eliminated by Liverpool, the eventual winners, in the semi-finals after a 0-2 aggregate defeat.
To reach the semis, Arsenal triumphed over Sunderland in the quarter-finals, with a dominant 5-1 victory in front of 60,000 spectators. Eddie Nketiah was the standout player, scoring a remarkable hat-trick.
Arsenal took the lead early through Nketiah, who capitalized on Rob Holding’s rebound from a corner. Nicolas Pepe doubled the lead soon after, but Sunderland responded with a goal from Nathan Broadhead, cutting the lead to 2-1.
Nketiah restored the two-goal advantage early in the second half and completed his hat-trick with a backheel off a pass from Pepe. In the dying moments, Charlie Patino marked his debut with a goal, sending Arsenal into the semi-finals.
Mikel Arteta expressed his joy after the match, saying, “It’s great, we’re in the semi-finals. We started well, but then lost focus a bit. However, we picked it up in the second half and won.”
Regarding Nketiah, Arteta praised his consistency and contribution, saying, “Eddie does this in training every day. He’s an important part of the squad, and we want him to stay.”
Tonight’s match will likely present a tougher challenge for Arteta’s side, but Arsenal will still be favorites to secure a semi-final spot once again.
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