Defiant Eagles finally dispatched by Gunners after heart-stopping penalty shootout and a dramatic endgame

The Rest is Merch : Picture by @YTJourno

Carabao Cup Quarter-Final

Arsenal (0) 1 Lacroix og 80

Crystal Palace (0) 1 Guehi 90+5

(Arsenal won 8-7 on pens)

It wasn't as goal-laden is the cup tie between the two sides in the same competition a year ago but the denouement to make it arguably even more memorable.

It needed an own goal from Maxence Lacroix and a 'miss' from the luckless Eagles defender to settle it after an endless shoot out of 15 perfect kicks in a sequence that looked like it might go on all night.

Finally, it was the Eagles who cracked as Lacroix saw his kick saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga diving to his right - a man who is no stranger to shoot outs in this competition, having lost one in Chelsea colours in a final.

It was a sweet moment for David Raya's understudy who was denied a clean sheet when Palace refused to bow down and managed to level it in the fifth minute of injury time to force the shoot out.

It means a two-leg semi-final against Chelsea awaits in the new year for Arsenal with a potential final against Man City or holders Newcastle.

The stage seemed set for Gabriel Jesus to steal the headlines rather than Kepa. It was the Brazilian's 100th appearance for the Gunners and first start of the season on the anniversary of his hat-trick that slayed the same opponents in the same venue at the same stage of the same competition a year ago.

He came close to breaking a first-half deadlock with a downward header from Gabi Martinelli's cross but keeper Walter Benitez got down low to his left to keep it out and it was a hint of how the goalkeepers would become the real heroes of the night.

The home side pressure kept building, with Martinelli giving Jaydee Canvot a torrid time down Palace's right flank. Eberechi Eze, who scored the winner against his former side when the teams met in the league here a couple of months ago, was heavily involved in most build-ups.

The corners and long throws increased in number and the Palace defence got deeper. Benitez needed to be firm when Noni Madueke sent a piledriver in his direction.

The Eagles concentrated on their defensive shape and trusted they would eventually find inspiration in a breakaway. The one moment they did look menacing was when Jean-Philippe Mateta played Tyrick Mitchell into the inside-left channel in oceans of space. But the wing back's finish was hopelessly high and wide.

Having been so passive before the break, it was time for the Eagles to raise themselves and they finally got into the game and up the park. Adam Wharton angled a shot just wide and the side looked to have more ballast with Nathaniel Clyne brought on along with Justin Devenny in place of Canvot and Eddie Nketiah.

Mikel Arteta responded to Oliver Glasner's changes by sending on Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard - the latter soon flighting up a good ball that Jesus headed narrowly wide.

For all the signs of improvement, the evening turned sour for Palace when Chris Richards had to be stretchered off after receiving a nasty cut to his foot, with Jefferson Lerma forced into defensive duty.

Benitez was continuing to have an inspired night and saved superbly from Jesus after a rapid breakaway but from the resulting Saka corner, Lacroix put through his own net after a goalmouth scramble - the ball dropping slowly and agonisingly between two defenders on the line.

Was that it? Not on your life. The Eagles refused to fold and when Wharton floated a deep free-kick to the far post five minutes into injury time, Lerma rose highest to nod down for Marc Guehi to sweep in from close range.

The stage was set for the final chapter of excitement in front of Arsenal fans at the North Bank. They will have had a mixture of relief and joy at seeing their side prevail.

For Palace, a repeat of their Wembley penalties win over Liverpool in the Community Shield proved tantalisingly just beyond them.

Gunners: (4-3-3-) Kepa - Timber, Saliba, Calafiori, Lews-Skeyy - Eze (Odegaard 69), Norgaard, Merino - Madueke (Saka 69), Gabriel Jesus (Rice 86), Martinelli (Trossard 59)

Eagles: (3-4-2-1) Benitez - Canvot (Clyne h/t), Lacroix, Guehi - Richards (Hughes 75), Lerma, Wharton, Mitchell (Sosa 100) - Nketiah (Devenny h/t), Pino (Uche 86) - Mateta