Just seven days before Christmas, Arsenal were saved by Jesus.
Gabriel Jesus, of course; the Gunners striker plundered a second half hat-trick to book his side a place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals after falling behind to gutsy Crystal Palace.
By the end, Mikel Arteta sent for the cavalry to ensure his team got over the line and like every good nativity, his wise men delivered to ensure Arsenal put themselves within touching distance of Wembley on a heart-stopping night.
And Jesus, as he should be at this time of year, was the centre of attention on an evening of twists and turns as the striker put a miserable season behind him to emerge as Arsenal’s hero.
But this was far from vintage Arsenal. But they got the job done – in cup competitions that is all that really matters.
For the hosts, the first half was one to forget – particularly for defender Jakub Kiwior.
Gabriel Jesus scored a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 3-2 on Wednesday night
Jesus hadn’t scored at the Emirates in 2024 until his remarkable burst of goals in 27 minutes
Jean Philippe-Mateta put Palace ahead after just four minutes as he seized on a defensive error
The mistake, when it arrived in the third minute, was inexplicable – the Gunners defender making an embarrassing mockery of his effort to head clear Dean Henderson’s long punt up field to allow Jean-Philippe Mateta to hone in on David Raya before slotting beyond the Spaniard.
The natives were furious with their Polish centre-back. You’d imagine Arteta’s mood wasn’t much chirpier.
Leandro Trossard saw an inswinging corner kick cleared off the line by Jefferson Lerma before shooting over the crossbar following slack play from Tyrick Mitchell as Arsenal tried to muster a response.
But in truth they conjured very little. And without Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice’s delivery from wide set-plays, Arsenal’s renowned potency from dead ball situations was rather less impressive.
Indeed, the fact Dean Henderson’s first save of the night was in response to Raheem Sterling’s curling free kick exemplified Arsenal’s lack of fluency.
Plenty of crosses, little else. Even those deliveries into the box were meat and drink to Palace’s back-three of Nathaniel Chalobah, Maxence Lacroix and Marc Guehi.
The sight of Saka, William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli being sent out to warm up before the 30th minute was a clear and pointed indication towards Arteta’s frustrations.
‘Dear, oh dear,’ cried one Arsenal supporter with an unmistakable hint of irritation in his voice as the game approached half-time.
Jakub Kiwior failed to deal with a long ball, before he was outmuscled by the French forward
It was Mateta’s seventh goal of the season and left the home fans at the Emirates shocked
The Gunners came firing out the blocks after the break and Gabriel Jesus equalised
Others voiced their displeasure, too, with rather more industrial language.
You’d imagine there’d have been a few choices words in the Arsenal dressing room at half-time.
Oliver Glasner, in contrast, would have been buoyed by his team’s opening 45 minutes here.
Will Hughes and Jefferson Lerma continued to expertly hold the fort in central midfield while Adam Wharton recovers from groin surgery; Mateta’s physicality, as you’d expect, caused Arsenal’s defence issues.
Arteta’s assessment of Arsenal’s first half became abundantly clearer as captain Martin Odegaard and Saliba were introduced in place of Ethan Nwaneri and Thomas Partey, respectively, at half-time.
The changes certainly had the desired impact. Sterling, in the 51st minute, missed a golden opportunity at the back post with just Henderson to beat after Kieran Tierney, making his first competitive Arsenal appearance since May 2023, put the ball on a plate for his colleague before Trossard and Mikel Merino squandered opportunities during the same passage of play.
Three minutes later, Arsenal levelled; Jesus cooly finishing past Henderson – though he was helped by some weak Palace defending.
Where was this Arsenal in the first-half? Passivity and lethargy had suddenly been replaced by verve and intent.
Jesus needed this goal. What followed proof of that assertion.
The Brazilian’s finish was extremely deft as he netted just his second goal of the season
Jesus added two more goals with calm and composed strikes to send Arsenal through
Former Gunners star Eddie Nketiah netted a late consolation strike with an impressive header
A footballer who has been a staple of Arsenal’s resurgence under Arteta has looked a shadow of himself this season.
This was only his second of the campaign, his other strike of the season came against Preston in October.
Indeed the effort seem to galvanise the Brazilian, his close range effort brilliantly blocked by Lacroix to deny Arsenal a second.
By this point Glasner had thrown on Eddie Nketiah, given a warm welcome on his first return to the Emirates in the summer, in place of Mateta in hope of finding a second wind.
Tierney’s comeback game finished prematurely after he limped off to be replaced by Myles Lewis-Skelly, while Arteta threw on Saka for good measure, much to the Emirates’ clear approval.
And, inevitably, Saka was instrumental in Arsenal completing their comeback.
The England international’s wonderfully weighted pass cracked Palace’s offside trap leaving Jesus with the task of firing past Henderson for his second of the night.
Replays showed that there was a hint of offside about Jesus’ run. Indeed, the goal would certainly – at the very least – have been referred to VAR in the Premier League.
But this is the Carabao Cup and there is no VAR. Not that Arteta cared a jot about that. Nor did Jesus, who completed his hat-trick with an emphatic finish from Odegaard’s pass.
Nketiah’s brilliant header in the 85th minute against his former club set up an anxious finish for the home side but Arsenal held on to move within sight of silverware.
