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Arsenal secured their place in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup after a marathon 8-7 sudden-death penalty shoot-out victory over Crystal Palace.
Arsenal dominated the first half – with second-choice Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez delivering a string of fine saves – but the last-eight tie at the Emirates Stadium hung in the balance after the interval following an improved performance by the visitors.
The home side made the breakthrough when Palace were unable to clear Bukayo Saka’s corner before Maxence Lacroix put the ball through his own net with 10 minutes left.
However, Palace sensationally struck back in the fifth of nine added minutes after Marc Guehi swept home Jefferson Lerma’s brilliant header from Adam Wharton’s set-piece.
With both teams clinically scoring their first seven spot-kicks, William Saliba put his side one clear before Lacroix saw his effort saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Arsenal will now take on Chelsea for a place in the Wembley showpiece with the first of two legs to be played at Stamford Bridge on January 14 before the return fixture at the Emirates on February 3.
Noni Madueke, one of eight changes by Mikel Arteta, might have had four goals but for an inspired display from Benitez.
Inside three minutes, Madueke’s left-footed shot was tame, and straight down Benitez’s throat. Then midway through the opening period Madueke’s prod goalwards was diverted away from danger by Benitez.
Three minutes later Benitez pulled off a fine double save from Gabriel Jesus’ header – the Brazilian making his first start in 345 days – and Madueke’s follow-up.
And with five minutes of the opening period remaining, Benitez denied Madueke again with a fine reaction save after the Arsenal man’s strike flew through a host of Palace bodies.
It was all Arsenal – the hosts enjoying 80 per cent possession – but they were unable to find a breakthrough before the first half drew to a close.
Adam Wharton’s long-range effort fizzed just wide on the hour mark and with the visitors were in the ascendancy, and sniffing a shock, both Saka and Martin Odegaard were called into action by Arteta with Madueke and former Palace man Eberechi Eze, ineffective on the night, making way.
Involved immediately, Odegaard’s cross was met by Jesus but his header fell just wide before a six-minute delay followed as defender Chris Richards was removed on a stretcher with an injury to his right ankle. A chance fell to Jesus on the restart but he blazed over.
At the other end, a last-gasp sliding tackle from Saliba thwarted Jean-Philippe Mateta as he was set to pull the trigger, and then Kepa cleared off the line from the resulting corner with an outstretched right knee.
Arsenal raced down the other end with a free-flowing counter-attack only for Martinez to tip Jesus’ shot over. Riccardo Calafiori’s header from Saka’s ensuing corner was blocked, and so was Jurrien Timber’s effort, but a toe-poke from Lacroix ended up in the Palace net.
But there would be more drama to come when Guehi was able to divert Lerma’s header through Kepa’s legs in the 95th minute.
In the 12th minute of stoppage time, Benitez denied substitute Declan Rice to send the tie to a shootout, but it was Kepa who would prove to be the hero when he saved from Lacroix.
