In a thrilling encounter at the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal secured a spot in the English League Cup semifinals with a dramatic 3-2 comeback victory over Crystal Palace. Gabriel Jesus was the hero of the night, scoring a sensational second-half hat-trick under challenging wet and windy conditions in London.
The match began poorly for the Gunners, as the visiting Eagles took an early lead in the fourth minute. Jean-Philippe Mateta muscled past Yakub Kiwior to latch onto a long ball, calmly side-footing it past goalkeeper David Raya to put Crystal Palace ahead.
Despite the setback, Arsenal regrouped and dominated the second half. In the 54th minute, Martin Odegaard threaded a precise through ball into the box for Gabriel Jesus, who deftly chipped it over Crystal Palace’s goalkeeper Dean Henderson to equalize.
Arsenal continued to press, and their efforts paid off in the 73rd minute. Bukayo Saka slipped a pass to Jesus, who hammered the ball into the net, giving Arsenal the lead. The Brazilian forward completed his hat-trick just eight minutes later, racing onto another ball from Odegaard and firing past Henderson once more.
Crystal Palace attempted a late comeback, with former Arsenal striker Eddie Nketiah leaping high to head the ball past Raya, reducing the deficit. However, it was not enough to deny Arsenal the victory, as the match ended 3-2 in favor of the home side.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised Gabriel Jesus after the match, saying:
“I’m so pleased for him. Obviously, it’s been a long period for him without goals, and today to score the three goals, the three types of goals that he has scored as well, and many actions that he was involved in. He looked really sharp. I think it’s a great thing for him, it’s a great thing for the team as well, that we can rely on a player of such quality.”
With this victory, Arsenal advances to the semifinals of the English League Cup, keeping their hopes alive for silverware this season.
Reference(s):
Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 3-2 to reach English League Cup semis
cgtn.com
