The Eagles head to the Emirates for a replay of a year ago when they narrowly lost out to the hosts and missing out on a place in the semi finals.
A luck would perversely have it, the draw for the quarter finals of the competition pits the two teams together once again at the same stage and at the same venue.
An early Jean-Philippe Mateta goal saw the visitors go in at the break in the lead but a second half hat-trick from Gabriel Jesus put the hosts in control even if an Eddie Nketiah goal late on provided some hope for visiting fans.
Palace head to the Emirates in an odd place having had a lot of criticism for their last two performances, particularly the heavy defeat at Leeds on Saturday evening.
However, this quarter final tie provides a fresh opportunity and time to move on from what has happened on the pitch this last week. This is knock out football and while the hosts are a daunting task, they may well be looking at playing a changed line up with as busy a fixture list as the Eagles have been experiencing.
The draw with KuPS and defeat at Leeds are hoped to be blips, and there is no better opportunity to wipe those two games from the memory by getting themselves into the semi finals.
Much has been said about the poor defending against Leeds from set pieces, and Arsenal are one of the best in the league at that part of the game. It will be a different game, but not only for that reason, and there is promise having only lost there by a single goal earlier in the season.
With this being the final game before Christmas and having had an awful lot of football (29 competitive games to be exact so far this season), this cup tie will have a lot to do with mentality. There will have been plenty of frustration in the Palace camp after the game on Thursday and the trip to Yorkshire less than 48 hours later and this is an opportunity to make up for that and take out some of those frustrations out on the pitch, in a constructive manner of course.
After the visit to the Emirates, the Eagles return to Selhurst to end the year with Premier League games against Spurs. Heading into January, the pressure of constant football eases off a little with only one midweek game to deal with (Villa at home on 7 January).
đź“… Match Details & Coverage
- Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Tuesday, 23 December 2025 at Emirates Stadium
- Television / Streaming (UK): Sky Sports Football, Sky Sports Main Event, ITV1, ITVX & Sky Go streaming available
- Radio: BBC Radio 5 Live
🔄 Form & Context
Arsenal
- Riding a three-game winning streak in all competitions, including a 1‑0 win at Everton which maintained their position at the top of the Premier League.
- Instrumental home record: unbeaten in their last 11 home matches, with nine straight victories at the Emirates.
Crystal Palace
- Suffered 4‑1 defeat to Leeds, and are without a win in their previous three outings (D1, L2), conceding nine goals across those fixtures.
- Despite progression in the Conference League, fatigue and fixture congestion are impacting performances.
⚔️ Head-to-Head Record
- Arsenal remain unbeaten against Palace in their last eight meetings (W7, D1), including a 3‑2 League Cup quarter-final win last season thanks to a Gabriel Jesus hat-trick.
- Premier League meeting this season saw Arsenal narrowly win 1‑0.
🧩 Team News & Possible Lineups
Arsenal
- Major absentees: Max Dowman (ankle), Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh), Kai Havertz (knee), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Ben White (hamstring); Gabriel nearing return but unlikely to feature.
- Rotation expected: Kepa to start; Myles Lewis‑Skelly at left-back; potential starts for Christian Nørgaard and Gabriel Jesus (fit-again and could earn first start since January).
- Probable XI: Kepa; Timber, Saliba, Calafiori, Lewis‑Skelly; Nørgaard, Merino, Eze; Madueke, Jesus, Martinelli.
Crystal Palace
- Side lines include Ismaila Sarr (AFCON), Daniel Muñoz (knee), Daichi Kamada (hamstring), Chadi Riad (knee), Cheick Doucouré (knee), Rio Cardines (adductor), Caleb Kporha (back); Jean‑Philippe Mateta also questionable.
- Expect rotation and youth inclusion due to congested schedule and depleted squad.
🔍 Key Factors
- Squad Depth: Arsenal’s rotation options remain far stronger, even amid injuries.
- Palace Fatigue: Heavy fixture load undermining performance — four games in nine days, and defensive vulnerabilities exposed.
- Motivation:
- Arsenal: Mikel Arteta is keen to add missing silverware.
- Palace: Riding confidence from last season’s FA Cup win; manager Oliver Glasner motivated to build momentum despite recent dip.
🧠Prediction & Betting Insights
- Arsenal are strong favourites —around 4/7 to win in 90 minutes and 29/20 for a win to nil.
- Forecasted 2‑0 score line, backed by recent trends and Arsenal’s dominance.
- Prop bets to consider:
- Arsenal with over 1.5 goals (10/11).
- Over 2.5 away yellow cards for Palace (~17/10), given their fatigue and potential disciplinary issues.
- Anytime scorer: Gabriel Jesus (~7/4); Ethan Nwaneri (~2/1) if given a chance.
🎯 Summary Outlook
Arsenal enter this clash in excellent form at home and with superior squad depth, aiming to secure a semi-final appearance. Palace, struggling with fatigue and injuries, face an uphill battle. Expect the Gunners to control the tie and progress.
