Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace [1–1 (8-7)] – EFL Cup Quarter-Final 2025/2026 – Tactical Analysis

Arsenal faced Crystal Palace in the EFL Cup quarter-final, and the Gunners qualified for the semi-finals by winning the penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw in regular time.

Arsenal looked more dangerous in front of goal throughout the match but were not clinical enough, which prevented them from winning in regular time.

On the other hand, Crystal Palace had few attacking options in this match and were unable to exploit the counterattacking opportunities they created as effectively as they should, which made their mission even more complicated.

Arsenal continue to confirm their excellent season on the results front, topping the league standings while also advancing in other competitions, such as the EFL Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

And for Crystal Palace, getting eliminated by Arsenal was not really a surprise, given that this loss will give them more time to prepare for their crucial Premier League matches, as they will have a less busy schedule.

In this tactical analysis, the aim is to explore why both teams failed to convert their attacking transitions into goals despite creating many counterattacking situations during this match.

The analysis will also look at Gabriel Martinelli’s crucial impact on Arsenal’s attacking performance and how he needs to be further exploited in this regard.

Arsenal Vs Crystal Palace Lineups & Formations

Mikel Arteta preferred to start the match in a 4-3-3 formation, with Kepa Arrizabalaga as goalkeeper, and a defensive line of Riccardo Calafiori and William Saliba as centre-backs, Myles Lewis-Skelly as left-back, and Jurriën Timber as right-back.

The midfield was composed of Christian Nørgaard as a defensive midfielder, and both Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze as central midfielders.

In attack, he relied on Noni Madueke and Martinelli as wingers, with Gabriel Jesus as the main striker.

On the other hand, Oliver Glasner opted for a 5-3-2 formation, with Walter Benítez in goal and a defensive line comprising Chris Richards (right centre-back), Maxence Lacroix (central centre-back), and skipper Marc Guéhi (left centre-back).

Jaydee Canvot (right) and Tyrick Mitchell (left) played as wing-backs, while the midfield was made up of Adam Wharton, Yéremy Pino, and Jefferson Lerma.

Upfront, Crystal Palace relied on both Edward Nketiah and Jean-Philippe Mateta as the attacking duo.

Arsenal & Crystal Palace Failure In Counterattacking Conversion Into Goals

Arsenal started the match with greater ambition and a desire to score, whereas Crystal Palace resisted the Gunners continuous attacking threats thanks to their compact defending and counterattacking.

However, Crystal Palace were not clinical enough in converting their few counterattacking actions into goals.

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