Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

Emirates Stadium sets the stage for an all-London League Cup quarter-final tie between Arsenal and Crystal Palace.

Well-positioned to secure their first League Cup semi-final appearance since 2020/21, Arsenal head into proceedings having crashed lower-league Bolton Wanderers and Preston North End out of the competition, with each win coming by a 3+ goals margin. Mikel Arteta’s charges boast an eight-game unbeaten streak ahead of the midweek kick-off (W5, D3), though back-to-back Premier League draws derailed their chances of closing the gap on table-topping Liverpool. Arsenal must quickly bounce back from a heart-wrenching 0-0 home draw against Everton last weekend to maintain their dream of winning their first League Cup title since 1992/93. Emirates forms the perfect backdrop for the Gunners’ lofty ambitions, considering they’re on a 15-game unbeaten home run (W12, D3). Moreover, they’ve won two of their last three London derbies here via an identical 5-0 scoreline (W3).

On the other hand, Crystal Palace’s League Cup adventure commenced with a 4-0 demolition of second-tier Norwich City before back-to-back wins against Aston Villa and QPR propelled them to the quarter-finals for the first time since qualifying for the semi-finals in 2011/12. Despite facing long odds following a thumping 5-0 loss at this venue in January 2024, Oliver Glasner’s side can draw heart from beating Brighton 3-1 in the follow-up of a 2-2 home draw against a beleaguered Manchester City. Now unbeaten in five domestic fixtures (W2, D3) and four points clear of the Premier League bottom three, Palace make this crosstown journey seeking their first win in 14 away London derbies against top-flight oppositions (D6, L7).