Gabriel Jesus bags hat-trick as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace in thriller
Crystal Palace took the early lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta and deserved to lead at the break against a Gunners side with eight changes
Gabriel Jesus netted a second-half hat-trick to fire Arsenal into the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
Crystal Palace took the early lead through Jean-Philippe Mateta and deserved to lead at the break against a Gunners side with eight changes.
But the introduction of Martin Odegaard and then Bukayo Saka off the bench changed the game.
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And the Brazilian striker, who had scored only one goal this season in this competition, showed the lethal finishing missing from Arsenal recently with three clinical finishes for his first Arsenal hat-trick.
He has not scored in the Premier League since January but on this form he is the striker the Gunners need in the second half of the season.
And not even a late header from former Gunners favourite Eddie Nketiah could stop Mikel Arteta celebrating his fifth anniversary of taking over at the Emirates Stadium by reaching the last four.
It was only a second defeat in 10 games for Palace before the two London sides will meet again in the Premier League at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Arsenal had not conceded in rheir last four home games but that run ended in the fourth minute during a sluggish start. Jakub Kiwior missed Dean Henderson’s long punt and then could not stop Mateta bullocking into the box before sliding home a left-foot shot.
And led by the Olympic silver medallist, the Palace front three offered more of a threat than the tame Arsenal attack during the first period.
Arsenal still went closest in the first half from a deadball delivery when Dewan Henderson tipped over a Raheem Sterling from just outside the box.
Arteta sent on Odegaard and William Saliba at half-time and the tempo of the tie - and the atmosphere in the Emirates - immediately changed.
A cross from Kieran Tierney, making his first Arsenal appearance since the 2023 Community Shield, saw the unmarked Sterling’s first scuffed shot saved by Henderson before he scooped the rebound against the bar.
But the equaliser came after 54 minutes - and from open play. A slick pass from Odegaard found Jesus and the former Manchester City forward skipped around Trevor Chalobah before chipping Henderson for only his second goal of the season.
The Palace keeper made another block from the Brazilian just before Glaser sent on former Arsenal favourite Eddie Nketiah and Daichi Kamada to give his side needed energy.
But it was another Arsenal sub who provided the pass for the winner which stood with no VAR in the Carabao Cup. Saka came on after 69 minutes and four minutes later his neat pass released Jesus, who looked just offside, to lash home his second.
There was no doubt about his third as he ran onto another Odegaard ball from his own half. Nketiah headed home a cross from fellow sub Nathaniel Clyne after 85 minutes for only his second goal for Palace.
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