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2025-12-23 - Arsenal vs Crystal Palace

A Sports Betting Pick by Auls

Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Football: English League Cup Quarter Final
Tuesday 23rd December 2025 - Kick Off 8m
This game is live on TV

Arsenal

The final scoreline may have suggested that Arsenal had to battle for a victory, but Mikel Arteta will feel his team missed some big chances to really put Everton out of sight. It was a story of two 'penalty shouts' at Hill Dickinson Stadium and Arsenal were rightly awarded one, but perhaps fortunate to not give away another which may have seen them drop points in a fixture they dominated.

They will sit on top of the Premier League table on Christmas Day, but Arsenal still one more fixture to conclude in the League Cup Quarter Final. The Gunners were beaten in the Semi Final last season and will know that the winner of this tie will face Chelsea in the final four, but the manager and a deeper squad are looking to maintain interest in four competitions.

Arsenal have won 3 in a row in all competitions since the 2-1 loss at Villa Park and they have only conceded a single goal in that time, despite injuries at the back. A late goal was needed to beat relegation threatened Wolves, but Arsenal have won 9 in a row at the Emirates Stadium in all competitions.

Mikel Arteta will rotate some of his starters- he has already hinted that Gabriel Jesus will start up front, while the likes of Miles Lewis-Skelly, Noni Madueke, Eberechi Eze, Christian Norgaard and Mikel Merino can come in to freshen things up.

Crystal Palace

Oliver Glasner has once again voiced his anger at the fixture pile up that has affected his Crystal Palace squad more than others. Being involved in the Conference League means this League Cup Quarter Final had to find a new spot in the calendar, but has also meant Crystal Palace have been forced to play on Thursday-Saturday-Tuesday.

Despite the changes made, the Crystal Palace performance at Leeds United frustrated the manager and he does feel that his club have been let down for being successful in all competitions entered. Oliver Glasner has even suggested the EFL have had little 'respect' for the Conference League, but he is also trying to keep his Crystal Palace team focused as they look to reach yet another domestic Cup Semi Final.

Crystal Palace have not won any of the last 3 games in all competitions and they have lost twice in that time, while the team have conceded at least two goals in each of those fixtures. The Eagles had won 3 away games in a row in all competitions, but that run was ended in the thumping 4-1 loss at Leeds United.

Ismaila Sarr and Daniel Munoz are two big misses for Crystal Palace. Some changes may be made to freshen things up, but the squad is stretched.

Head to Head

Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 1-0 here in the Premier League in October.

They met three times last season and Arsenal won twice, although the Premier League game here ended 2-2.

Earlier in the 2024/25 campaign, Arsenal came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 3-2 here in the League Cup Quarter Final.

Prediction

Both of these teams have enjoyed plenty of successes over the last twelve months since last meeting in the League Cup Quarter Final.

However, it is Crystal Palace who have won a big trophy and that may give them some belief.

In saying that, Oliver Glasner is incredibly upset with the way the schedule has panned out for his Crystal Palace team in the festive period. The manager feels the success of the club should be celebrated, but instead the disappointment of not being able to have proper preparation time between games has been on the mind.

Perhaps making it more troubling for Glasner is the feeling that the club did not back him in the summer transfer window as much as he would have hoped. Adding to the squad depth may have made things more manageable, while being without both Daniel Munoz and Ismaila Sarr is a blow.

A strong Crystal Palace team will be selected, but they will have a tough time beating an Arsenal team that will showcase the depth. Defensively Arsenal have remained solid, even through an injury crisis, while the attacking depth makes them very dangerous and capable of winning the biggest prizes.

Mikel Arteta took the League Cup seriously enough last season to reach the Semi Final before being beaten by eventual Winners Newcastle United.

The same approach has to be expected and Arsenal may have enough firepower to get the better of what has looked like a jaded Crystal Palace squad in the last couple of weeks.