Saliba emphasizes Arsenal must learn from past EFL Cup semi-final failures
William Saliba highlighted the importance of Arsenal taking lessons from their loss in last season’s EFL Cup semi-finals following their advancement to the competition’s final four on Tuesday.
The Gunners triumphed over Crystal Palace 8-7 in a thrilling penalty shoot-out after the match ended 1-1 at the Emirates Stadium, setting up a two-legged encounter with Chelsea.
An own goal by Maxence Lacroix provided Arsenal a 1-0 lead in the 80th minute, but Marc Guehi’s close-range goal led to the shoot-out. Both teams scored their first seven penalties, until Kepa Arrizabalaga managed to save Lacroix’s attempt by diving to his right.
Arsenal has now reached the EFL Cup semi-finals three times in five years, yet they have been unsuccessful in their last two attempts at this stage under Mikel Arteta.
They lost 2-0 on aggregate to the eventual champions Liverpool in the 2021-22 season, and they were ousted by last season’s winners Newcastle United, losing 2-0 in both legs.
Following Tuesday’s match, Saliba – who lost track of the play leading to Palace’s equalizer – stated that Arsenal must significantly elevate their performance compared to their previous semi-final showing.
“It was a challenging match against a strong team. We performed well. Aside from my mistake, we played nicely,” Saliba mentioned to Sky Sports. “In the end, Kepa saved us.”
“We are thrilled to be in the semi-finals. We need to learn from last season’s experience because we reached the semi-finals and lost both matches.
“This time, we aim to win both matches and reach the final.”
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Arsenal also overcame Palace at the quarter-final stage of the 2024-25 EFL Cup, marking their third consecutive victory at this stage of the tournament.
This also marks the first time they’ve achieved back-to-back EFL Cup successes against other Premier League teams since the 2010-11 season after defeating Brighton 2-0 in the fourth round.
Kepa faced little challenge during the 90 minutes and did not have to register a single save, while Walter Benitez, his counterpart, made seven saves for Palace.
However, Kepa maintained his focus to determine the outcome of the shoot-out, later expressing that Arsenal has ample room for further enhancement.
“I believe we played very well, and then they adjusted their strategy a bit,” the Spaniard remarked. “It’s an area we need to refine – we’ve been conceding late goals recently. You must stay composed and keep your focus.”
Arsenal will resume Premier League play against Brighton on Saturday, shortly followed by a visit from fellow title contenders Aston Villa three days later.
Published: 2025-12-23 23:11:00
source: www.soccernews.com
