Arsenal vs Crystal Palace: Carabao Cup prediction, h2h, TV & team news

A place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals is on the line as Arsenal host Crystal Palace in a high-stakes London derby at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night. With Chelsea waiting in the last four, both sides have plenty to play for — even if circumstances around squad depth and form differ sharply.

Despite not always convincing in recent weeks, Arsenal head into the tie sitting top of the Premier League at Christmas. Mikel Arteta will be keen to build on that platform and add a domestic cup run to the equation, especially given how close his side came to silverware in recent seasons.

The Gunners edged past Everton last time out and survived scares against Wolves earlier this month — performances that suggest they are learning how to win even when rhythm is lacking. From my experience watching Arsenal’s evolution under Arteta, this ability to grind through difficult spells has often been the missing ingredient in knockout football.

For Crystal Palace, the challenge is steeper. This will be their fourth match in nine days, and Oliver Glasner has already been forced into heavy rotation.

Palace made 11 changes in both of their last two outings — a Conference League draw against KuPS followed by a heavy 4-1 Premier League defeat to Leeds — and neither experiment delivered a result. Injury problems and AFCON absences have left Glasner short of options, particularly in midfield and out wide.

Arteta remains without several key players. Gabriel Magalhães is back in individual training following an adductor injury but is unlikely to return in time. Kai Havertz is also nearing a return but will miss out, while Ben White remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.

Defensive depth is further tested with Cristhian Mosquera out until January and Max Dowman unavailable. Rotation is still expected, with Gabriel Jesus and Cristhian Nørgaard among those pushing for starts. Kepa Arrizabalaga could replace David Raya in goal.

Palace’s situation is more severe. Ismaïla Sarr is away at AFCON, while Daniel Muñoz and Daichi Kamada are facing lengthy spells out. Cheick Doucouré is still unavailable, and Rio Cardines, Chadi Riad and Caleb Kporha also miss out.

Glasner may again turn to academy options such as Joel Drakes-Thomas, Kaden Rodney, Dean Benamar and George King.

This is the second meeting between the sides this season. Palace won the earlier encounter 1-0 thanks to a goal from Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal’s festive schedule is beginning to show, but they continue to find solutions. Palace, by contrast, look physically and structurally stretched, and their injury list leaves little room for tactical flexibility.

With a two-legged semi-final against Chelsea serving as clear motivation, Arsenal should have enough quality and control to navigate this tie without overextending themselves.

Prediction: Arsenal win 2-0

The winner will advance to a Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea, played over two legs in January. For Arsenal, progression would keep multiple trophy fronts alive, while Palace will hope simply to emerge from a punishing schedule without further setbacks.

Is this a routine cup win for Arsenal — or can Palace summon one more derby upset?