🕟 Kick Off: 20:00 GMT

🏟️ Venue: Emirates Stadium

📺 UK Broadcaster: ITV

🎅🏻 Referee: Stuart Atwell

📹 VAR: Not in operation

🔴 Arsenal Team News:

• Ben White: Hamstring strain; sustained against Wolves on December 13. He missed the recent victory over Everton and is expected to return in mid-January 2026.
• Gabriel Magalhães: Adductor/thigh injury; currently in the final phase of rehabilitation and performing individual pitch sessions. Targeting a return for the match against Aston Villa on December 30, 2025.
• Kai Havertz: Knee injury; suffered a recent setback in his recovery from surgery. His return has been delayed, with the medical team now aiming for mid-January 2026.
• Cristhian Mosquera: Ankle injury; recovery has been described as “complicated.” He remains sidelined with an expected return date in mid-January 2026.
• Max Dowman: Ankle ligament damage; sustained during a youth friendly. The 15-year-old is a long-term absentee and is not expected back until early February 2026.

⚽ Arsenal Form: 🟩🟩🟩🟥🟩

🦅 Crystal Palace Team News:

• Daichi Kamada: Serious hamstring injury sustained against Manchester City. Expected to be sidelined for 8–10 weeks, with a return targeted for late February 2026.
• Daniel Muñoz: Knee injury requiring surgery. Currently in the early stages of recovery; expected to return in mid-January 2026.
• Cheick Doucouré: Knee injury; recently suffered a setback in his rehabilitation. He is ruled out for several weeks, with an expected return in mid-January 2026.
• Chadi Riad: Knee (ACL) injury; has recently returned to partial team training but requires match fitness sessions with the U21s. Expected back in early January 2026.
• Rio Cardines: Adductor/muscle injury; sidelined for approximately 4–6 weeks. Expected to return in mid-January 2026.
• Caleb Kporha: Back injury; long-term absentee with no confirmed return date currently set by the medical staff.
• Ismaïla Sarr: Unavailable; currently away on international duty with Senegal for the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
• Jean-Philippe Mateta: Knee swelling/minor injury; currently being managed and assessed on a game-by-game basis. He remains a doubt for the Arsenal cup tie.

⚽ Crystal Palace Form: 🟥🟧🟥🟩🟩

⚔️ Head-to-Head:

• Arsenal 1-0 Crystal Palace (October 26, 2025, Premier League)
• Arsenal 2-2 Crystal Palace (April 23, 2025, Premier League)
• Crystal Palace 1-5 Arsenal (December 21, 2024, Premier League)
• Arsenal 3-2 Crystal Palace (December 18, 2024, EFL Cup)
• Arsenal 5-0 Crystal Palace (January 20, 2024, Premier League)

📖 Match Facts:

• Crystal Palace made it into the Quarter Finals after beating Liverpool 0-3 at Anfield in the previous round.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in 7 games (6W1D) with the last time Crystal Palace beat Arsenal coming in 2019.

✍🏼 Pre-Match Ramblings

Palace come into this game with it being their 4th match in 10 days in a run that included a trip to Finland in the Conference League, and their injury list shows just how thin their squad is being run. On the other hand, Arsenal’s injury list finally seems to be shrinking with Havertz and Gabriel the only big absentees (we’d been without White for so long that his latest injury is just a return to what we were used to).

The winner of this game faces a two-legged tie against Chelsea, so a London Derby either way. This is certainly the favourable side of the draw; the other option would’ve see us go away to either City or Newcastle. I don’t know about you, but I would rather not face Newcastle in a two-legged EFL cup Semi-Final again.

Arsenal have a triple header of home games starting with this one, the other two being Bright on the 27th and Villa on the 30th. Villa is the big looming game, so we best hope we don’t get any more injuries ahead of a what is shaping up to be a huge 6 pointer with Villa in some of the best form in Europe, let alone the Premier League.

Some people are happy to throw this game, and this competition, away. For me, no chance. Given the amount of money invested into this squad we should be having no trouble competing to the very end of all four competitons, and this one in particular looks winnable. For a team that is absolutely gagging for a trophy, we can’t be turning our noses up at one of four we could possible win.

Oh and er, have a good Christmas (points to anyone who gets the reference).