Football Daily - The Debrief: Arsenal reach semi-finals, Isak has surgery and is Semenyo heading to City?

Episode Date: December 23, 2025

Rob Green and Glenn Murray react as Arsenal become the last team to secure their spot in the Carabao Cup semi-finals with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory over London rivals, Crystal Palace.What can Palace take away from their performance at the Emirates despite defeat? And could this tournament be the catalyst for further success for Arsenal? Rob and Glenn join John Murray, BBC Football Correspondent, and Kelly Cates to dissect the victory for Mikel Arteta's side, and we hear from the Arsenal boss himself.Plus, how have Arne Slot and Thomas Frank reacted to news of a fractured leg for Liverpool striker Alexander Isak, and how does it link to reports around Antoine Semenyo joining Manchester City?Timecodes: 00:10 Reaction from the Emirates to Arsenal v Palace 02:50 Could the League Cup be the springboard for Arsenal success? 06:20 Is there any concern over Arsenal's ability to score from open play? 11:00 Is it too early for talk of Quadruples? 14:25 Reaction from Mikel Arteta 17:10 Alexander Isak ruled out for 'a couple of months' 20:00 Antoine Semenyo set to join City, ahead of Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea?Commentaries this week: Saturday 27th — Arsenal v Brighton — 15:00 — 5 Live Saturday 27th — Liverpool v Wolves — 15:00 — Sports Extra Saturday 27th — Chelsea v Aston Villa — 17:30 — 5 Live

On the Football Daily podcast, The Debrief with Kelly Case. The last of four Carabao Cup quarterfinals. The last game in English football before Christmas, and it went all the way to penalties on a frosty night in North London. Arsenal have become the last team to secure their spot in the Carabour Cup semi-finals. They joined Chelsea, who they'll play in the semifinals, Manchester City, and the Holders, Newcastle. Glenn Murray and John Murray are at the Emirates. Rob Green is with us.

John Arsenal made eight changes, but they went on to their bench. They brought the big hitters on, and yet they were still taken all the way by Palace. Yeah, Benitez was a real star for them tonight. Walter Benitez, just his fifth appearance for the club, the Argentine goalkeeper who made save after save in the first half when it seemed like it was going to be only a matter of time

before Arsenal broke through. Martin Elliott had been excellent on the left-hand side, but nil nil at half time. Martinelli had to go off, but the strength that Arsenal had on the bench, so they were able to throw on Saka and Trossard and Rice and Odegaard and did find a way through in the 81st minute. Very scrappy, but it came from a corner,

that old Arsenal favourite. In the end, Lacroix, flicking the ball into his own goal. And it seemed as though that would be enough, but Pallas, they are such a formidable Cup team, and in the fifth minute of added time from a set piece of their own. Wharton took it in, headed across by Lerma, and Mark Gaye just placed it into the back of the net to make it 1-1.

So into the penalty shootout, we went, and we saw 15 successful penalties until the unfortunate Maxence Lacquhar, the scorer of the own goal, was the only man to see his penalty missed or saved by Kepa, who finally went the right way. So 8, 7, the final score on penalties. Glenn it's a really significant win for Arsenal takes them into the semifinals of the competition from Crystal Palace's point of view can they come away with a sort of pride in their resilience and their focus yeah without doubt I think when you're taking into consideration the way they went well the way they lost the game at Leeds at the weekend and then having the tough task of coming to

the Emirates in the quarter final of the cup competition and digging in in the manner that they did even though they scored an own goal they showed character to get back into it and then obviously took it all the way in the penalty shootout. Listen, they'll be licking their wounds in the change room now. They'll be shattered.

They'll be disappointed but their manager will be delighted with how they've performed on the evening I think their game plan, their way they defended, the way they worked for one another and the way they pushed Arsenal so close to getting into that semifinal.

John Terry said about Chelsea in 2005 winning the League Cup. It was the first one for the team. It gave us a taste of what we wanted. Brian Clough said when Notting first won the League Cup on their way to winning consecutive European Cups, O'Lott tasted champagne and found that they liked it. How important do you think, Rob, that this win could be for Arsenal

if it leads to Silverware? It's really good practice, isn't it, Kelly? It's really good practice to win the games, the important moments in games and in tight games like that, especially in something like a penalty shootout because you very rarely actually get to practice it for real. You don't actually do it in training time and time again, but actually in that scenario,

you only gain that experience from doing it. So all those players, and there were a lot of players, managed to take the penalties. They've had the practice of the walk. They walk up to the penalty spot. They do it, and they know what it feels like, and they know what it feels like to score, because all of them did.

So it is really good practice. that he's a big competition for them. They're arresting them now, but you look at the semifinals and you're thinking, I'm not sure they're going to afford to arrest too many of them there. I think one of the major factors in this, Glenn,

was the fact that Arsenal have that depth in their squad. John alluded to it when he was commentating on the penalties. Every player who came up to take a penalty, you were thinking this is one of Arsenal's big hitters. It seems that they've got a squad full of big hitters. Well, they have, and that's credit to them as a football club. to Michael Artetta and his vision of how much strength in depth he needed and the type of

players he needed and what they've gone on to do in transfer windows. Listen, I think there's been question marks over Arsenal's transfer activity for many, many years, but he really seemed to nearly over the summer. And yet it did show everyone that stepped up to that spot this evening had an assuredness about them, a real confidence about them. They were seasoned professionals, they were international footballers and you felt much more confident when the Arsenal players were stepping up rather than the Crystal Palace players. And that is credit to Michel Artetta.

And that is what he needs ultimately. If this squad and this team are going to be successful on more than one front this season, which I think is the expectancy around the Emirates. And I'm just thinking Chelsea Arsenal, that was quite a feisty match they had, wasn't it? Just a few weeks ago when Caycedo was sent off. finished 1-1 so they're now going to meet on the 14th of January at Stamford Bridge then

they'll play each other back here on either the third or the 4th of February and then they've got another match in the league here at the Emirates on the 1st of March and you know what happens when when teams that have that sort of feeling between them play each other quite a lot in a short period of time very often what happens John it can there can be a red card or two Glenn, that's what can happen. Oh, I hope so, John. I mean, we're looking at kind of, I don't know, I suppose potential slip-ups and potential dramas in the run

between now and the end of the season. I just wonder if there is a slight concern, Glenn, from Arsenal's point of view, about scoring from open play, not creating chances because they did do that against Crystal Palace. But the fact that, again, it's a set piece, you know, on this occasion, It's an own goal.

Is that anything that would overly concern you? No, I don't think so. As far as I'm concerned, they found a way. When I look at their chances from open play, I thought they were pretty good in creating the opportunities that they got. I just feel as though, and I'd like to hear Rob's take on this, I just feel as though they came up against a really inspired goalkeeper tonight. It was at the very top of his game.

It wasn't like they lacked creativity and they had to rely on that own goal. I feel as though they created plenty of opportunity They had 25 shots They had loads of possession They carved Crystal Palace open on a number of occasions They put the ball into the box They ask questions And lo and behold on the night

It was an own goal But they found away that's the main thing But he said it has a fantastic game He's as well as you could have hoped in play And you know, go and see Emirates The keeper's going to have to play well at times He was really sharp He was really good in set positions

And getting his positioning right in the goal but also the timing of that position as well. I agree with Glenn. They obviously created a lot. I just would worry that you're looking at someone like Madowecki, you're thinking that moment in front of goal was eluding him, and then you're looking at Garraje Zuse. It wasn't quite there yet.

And it's been, you know, tonight was exceptional in the way the performance was, but you have to go back to Tottenham until they played a really fluid, honestly, really on it game. So there's just a little question mark there for me to say Arsenal, you know, they've started to stumble a little. They still can fall back on set pieces, obviously. They'll look at this tonight and say,

we could have scored a hatful. Perhaps they should have scored a hatful. And yet, they are still through to the semi-finals of the League Cup after that, where they'll play Chelsea, Rob. And I was going to ask you to look ahead to that one, but who knows what we're going to get from Chelsea in that game? Who knows what we're going to get tomorrow? I mean, you're tired from watching.

45 minutes to 45 minutes, you don't know. it is you're going to say I think two teams John just touched on it there that are just going to go for it and there is no love lost between them I've been there as a Chelsea player I've been to the Emirates and it is hostile

very rarely is the Emirates hostile it is hostile for that game yeah and I'm not getting suckered into it this time for that league match I thought all this could be a real cracker it was not a thing of beauty no no and it will not need to be but they will want to make sure that they get the result their way

whether it's Arsenal whether it's Chelsea So they will play each other in one of the semifinals. The other one is between Newcastle and Manchester City. Crystal Palace miss out on a place in the semifinals of the League Cup. They've got a playoff in the conference league. And Oliver Glasner has been bemoaning the kind of number of fixtures that they're having to place. He actually talked a little bit about how unsympathetic the EFL are. But to be fair to the EFL, they haven't changed their schedule.

It's extra European games that have come into the equation. And also, Glenn, it's four games without a win for Crystal Palace now. So as much as we can look at that performance and talk about how resilient they were, are there concerns that maybe they're having a bit of a dip at the moment? I think this is always going to be an issue for Crystal Palace like we've mentioned on a number of occasions tonight. Their squad depth, their fall off of quality from their first 13, 14 players

and the amount of games they've played with the added European competition for them a first for their football club. So this was always going to be an issue. This is obviously why Oliver Glasner brought it up with the chairman to add to add players in the summer. I'm sure he'll be hoping and asking for new recruits come January. But I think as far as the manager's concerned, that that performance there tonight is almost as good as a win.

His players are playing for him. They're creating opportunities. They're defending with their hearts and their hands. sleeves. I think that the Leeds game was, it was very, very unlike this Krista Palace group. So I imagine looking forward, they'll be feeling as well they can get back on the winning streak sooner rather than later. Yeah, there's some numbers that Oliver Glasner might well be putting to the owners if they're hoping to be active in the January transfer window. Palace have played 29 games already this season. Arsenal have played 26. Palis's most games ever played in a season

before is 46 and they'll do that by the end of March at the latest so they are going to be stretched so far this season and that obviously depends on how far they go in in the various competitions the new new challenges for glasna as the crystal palace manager but arsenal go through to the semi-finals of this competition when do we start john murray we've been here before when do we start talking about a potential quadruple for us now how far along do they have to be You've gone before Christmas. It's Christmas. Pre-Christmas.

Yeah, that's true. That's true. I just thought, while everybody's full on mince pies and baillies, we might go in with a bit of optimism. What do you think, John? They've just spilled their baillies everywhere, Kelly. I think my feeling is that because it's been such a long time since they won the league 2004, that it's all very well talking about the, you know, the potential of winning the quadruple.

that is by far the number one target. If they've finished this season and they've only, in inverted commas, won the Premier League, that'll do. John, did you say that? They've never won the European Cup? Never won the European Cup? No.

So 20 years since they won the league, but they've never won the European Cup. You think they take the Premier League over the European Cup? I do, yep. What do you think, Rod? You take the European Cup? It's a lot harder to win.

You look at whoever's won the European Cup, They've won it a lot more in the domestic company. They've won their league a lot more times. So how many times have Arsenal won the league? I don't know, but it's more than zero. I know that. You look at Manchester United, they've won it more. They've won the European Cup.

Is it three times? They've won the league a lot more than that. Barcelona, Real Madrid, for all the times that they've won it. They've won the league more. So you take the European Cup. If they don't win the league this season, that is going to be desperately disappointing for them. Not if they win the European Cup.

Arsenal won the Premier League three times. They've won the league 13 times. Kelly, come on. But I think if I get stick for saying that Arsenal, we're getting a bit too optimistic about talking about Arsenal winning all four trophies, are we getting a bit negative by saying that they have to win either the Premier League or the European Cup or the Champions League? Could they not win both?

Well, they could. I don't think they will. But I think it's a set too far. They've never won the European Cup struck Champions League. and they've not won the league for 26 years, so the chances of them winning both in the same season you would think would not be that high. There seems to be a desire around the Emirates

and around Arsenal that the Premier League is what they want and what they're built towards, doesn't there? I think you're looking at a side that you say, who have they beaten this season? Who have they not beaten? And the teams that they've struggled against, Liverpool away, Astonville are away, Manchester City at home,

you look at the teams they haven't beaten in the league are the good teams the teams up there they are a team that are very good at beating teams down the bottom of the league that's what winning to the league that's what will win them the premier league they've struggled every time in the champions league to beat the top top teams there's going to struggle again i think this season when they come up against the top top teams they beat buying that's the one that they've had this season that's a big step in the right direction for them it's early on in the tournament they've got a lot of big steps and they can only,

you can't make one false move in that tournament. I was just trying to end on a positive note but you bunch of grinches are sending everybody home unhappy. I was just going to say as well, by the way, I got my maths wrong there. 22 years it is since they've last one. John and Glenn, the Murray twins at the Emirates,

thank you very much for joining us. Thank you. Merry Christmas to you too. Let's get some reaction from the Arsenal camp. Macaul, Merry Christmas. A bit cheesy, but is that the perfect Christmas present from your players. Merry Christmas to everybody. Yeah, very pleased with the performance and what we generate against a team that is very well organized, very difficult to create open chances. I think we create it a lot in the first half and a different way in the second half.

I think the matchings should have been bigger than the 1-0 after 94 minutes. And when you don't close the games, this can happen. Then your level of attention and inefficiency to defend the ball has to be better than what we've done. But when you don't do that, you get another opportunity in the penalties. And I think the play showed great emotional control. they look really composed, they're taking the penalties in an extraordinary way, and Kepa did what he had to do at the end. Can you just talk to us about Kepa? It can't have been easy for him. He's come in. He's been a substitute a lot this season. Just how pleased are you for him, really?

He's an absolutely joy to having the team. I mean, the way he fulfills his role, whatever it is on the day, the way he adapts to people, the relationship that he has with a goalkeeping group with that bit is excellent, you know. So if I'm happy with somebody, it's a good. It's a good. for him because I know how much he puts and how much better he makes us and I'm delighted that today is on his job and help the team to go through. I know you don't like talking about

opposition players a lot but a lot's got to be said about the other keeper, Walter Benitez. He just looked, I thought you might have nightmares about him. He kept saving everything, didn't he? To be fair, yes. As I said before, I think we generated a lot of chances we should have scored

three or four. At this level, we didn't and yeah, sometimes players have these individual performances and nights, but thankfully we managed to score every penalty and win the tie. Just in terms of this Arsenal team

where you are at the moment, top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League group stage, semifinals of the Cup. I mean, 2026 is looking pretty positive from your point of view. Yeah, we need to keep going. We have a game every three days.

We are really pleased with the consistency and performance that the team is showing but it's just half way, almost halfway, not even that. So it's a long way too. Six Music's Indie Forever Disco. Hi, everybody. With Beth Ditto.

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On the Football Daily podcast, The Debrief with Kelly Cates. So, Arsenal into the Carabar Cup semi-finals. Let's take a look at one of the other big stories of the day. Liverpool manager, Arna Slot, has confirmed today that Alexander Isak is out for a couple of months after he was injured in what Slot called a reckless challenge by Tottenham defender Mickey Van de Ven on Saturday.

Isak had an operation on an ankle injury that included a fibular fracture. his slot. It's going to be a long injury for a couple of months. A big, big, big disappointment for him. And as a result of that, of course, also for us. But, yeah, this was, for me, a reckless challenge. So I think I've said a lot about the tackle of Chávez Simons,

which for me was completely unintentional. I don't think you will ever get an injury out of a tackle like that, the tackle off on the van. If you make that tackle ten times, I think ten times. 10 times, I think 10 times there's a serious chance that the player gets a serious injury. Well, Spurs manager Thomas Frank was asked about Slott's comments earlier today. I'm obviously disagreeing. We are talking about a defender in Miki Fendavin that we do everything he can to avoid the goal. So it's a transition, so he's sprinting back in.

There's a ball slide down the side and he does everything he can to see if he can block that shot. So he's sliding. Unfortunately, Isaac's plant his foot straight there and that makes it look worse that it is. I think that would be a natural reaction for any defender or put it this way if my defenders don't do that, then I don't think they are true defenders. The other thing, I also know that the two players have sorted out, so that's a good sign of how they sort it out. Yeah, so the players have sorted out between them. Rob, what's your thoughts on the challenge by Van der Vend? Yeah, it's a bit of column A and bit of column B, and I think this is the moving part within football now, and we see it more and more

that these tackles will be penalised and I do feel that if he hadn't to scored Land of M would have been in real trouble he would have been a real bother and I think therein lies where football is going in what we're expecting it to be your safety of your teammates

and your opponents is paramount and I think the football's moving to a point where it needs to stop these sort of challenges coming in where yes you've got to do everything you can to stop a shot but if you are in a point where you are going to go two footy, it threw a player and almost

scissor tackle them, then it's going to be punished. And that's where we are with it. So it's interesting that it's no consolation really for or Liverpool fans, is that going to be out? But I do feel that this will be a trigger for greater action in the future for tackles like that. You do wonder if it affects what Liverpool might do in the transfer window, because that opens in a week.

Bournemouth, Antoine Semenio, reported to be on the move. Manchester City are in advance talk. over a 65 million pound bid at Garner Midfielder five clubs have made inquiries according to sources City have made positive progress in recent days and now believe that they are well placed

to sign him. He's 25 years old 65 million pounds in in January. I did say I wonder if that you know if he's axe injury affects Liverpool but clubs tend not to have reactive transfer policies these days but City best place for him do you think Rob?

Take your pick for him. He's just he is that good and I think for 65 million it's a snip isn't it I think for some he can bring something different to cissy can't he can he can drive forward with the ball vertically rather than docu comes in and out and laterally so I think something that that he can do there is something different and that that's what pep's looking for short term they've got their own injury problems and you just wonder where whether you know with mamush out and oscar bob out and docu's out himself that short term, it's an immediate answer and long term as well. He's at a perfect age for that sort of player to step up

and step up into what seemingly, you know, a challenging team. Does bring the question for someone like Savina, what future he's got at Manchester City. You wonder whether it's going to be a couple of days or a couple of weeks, but it might well be that he is the player to go. And that is it for this episode of the Football Daily. Lots more to come over the Christmas period. Thank you for listening, and however you're celebrating, have a lovely Christmas.

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