Arsenal begin their Carabao Cup campaign on Wednesday night with a third-round trip to League One outfit Port Vale, with the fixture representing the first meeting between the two clubs in the 21st century. The pressure is building on Mikel Arteta to deliver silverware after three consecutive runner-up finishes in the Premier League, making a deep run in this competition a high priority for the Gunners.
While their hosts are struggling in 19th place in League One, they have already produced a cup upset by beating Birmingham City to set up this lucrative tie against the Premier League giants.
Team news and lineups
Arsenal have been rocked by another injury setback, with winger Noni Madueke ruled out for two months with a knee injury. He joins Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus, and Martin Ødegaard on the sidelines. However, the injury crisis will provide opportunities for others. New signing Piero Hincapié is expected to make his first start for the club, while youngsters Max Dowman, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Ethan Nwaneri are all poised to be named in the starting XI. Gabriel Martinelli could be utilized in a central striker role.
For Port Vale, on-loan striker Mo Faal is expected to make his comeback from injury, but the hosts are set to be without Liam Gordon, Mitch Clark, and Kyle John.
Port Vale predicted lineup vs. Arsenal (3-5-2): Gauci; Humphreys, Debrah, Heneghan; Gabriel, Croasdale, Garrity, Byers, Shorrock; Cole, Curtis.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs. Port Vale (4-3-3): Kepa; White, Mosquera, Hincapié, Lewis-Skelly; Nørgaard, Nwaneri, Merino; Dowman, Martinelli, Eze.
Score prediction
Although Arsenal may be hindered by a growing injury list, their squad is immensely strong, and Arteta will be able to field a starting XI laden with quality at Vale Park. The Gunners have swatted aside opponents of this calibre in recent years in domestic cups, and it’s hard to envisage the hosts troubling Arteta’s sturdy framework on Wednesday night. This match is a golden opportunity for Arsenal’s next generation to stake their claim for more first-team involvement, and they should ensure a comfortable passage to the fourth round.