Key events
Team news: Arsenal v Brighton
Arsenal: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Dowman, Harriman-Annous, Eze.
Subs: Saka, Gabriel, Raya, Timber, Gyokeres, Calafiori, Trossard, Zubimendi, Rice.
Brighton: Steele, Kadioglu, Coppola, van Hecke, De Cuyper, Baleba, Boscagli, Rutter, Kostoulas, Gomez, Tzimas.
Subs: Dunk, Minteh, Watson, Welbeck, Ayari, Wieffer, Simmonds, Ramming, Knight.
At 15 years and 302, Max Dowman becomes the youngest ever person to start for Arsenal. Andre Harriman-Annous, who at 17 is almost middle-aged in comparison, makes his first ever appearance for the Gunners’ senior team. And it’s a start!
By contrast, this is a very experienced Brighton team. Diego Gomez, who scored four goals in a 6-0 win over Barnsley in the last round, gets the nod as the No 10 this evening.
Preamble
There are only a few teams that can probably justify not fielding their best XI for these Carabao Cup fourth-round matches, but for most, there are no real excuses why each side shouldn’t be going full throttle to reach Wembley.
We saw last season with Newcastle United just what a League Cup triumph can do to a football club and its fanbase, just imagine what a successful defence would mean to the Geordies, or what might mean to the mid-table stalwarts of Brighton (no major honours ever), Crystal Palace (one major honour ever), or the Championship’s Swansea City (one major honour). With relegation heavily unlikely for all these sides, and with only minor European qualification (or a play-off place) to play for, there is no reason why these sides shouldn’t invest in this competition (especially as Europa League qualification comes with the silverware). Win tonight, and they are in the quarter-finals, and nearly within touching distance of Wembley. Woof.
Even for Mikel Arteta, trophyless for the last five seasons, a taste of Carabao would be sweet, although few expect the title-chasing Gunners to field their first XI (in fairness, their second XI is jam packed full of internationals) against Brighton.
Liverpool will be wary of another damaging domestic defeat. Palace are a formidable away team, and there might be fewer changes to Arne Slot’s side than expected as he looks to guarantee safe passage and another PR crisis.
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Wolves (no major honours in 45 years) are probably the only sides tonight that are nailed on to rest players. In fairness to the latter, Wolves do have a bit of a relegation scrap on their hands, and a crucial trip to Fulham this weekend. Vítor Pereira is likely more concerned that and about keeping his job for another week, than a Carabao Cup final in February.
It’s a grand mix of intriguing ties as the teams look to join Brentford, Fulham and Cardiff in the last eight. Following Wednesday’s ties (below), I will also bring you live updates from the quarter-final draw, so please do stick around after the final whistles.
A reminder that Scott Murray is doing a dedicated minute-by-minute report of Liverpool v Palace, so follow him here for that game. I will post updates when I can, but will focus my most of my attention of the other four matches.
#Arsenal #Brighton #Swansea #Manchester #City #Carabao #Cup #clockwatch #live #Carabao #Cup
