Having won the Premier League last year, the Gunners will want many more trophies in the coming seasons. Great squad depth often earns clubs a shot at the Carabao Cup and Arsenal are better equipped than most this season.
That should put Arsenal among the front-runners for a semi-final spot at least, even if they keep rotating in the competition, as they surely will do for the trip to Fleetwood Town.
Giantkilling not on the agenda
The FA Cup is probably more known for giantkilling than the Carabao Cup, but it certainly can happen – though it would take an extraordinary turnaround in fortunes for that to be the case here. Among the 72 EFL clubs, only six sit below Fleetwood after a dismal start to the new campaign in what is their third season back in League 2, after spending 10 years in League 1. And yet, there’s a case to argue that in the League Cup at least, they’ve already outperformed expectations: this is the first time they have ever played in the fourth round, a club record.
Arteta: Trophies or titles?
There can be no doubting the rebuild job that Mikel Arteta has done at Arsenal, and ending the long wait for a league title was of paramount importance. But now after signing a new deal, the question becomes whether they will focus on the biggest titles and put everything into that, or whether he wants to be like his old boss: play strong teams everywhere and scoop up trophies of all kinds as regularly as Pep Guardiola did.
Naturally there are differences between the clubs, but the Gunners’ squad is deep, even if they do rotate or add a few young players into these sides. The fact is, he’s approaching the seventh anniversary of his appointment and so far the silverware count stands at two. For the time and amount spent, he needs the next batch to come quicker, closer together.
Fleetwood have won just three of their 13 League Two games so far this term, winning two of six at home. Across all competitions they’ve lost six of the last nine. Arsenal are of course a total contrast, winning every match this term except defeat to Brighton before the international break and drawing at Bayern Munich last week.
Team news
Lewis McCann is suspended for the hosts, while Kane Thompson-Sommers is injured. Rhys Bennett is back from a ban.
Bukayo Saka will miss at least six weeks for Arsenal and William Saliba is sidelined too, with Christos Tzolis hoping to make a comeback.
Key player
Mikel Merino has something of a reputation now as the guy to win you games off the bench, but he only has one goal (and no assists) this term – which came when he started against Ipswich in an earlier round. Over the last year compared to European elite midfielders, he’s ranked top of 92% of other players for shots, 98% for aerial duels and 100% for goals.
Prediction
Nothing untoward unless it takes Arsenal a while to take the handbrake off: Fleetwood Town 0-4 Arsenal.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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