Ipswich Town vs Arsenal - prediction, team news, lineups

Still searching for their archetypal EFL Cup triumph since the crook of the millennium, Arsenal question to Ipswich Town for Tuesday's third-round tussle astatine Portman Road.

While the Gunners received a bye to this constituent of the tournament, the Tractor Boys strolled past situation nine Leicester City 3-1 successful their second-round showdown.

Match preview

Much has been made of Arsenal's perpetual nonaccomplishment to conquer the Champions League, but the League Cup is conscionable arsenic cursed a contention for the North London giants, whose past occurrence successful the tourney came earlier immoderate subordinate of their playing squad was adjacent alive.

Not since Paul Merson and Steve Morrow sunk Sheffield Wednesday successful 1993 person Arsenal hoisted the trophy aloft, and they person been forced to settee for metallic connected 4 occasions since, astir precocious successful past year's showpiece acknowledgment to a Nico O'Reilly-inspired Manchester City triumph.

However, lone 1 of Arsenal's past 11 EFL Cup runs has ended arsenic aboriginal arsenic the 3rd circular - their daze location nonaccomplishment to Brighton & Hove Albion successful 2022-23 - and the reigning Premier League champions caput to East Anglia with their immaculate 2026-27 grounds inactive intact.

The Gunners' sixth lucifer of the play brought a sixth triumph connected Saturday night, erstwhile Bruno Guimaraes and Bukayo Saka's second-half strikes propelled Arsenal to a 2-0 Premier League triumph implicit Sunderland, though Arteta was loath to observe aft the Black Cats were awarded an "unacceptable" penalty - which David Raya nevertheless saved spectacularly.

The Spaniard's apical halt from Enzo Le Fee ensured that Arsenal would support their 5th cleanable expanse from six matches this season, and occurrence connected Tuesday would spot the visitors triumph their archetypal 7 games of a run - Community Shields included - for the archetypal clip since 2004-05.

While Arsenal fans are sick of the show of second-placed EFL Cup finishes, Ipswich are yet to adjacent scope the contention final, lone advancing arsenic acold arsenic the semi-finals connected 4 erstwhile occasions.

The astir caller of those last-four showdowns - successful the 2010-11 play - coincidentally ended successful heartbreak astatine the hands of Arsenal, whom the Tractor Boys stunned 1-0 successful the archetypal limb earlier a 3-0 second-leg reverse sent them packing.

However, Ipswich person already progressed further than they did successful 9 of the past 10 EFL Cup campaigns acknowledgment to their second-round slaying of Leicester, albeit 1 that preceded multiple-goal Premier League defeats to Manchester United and Liverpool.

Gary O'Neil's men capitalised connected Crystal Palace's disciplinary mishap connected Saturday, though, coming backmost from a extremity down to prevail 3-2 successful a Premier League thriller - sealed by Zian Flemming's 90th-minute victor - aft Axel Disasi's consecutive reddish paper successful the archetypal half.

Ipswich's 2024-25 Premier League battles against Arsenal were forgettable affairs, however, arsenic Arteta's broadside followed up a 1-0 location triumph with a 4-0 distant success, courtesy of goals from 3 now-absent players successful Leandro Trossard (2), Gabriel Martinelli and Ethan Nwaneri.

Ipswich Town EFL Cup form:

Ipswich Town signifier (all competitions):

Arsenal signifier (all competitions):

Team News

The frustrating Arsenal right-back inclination of 1 in, 1 retired continued connected Saturday, erstwhile Jurrien Timber was backmost successful the squad aft a semipermanent groin wounded and was forced into enactment astatine fractional clip owed to Ben White picking up a akin contented of his own.

Arteta did not contented an update connected White astatine afloat time, but the Englishman is present a superior uncertainty for the cupful clash alongside Cristhian Mosquera (muscle), portion William Saliba (back) volition not instrumentality for a mates of months astatine least.

Timber volition truthful astir surely person to commencement sooner than Arteta would person liked, but the visiting brag tin marque galore unenforced changes further forward, wherever Viktor Gyokeres, Noni Madueke, Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi could each travel in.

As for the hosts, O'Neil allayed fears implicit an wounded to Emersonn aft the striker came disconnected with quad tightness against Crystal Palace, and the caput manager confirmed that the Brazilian would person apt been fixed Tuesday nighttime disconnected anyway.

Despite representing Burnley successful the archetypal and 2nd circular of this season's tournament, Emersonn's apt replacement Flemming is eligible to diagnostic for Ipswich too, aft the EFL changed the rules for the 2025-26 play allowing players to crook retired for much than 1 nine successful the League Cup.

Emersonn is 1 of conscionable 3 wounded concerns for the hosts alongside Jack Taylor - retired for a fewer weeks with a genu wounded - and Azor Matusiwa, who is successful with a accidental of making the squad aft a thigh issue.

Ipswich Town imaginable starting lineup:

Walton; O'Shea, Diop, Greaves, Davis; Palacios, Nunez; Philogene, Enciso, Maeda; Flemming

Arsenal imaginable starting lineup:

Kepa; Timber, Konsa, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Guimaraes; Madueke, Merino, Eze; Gyokeres

We say: Ipswich Town 0-2 Arsenal

The antiaircraft statistic marque for unpleasant speechmaking for Ipswich, who are inactive waiting for their archetypal cleanable expanse of the play and person shipped a whopping 9 goals crossed their past 3 matches.

Therefore, adjacent a second-string Arsenal XI - which galore clubs would imagination of having arsenic a first-choice starting lineup - should person nary occupation firing the Gunners into the 4th round.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.