With their Premier League lead increased to four points over the weekend, the Arsenal juggernaut rolls on to the Carabao Cup, where they host Brighton in a fourth-round clash at the Emirates on Wednesday night. Eberechi Eze scored his first goal for Arsenal against former club Crystal Palace as Mikel Arteta's side won 1-0 over the weekend.
Arsenal have conceded three goals in all competitions this season, and incredibly have only allowed two shots on target in their last four games. However, a Brighton side that have defeated Manchester City, Chelsea and Newcastle this season while scoring 14 goals in their last five games might prove difficult opponents.
Indeed Fabian Hurzeler has never lost to Arteta, with Brighton managing 1-1 draws both home and away against Arsenal last season.
A midweek League Cup tie would signal plenty of rotation, but Arteta's task has been made tougher with a spate of niggling injuries picked up in the win over Palace. Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba are all doubts for this game, with Arsenal's squad depth ready to be put to the test.
Hurzeler also has injury issues ahead of this game with Kaoru Mitoma and Brajan Gruda missing the 4-2 loss away to Manchester United over the weekend. Controversial refereeing decisions saw Brighton's run of five games without defeat come to an end at Old Trafford, but Hurzeler refrained from blaming the referees.
Brighton have a day's extra rest compared to Arsenal, but with heavily rotated sides likely to feature, that might not prove to be a factor in this game.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of Sunday's Carabao Cup game.
How to watch:
The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports+ in the UK, Paramount+ in the U.S., FanCode in India and beIN Sports in Australia. You can also follow ESPN's live updates.
Key Details:
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 29 at 7.45 p.m. GMT (3.45 p.m. ET; 1:15 a.m. IST, Thursday and 5.45 a.m. AEST, Thursday)
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Referee: Samuel Barrott
VAR: N/A
Team News:
Arsenal
Declan Rice, M: leg, DOUBT
Riccardo Calafiori, D: knock, DOUBT
William Saliba, D: knock, DOUBT
Bukayo Saka, F: illness, DOUBT
Kai Havertz, F: knee, OUT, est. return late-Nov
Gabriel Jesus, F: ACL, OUT, est. return late-Dec
Noni Madueke, F: knee, OUT, est. return late-Nov
Martin Ødegaard, M: knock, OUT, est. return mid-Nov
Brighton & Hove Albion
Kaoru Mitoma, D: foot, DOUBT
Adam Webster, D: knee, OUT, est. return Jan 2026
Solly March, M: knee, OUT, est. return mid-Dec
Jack Hinsheldwood, M: ankle, OUT, est. return late-Nov
Brajan Gruda, M: knee, DOUBT
Expected Lineups:
Arsenal (4-3-3)
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga
RB: Ben White | CB: Cristhian Mosquera | CB: Piero Hincapié | LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly
CM: Christian Nørgaard | CAM: Ethan Nwaneri | CM: Mikel Merino
RW: Max Dowman | CF: Leandro Trossard | LW: Gabriel Martinelli
Brighton & Hove Albion (4-2-3-1)
GK: Jason Steele
RB: Joël Veltman | CB: Olivier Boscagli | CB: Diego Coppola | LB: Maxim De Cuyper
CM: Carlos Baleba | CM: Yasin Ayari
RW: Charalambos Kostoulas | CAM: Georginio Rutter | LW: Diego Gomez
CF: Danny Welbeck
Stats:
Arsenal have won the League Cup only twice in their history, with the club last winning it in the 1992/93 season under George Graham.
Brighton have never progressed beyond a solitary quarterfinal appearance in the 1978/79 League Cup.
Arsenal have scored a league-leading 11 set-piece goals in only nine Premier League games this season, the fastest of any club in PL history.
Arsenal have faced the fewest shots on target in the league this season (19) and conceded the least xG (5.25).
Brighton have lost only one of their last five trips to the Emirates Stadium (3-1-1 W-D-L).
Latest news and analysis:
Steve Nicol analyses whether Arsenal are the favourites to win the Premier League after their victory over Palace to be top the table.
Eze gives Arsenal a 'magic moment' to sink old club Palace
Arsenal's defense are formidable but the signing of Eberechi Eze up front has made a real difference in tight games.
VAR review: Should Man United have had a penalty vs. Brighton?
Amad Diallo ran into the Brighton area, drawing Maxim De Cuyper into making a challenge. But was it a penalty?
As Eze haunts Palace, who else has scored in first meeting with ex-club?
Eberechi Eze scored his first goal for Arsenal against former side Crystal Palace - here are others who scored against their former side the first time they played them.
Arteta revels in Arsenal's biggest win of season
Mikel Arteta has described Arsenal's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday as his team's "most valuable win of the season."
Arteta: I envisioned set-piece goals '10 years ago'
Mikel Arteta has revealed Arsenal's set-piece prowess was a decade in the making.