The Independent
·30 October 2024
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Yahoo sportsThe Independent
·30 October 2024
Arsenal return to action tonight as they travel to Preston North End for a round of 16 tie in the Carabao Cup.
The Gunners head into the match on the back of a 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League and Mikel Arteta is expected to make significant changes against the Championship side.
The likes of Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz should be rested while William Saliba may feature having sat out the previous match through suspension. Arsenal are hoping to reach the quarter-finals and Arteta will expect a similar performance to their 5-1 hammering over Bolton in the previous round.
Preston, meanwhile, will bring their A-game as they look to challenge the Premier League side. Though sat at the wrong end of the second division, Paul Heckingbottom’s side are unbeaten in their last five matches and have a proven goalscorer up top on Sam Greenwood which could pose a threat to the Gunners.
Preston vs Arsenal is due to kick off at 7:45pm GMT on Wednesday 30 October at Deepdale Stadium in Preston.
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Preston will unfortunately be without winger Robbie Brady, who was forced off in the first half against Plymouth Argyle and is set for a spell on the sidelines. He joins Ched Evans, Patrick Bauer and Will Keane on the list of absentees. Montenegrin striker Milutin Osmajic is also unavailable on account of an eight-game ban for biting Blackburn Rovers defender Owen Beck.
For Arsenal, William Saliba is available again after serving a one-game suspension, but Gabriel is expected to miss out after being forced off against Liverpool. Jakub Kiwior is fit enough to start while Oleksandr Zinchenko seems a likely choice for the defence. Riccardo Calafiori, Martin Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are sidelined.
Preston XI: Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Kesler-Hayden, Frokjaer-Jensen, Whiteman, McCann, Potts; Greenwood, Jakobsen
Arsenal XI: Porter; Nichols, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Nwaneri, Jorginho, Rice; Sterling, Jesus, Martinelli
Preston to win 17/2
Draw 7/2
Arsenal to win 1/5
Arsenal will be too strong for Championship side Preston even with the predicted changes that Mikel Arteta is expected to make. Players hungry to impress, such as Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus, will have an eye of goal and things could get away from Preston quickly.
Preston 1-3 Arsenal.