Port Vale’s Vale Park will be awash with history and anticipation on Wednesday night as the League One underdogs lock horns with Premier League giants Arsenal in the Carabao Cup third round in their first meeting in over two decades.
As the Valiants celebrate their landmark 150th anniversary season, they welcome Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing Gunners for what promises to be a glittering night under the Vale Park floodlights.
Vale may be languishing in 19th place in League One, but they have already proven their cup credentials, having swept aside Blackpool and stunned Birmingham City en route to this glamour fixture.
It’s a reunion with Arsenal not seen since 1998, when the Valiants nearly toppled the eventual double winners in an FA Cup epic settled only by penalties.
The Gunners, meanwhile, arrive with silverware on their minds. Arteta’s men were forced to settle for a tense 1–1 draw against Manchester City on Sunday after Gabriel Martinelli’s late heroics cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener.
With Arsenal already chasing Liverpool in the league and still searching for their first trophy since 2020, the Carabao Cup offers a golden pathway to end their drought.
Recent Fortunes
- Port Vale have endured a turbulent run, alternating wins and losses but showing promise in attack, highlighted by victories over Mansfield and Exeter.
- Arsenal have flexed their muscle with emphatic wins against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, alongside a five-star demolition of Leeds.
Predicted Lineups
Port Vale (3-5-2): Gauci; Humphreys, Debrah, Heneghan; Gabriel, Croasdale, Garrity, Byers, Shorrock; Cole, Curtis.
Arsenal (4-3-3): Kepa; White, Mosquera, Hincapié, Lewis-Skelly; Nørgaard, Nwaneri, Merino; Dowman, Martinelli, Eze.
Arteta is likely to shuffle his pack, but Arsenal’s embarrassment of riches ensures a dazzling lineup regardless of rotation. For Vale, the evening will be about grit, belief, and hoping their underdog roar can shake the visitors.
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