Arsenal vs Bolton Wanderers
The Emirates Stadium will play host to a third-round EFL Cup match on Wednesday night, as Arsenal faces Bolton Wanderers. This competition has not been a priority for Arsenal in recent seasons. However with many saying Mikel is in need of a trophy lift this year perhaps that will change.
Predicted XI
Arsenal faces significant challenges in their upcoming match against Bolton Wanderers. The Gunners may be forced to field 16-year-old Jack Porter due to injuries and ineligibility. Goalkeeper David Raya is uncertain, Tommy Selford is unavailable, and Neto is ineligible due to his previous participation with Bournemouth.
Additionally, Arsenal will be without Leandro Trossard, who is serving a suspension after being sent off against Manchester City. Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are also doubtful to play. Several other key players, including Martin Odegaard, Mikel Merino, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kieran Tierney, and Oleksandr Zinchenko, are sidelined due to injuries.
Arsenal XI (4-3-3): Porter; White, Heaven, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; M’hand, Jorginho, Nwaneri; Saka, Jesus, Sterling
EFL & Arsenal
In 2022/23, Arsenal reached the fourth round of the FA Cup but lost at the first opportunity in the EFL Cup. Last season it was the reverse, with a third-round exit in the FA Cup and fourth round in the EFL Cup. West Ham were the team to knock Arsenal out of the EFL Cup last season, after the Gunners beat Brentford in the third round.
Bolton are already on their past run in the EFL Cup since 2017/18. The reached the third round then, but have either fallen at the first or second hurdle in each of the past six seasons since. They haven’t reached the fourth round since 2011/12.
Arteta perhaps wants to right this wrong. In his press conference he stated the following: “We want to win the game. We have to start with the first game. We have to understand what is the best team, the strongest team that we can put out to perform in the way that we need to to be better than Bolton and beat them.
“In terms of trophies, it’s a success only if you win it. How you measure success or associate that word, we can have a much deeper conversation. But we are here to win, we are here to win the big competitions and the ones people consider not that big. That’s our duty.”
That duty remains to be seen.
Predictions
This is the first meeting between Arsenal and Bolton for over 12 years. The Gunners have won 11 of the last 13 games, after a run of five without victory between 2005 and 2007.
I can only see another comfortable victory on the horizon.
Score Predictions: Arsenal 4 – Bolton 0
Suggested Bet: Arsenal OVER 1.5 Team Goals.
POTM: Gabriel Jesus
Written by Reekesh Somaroo
For Art of Analysis