The EFL Cup third round continues on Wednesday as Port Vale welcome Arsenal to Vale Park. The game can be seen live on Sky Sports, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm on Wednesday, 24th September. Below you can find our match preview and best bets for the Carabao Cup clash.
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Our predictions for Port Vale vs Arsenal
| Our Prediction | Odds & Bookmaker | Confidence | Why We’re Backing It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ethan Nwaneri Anytime Scorer | 2/1 @ Bet MGM (34.5%) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ | Ethan Nawneri enjoyed himself in the early rounds of the League Cup last season, bagging a brace against Bolton and scoring against Bolton. The youngster should be given a start here and looks ovepriced at 2/1 to score in a game where Arsenal could rack up the cards. |
| Arsenal to win to Nil | 4/5 @ Betfred (12.5%) | ⭐⭐ | Arsenal have kept a clean sheet in five of their six matches this season and look good value to win this game comfortably without conceding on Wednesday evening. |
How both teams go into Port Vale vs Arsenal
Port Vale have something to cheer: a place in the EFL Cup third round for only the second time in 16 years. Darren Moore’s side edged past Blackpool and Birmingham 1-0 on the road, keeping alive memories of their 2023/24 quarter-final run. After a winless seven-game league start, the Valiants have finally found form with back-to-back victories over Exeter and Mansfield — the latter sealed by Ronan Curtis’s dramatic 95th-minute penalty.
Fresh from snatching a late draw against Man City, Arsenal turn to the EFL Cup on Wednesday against lower-league opposition. The trophy has eluded them since 1993, and last year’s run ended with a heavy semi-final defeat to Newcastle. With eyes fixed firmly on the Premier League and Champions League, Arteta won’t rank this competition highly — but a slip-up here would only fuel doubts over his ability to deliver silverware.
Port Vale team news
Port Vale’s injury list on the flanks is growing. Kyle John is sidelined for a few games with a muscle problem, Mitch Clark won’t return for at least another week, and Liam Gordon limped off late in the Mansfield win. The one boost for Darren Moore is up front, where on-loan Wrexham striker Mo Faal is back in contention after shaking off a hamstring issue.
Arsenal’s injury concerns mounted at the weekend, with Piero Hincapié absent and Noni Madueke forced off at half-time with a knee issue that now requires scans. He joins Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz and Martin Ødegaard on the treatment table. The positives? Bukayo Saka returned to action and Ben White was back on the bench, both likely to feature from the start on Wednesday. Expect changes too, with youngsters Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly in line for minutes.
Head-to-head
Arsenal and Port Vale have not played each other in a league game in 121 years, since 1904, when the Gunners were named Woolwich Arsenal. The pair then met in the FA Cup in 1927, before having to wait until 1998 for their next meeting. The most recent clash saw Arsenal require a third-round replay before they went on to lift the trophy, beating Newcastle in the final.
Who holds the edge?
Even with numerous changes after the game with Manchester City at the weekend, expect Arsenal to field a strong, talented starting XI, which should be able to dispose of Port Vale with relative ease.