Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal squad make the journey north to face Preston North End in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Both teams come into the game off the back of draws at the weekend, Arsenal's 2-2 draw with Liverpool while Preston let a 3-0 lead slip when they faced Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle.
In the last round Arsenal blew away Bolton Wanderers 5-1 to book their place in the next stage of the cup, while their SkyBet Championship hosts saw off Premier League opposition in Fulham.
That game finished 1-1 so therefore resulted in penalties which went on to be one of the best shootouts English football has ever seen ending 16-15 to Preston.
The last time these two sides met was back in 2017 when a certain Arsene Wenger was the Arsenal manager. It was a cold January night at the Deepdale Stadium where Wenger's side walked away 2-1 victors.
It was not plane sailing that evening, however, as Preston went 1-0 up after just seven minutes through Callum Robinson before Arron Ramsey levelled the game just after halftime.
It took an 89th-minute winner from Oliver Giroud to see the Gunners through to the fourth round of the FA Cup, a competition they went on to win come May beating Chelsea in the final.
Arteta will be hoping for an easier night ahead when his side travel to Deepdale on Wednesday but with a number of injury concerns and players needing rest he may have to field a rotated side.
Preston will be looking to cause an upset which can change the course of their season. The Championship outfit currently sit in 16th with only 14 points from 12 games this season, a tally Paul Heckingbottom will be looking to improve on no doubt.
A win against title-chasing Arsenal might be the boost his side needs but getting something from this game will definitely be easier said than done.
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Team News
Preston North End
The Lilywhites' injury room has a number of casualties at the moment with Chad Evans out due to muscle discomfort, Patrick Bauer missing with an elbow injury and Will Keane still nursing a tendon problem which will keep him out till late November.
Robbie Brady will also miss the game after he twisted his ankle in the draw at the weekend against Plymouth. There was a slight hope he may be able to feature but it is more likely he will be rested for this game rather than risked.
Milutin Osmajic is also unavailable for Preston after the Montenegrin striker appeared to bite Blackburn Rovers defender Owen Beck in their game a few weeks ago. Osmajic is facing an eight-game ban for this offence and will not future on Wednesday.
Heckingbottom will be hoping Josh Bowler is ready to play after he has been missing due to illness, this would be a good alternative to Brady if he come through for the game.
Arsenal
Just as William Saliba returns from his one-game suspension his centre-back partner Gabriel Magalhães finds himself on the sideline after hurting his knee in the match with Liverpool. The Brazilian is a doubt for the game on Wednesday and really should be rested given the tough set of fixtures Arsenal have in the coming weeks.
Jurrien Timber is also a doubt after going off at the weekend with what is thought to just be cramp, but after only making a return from injury on Sunday it would be safer to rest the Dutchman rather than risk another injury.
Riccardo Calafiroi is most likely to still be absent following a knee injury as well as their captain Martin Odegaard who is still working his way back from an ankle injury he sustained back in September.
Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are still missing with knee and hamstring issues.
On loan goalkeeper Neto is cup-tied which saw 16-year-old Jack Porter start against Bolton in the last round, but fans may see 18-year-old Tommy Setford between the sticks after he was injured for the previous round.
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Likely Line-ups
Preston North End
Woodman; Kesler-Hayden, Hughes, Lindsay, Storey, Potts; Whiteman, Frokjaer-Jensen, Ledson; Greenwood, Riis
Arsenal
Setford; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Nwaneri, Jorginho, Rice; Sterling, Jesus, Martinelli
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Key Players
Preston North End - Sam Greenwood
A former Arsenal youth player Same Greenwood is on loan to Preston from Leeds United this season and has so far scored four goals for this new side, two in the league and two in the cup.
Preston fans are starting to see the best of Greenwood after a slow start and being sent off at home to Blackburn in September. He has scored in back-to-back games in his last two and got the first in the draw with Plymouth at the weekend. He also provided an assist during the 2-2 draw with Norwich as well as scoring a penalty.
Being used as the "10" by Heckingbottom this season Greenwood tries to get on the ball in the final third to create changes for his team. Not only does he offer his side a lot when in possession, the loanee gives a lot out of it too.
He is a keen presser of the ball and will look to put pressure on the back line of Arsenal at any opportunity, if Preston are to get anything from this game Greenwood will need to be on top form and will most likely play a key part in proceedings.
Arsenal - Ethan Nwaneri
The youngest-ever Premier League debutant has been on the radar of many Arsenal fans for some time, but this season has seen the England youth international given the most amount of minutes in the first team than he has before.
Nwaneri has featured four times in the league this season, all from the bench with only ten minutes or less, but that is beside the point. A 17-year-old featuring on the bench of a team going for the title is credit to him and his undeniable talent.
In the one start he has made this season Nwaneri managed two goals in a standout performance against Bolton in the previous round. Displaying his fantastic dribbling ability and close control along with his positioning and superb timing of runs into the box.
The future is very bright for the Hale End graduate and he will be hoping to get his second start of the season on Wednesday night. It will be a perfect game to use Nwaneri as Arsenal you assume will control much of the possession and will look towards their young start to find an opening or create for others.
Arteta has a lot of faith in the teenager so a start against Preston will not be a shock to anyone who knows of his ability.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The match will be played at the home of Preston North End, the Deepdale Stadium in Lancashire.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 19.45 GMT on Wednesday, 30 October 2024.
How can I watch?
The game will be available live on Sky Sports+. Highlights of the match will also be available to watch on YouTube.
