Arsenal begin their quest to end a 30-year drought without an EFL Cup honour to their name when Brighton & Hove Albion visit the Emirates for the third round on Wednesday evening.
While the Gunners enter at this stage of the competition, the Seagulls have already had to defeat Forest Green Rovers 3-0 to make it this far.
Match preview
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Almost every question that has been asked of Arsenal's Premier League title credentials has been answered by Mikel Arteta's young guns, and their only complaint from Sunday's 1-0 win over Chelsea is that the margin of victory at Stamford Bridge was not greater.
Arsenal kept former captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and the rest of the Chelsea attack at bay with ease, and Gabriel Magalhaes was on hand to poke home Bukayo Saka's goal-bound corner in the 63rd minute to see the Gunners restore their two-point lead over Manchester City at the top.
More and more Gooners are now starting to believe that a charge for Premier League glory can be sustained, but Arteta's side must now turn their attention to the EFL Cup, a competition that they have only won twice in their history and most recently in the 1992-93 season.
The North London club did make it to the semi-finals last year, impressively holding Liverpool to a goalless draw at Anfield in the first leg with 10 men before losing 2-0 at the Emirates, and not since the 2014-15 season have they gone out in the third round.
Arteta's side enter the midweek contest on the back of three straight wins and three straight clean sheets in all tournaments, and their streak of victories at the Emirates now stands at 12 matches, but Brighton should be no pushovers by any stretch.
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Five goals were on the menu when Brighton & Hove Albion put Chelsea to the sword two weekends ago, and another quintet of strikes flew in at Molineux in the latest round of Premier League matches, but this one was a much more close-run affair.
Adam Lallana and Karou Mitoma struck for the Seagulls either side of Goncalo Guedes and Ruben Neves's efforts, but after Nelson Semedo was sent off for a last-man foul on Mitoma, Brighton took advantage to finish through Pascal Gross in the 83rd minute.
Maintaining an unlikely European charge will undoubtedly be the goal for Roberto De Zerbi as his side lie sixth in the rankings after 13 matches, but a deep cup run would also be welcomed by the Amex faithful, whose side have never gone all the way in the EFL Cup.
The Seagulls have suffered two fourth-round exits to Manchester United and Leicester City in the past two seasons, and a rotated side comfortably saw off Forest Green Rovers 3-0 in the second round, but Brighton travel to the Emirates having conceded at least twice in each of their last five away matches.
Arsenal failed to win either of their Premier League meetings with Brighton last year - drawing 0-0 at the Amex before a 2-1 loss at the Emirates back in April - and the visitors may possess that little glimmer of hope given how Arteta's second-string side have failed to dominate games in the Europa League this term.
Team News
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Aside from long-term groin absentee Emile Smith Rowe, Arsenal's only other injury concern at the minute is Takehiro Tomiyasu, who came off with a muscular problem against FC Zurich in the Europa League and was not involved against Chelsea.
The severity of the 23-year-old's problem has not been officially disclosed, but his absence should allow Cedric Soares to make his first start of the season at right-back as Arteta rotates before the weekend's Premier League contest with Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Matt Turner has recovered from a groin injury and should take the place of Aaron Ramsdale in goal, while Kieran Tierney, Rob Holding, Albert Sambi Lokonga, Fabio Vieira and Eddie Nketiah should also be in line for starts.
As for the Seagulls, Jakub Moder is the sole injury concern for De Zerbi at present as the midfielder remains on the long road to recovery from his knee injury, which could keep him sidelined until the end of February.
Changes can be expected from the visitors too, with Jason Steele, Tariq Lamptey and Billy Gilmour hoping to earn opportunities to impress, but De Zerbi will still look to put a team out capable of producing a shock result at the Emirates.
One man who could also benefit from some rotation is former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck, who faces his old employers after scoring 32 goals in 126 games for the Gunners, but he is yet to find the back of the net this season.
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Turner; Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Elneny, Lokonga; Marquinhos, Vieira, Nelson; Nketiah
Brighton & Hove Albion possible starting lineup:
Steele; Veltman, Dunk, Colwill; Lamptey, Caicedo, Gilmour, Mitoma; March, Welbeck, Trossard
We say: Arsenal 2-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Arsenal's reserve players have not been able to dominate teams in the same way that Arteta's main men have this term, and a Brighton side who could choose to name a relatively strong XI know that the pressure is firmly off in North London.
The home crowd should not expect to witness an Emirates mauling here, but Brighton's defensive frailties on the road should be exposed by an in-form Arsenal as the Gunners book their place in round four.
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Top tip
Ben Knapton
