SETTABLOID

Arsenal returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Preston North End in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday night.

Gunners manager Mikel Arteta made eight changes from the 2-2 Premier League draw against Liverpool last weekend.

The London giants dominated proceedings at Deepdale and could have easily scored more than three goals last night.

Mikel Merino got the nod to start against Preston. He had a brilliant opening half before being replaced by Kai Havertz.

The Spaniard scored his maiden Arsenal goal in the thrilling draw against the Reds on Sunday.

He did not get any clear-cut chances yesterday and was brilliant from midfield with a passing accuracy of 100 percent.

The experienced ace also won 100% of his duels with a couple of successful tackles.

Merino had a difficult start after the international break as he struggled to cope with the high pressing at Bournemouth.

However, he has responded brilliantly over the past few outings where Arteta has played him in a central midfield role.

The experiment of starting him as the number 10 against the Cherries did not work.

The Spaniard has returned to a more familiar position and looks to be finding his best form for Arsenal.

Merino is expected to start in midfield alongside Declan Rice in Saturday’s league game against Newcastle United.

With Gabriel Magalhaes doubtful with a knee injury, Ben White could be asked to partner William Saliba in central defence.

Arsenal registered a convincing 3-0 win over Preston North End in the Carabao Cup fourth round last night.

Raheem Sterling was another attacking player who grabbed our attention with his performance

The Englishman started from the right wing last night and he had a reasonably good opening half.

However, he stepped up with his performance after Gabriel Martinelli’s substitution at the hour mark.

Sterling was fantastic after switching to the left wing. He was unlucky to not find the net in the end.

The 29-year-old was denied by goalkeeper Freddie Woodman in the 63rd minute with a double save.

The winger looked set to score in the final seconds, but Brad Potts made a superb goalline clearance.

Sterling cut a frustrated figure after the final whistle, but he showed plenty of promise last night.

The Chelsea loanee is starting to find his form under Arteta which is a good thing for the Gunners.

Aside from three shots on target, Sterling completed six dribbles yesterday with seven duels won.

His performance may not be enough to start in Saturday’s Premier League game at Newcastle United.

However, he has certainly sent a message to the manager that he can be an option off the bench.

Mikel Arteta believes Arsenal young midfielder Ethan Nwaneri is ready for a breakthrough into the first team after a standout performance in the Gunners’ 3-0 victory over Preston in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.

The 17-year-old scored a stunning goal to help secure Arsenal’s spot in the competition’s quarter-finals, adding to his growing list of impressive displays this season.

In the dominant win at Deepdale, Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring, Kai Havertz added another, and Nwaneri capped it with a spectacular second goal—a curling left-footed strike from outside the penalty area.

Asked if Ethan Nwaneri is ready for a more regular first-team role, Arteta was confident. “Certainly! If not, he wouldn’t have played tonight, or three days ago against Liverpool,” the Arsenal boss said. “He’s there. He’s showing every day what he’s capable of. You see his teammates trust him—they give him the ball all the time. That’s a great sign. We’ve got some player there.”

Arsenal and Mikel Arteta will be hoping a dominant Carabao Cup victory over Preston can increase confidence levels heading into the weekend clash at Newcastle. Gabriel Jesus, Ethan Nwaneri and Kai Havertz were all on target at Deepdale with the Gunners sealing a spot in the quarter-finals as a result.

Ben White and Gabriel Magalhaes both missed the clash because of differing issues with Arteta hopeful both can make Saturday’s trip to St James’ Park. With a return to Premier League action on the horizon, Arsenal will be keen to avoid a three-game winless run following the draw with Liverpool and previous weekend’s loss to Bournemouth.

Mikel Arteta’s side currently sit in third, four points behind leaders Liverpool, with Man City occupying second place after their last-gasp win over Wolves. All three teams now have challenging fixtures before and after the November international break.

The hard fixtures continue for Arsenal as they make the long trip to St James’ Park for a clash against Crystal Palace. Last season’s fixture at the same venue was engulfed in controversy as the Magpies won 1-0 with it just one of five league defeats the Gunners suffered.

Mikel Arteta is set to face the press after Arsenal’s Carabao Cup fourth round clash with Preston North End at Deepdale.

The Gunners were totally dominant from the off and got in front when Gabriel Jesus hammered home Jakub Kiwior’s knockdown for his first goal since January.

Then came something a little special as Ethan Nwaneri took his chance yet again by curling home a beauty of an effort from the edge of the box.

Substitute Kai Havertz then added a third with a thumping header before the hour mark to secure the game.

There were chances to add a fourth through Raheem Sterling and Jesus again. Ultimately though Arsenal declared on three having secured safe passage into quarter finals for the first time since 2021.

One man of the match tonight – Ethan Nwaneri. He grabs his opportunity with two hands yet again! Good evening’s work for Gabriel Jesus and Jakub Kiwior too.

Arsenal secured comfortable progression into the Carabao Cup quarter finals with a 3-0 victory over Preston North End.

The Gunners were dominant from the off at Deepdale and got in front when Gabriel Jesus hammered home Jakub Kiwior’s knockdown for his first goal since January. Then came something a little special as Ethan Nwaneri took his chance yet again by curling home a beauty of an effort from the edge of the box.

Substitute Kai Havertz then added a third with a thumping header before the hour mark to secure the game.

Tommy Setford: A smooth debut for the 18-year-old. Had very little to do on the night in terms of saves and was decent enough with his distribution. 7.

Jurrien Timber: Got forward really well down the right flank. His final ball to Raheem Sterling on two occasions was a little off though. 7.

William Saliba: A very steady return to the side for the Frenchman. Slight surprise to see him play as many minutes as he did but Arteta clearly wanted to go strong. 7.

Jakub Kiwior: Two assists from centre back! His second for Kai Havertz in particular was a superb cross. Really solid defensively aside from that. 8.

Oleksandr Zinchenko: It’s been a tough few weeks for the Ukrainian but he was really solid at Preston. Inverted well, was secure in possession and created a few overloads down the left. 7.

Jorginho: This level of match is a doddle for the Italian. Looked effortless throughout as he led the midfield. Did his chances of more first team minutes no harm at all. 7.

Ethan Nwaneri: The 17-year-old is simply remarkable for someone so young. He might be so good that we have to forget about his age. The goal exhibited the sort of main character energy that seasoned pros at the top of the game for years have. Absolutely superb. 9.

Mikel Merino: A mature performance from the Spaniard. Nearly got a superb assist for Nwaneri. Led the youngster through the game. 7.

Raheem Sterling: Just wouldn’t go in for him on the night. Looked bright in attacking areas and created chances for his teammates. Defensively a touch lax at times though. 7.

Gabriel Jesus: My word did he need that goal. Celebrated it with real weight off his shoulders. Good all night aside from that and his movement was superb. 8.

Gabriel Martinelli: A quiet night for the Brazilian. Took a whack in the first half but fought hard after. Might have wanted a goal against this opposition. 6.

SUBSTITUTES –

Kai Havertz: A brilliant header for his goal. The kind the German has made a real habit of since rediscovering his scoring touch. 8.

Thomas Partey: Preston did get some early joy down his side after he came on at right back. Eventually managed to lock it down though. 6.

Bukayo Saka: Lively as ever down the right hand side when he came on. Slightly strange to see him after his recent hamstring troubles though. 7.

Myles Lewis-Skelly: Another solid cameo from Lewis-Skelly. Defended one potentially perilous moment in front of his own goal with poise. Showed versatility to move into midfield. 7.

As Arsenal prepare for their EFL Cup Round of 16 match against Preston North End tonight, manager Mikel Arteta has sparked excitement by hinting that summer signing Tommy Setford could make his much-anticipated debut.

The Gunners, who are eyeing a spot in the quarterfinals of the competition, come off a decisive 5-1 victory over Bolton Wanderers in the previous round. That match saw Arsenal fans witness a historic moment as 16-year-old Jack Porter took to the field, becoming the club’s youngest-ever goalkeeper.

Now, Arteta’s latest comments suggest the possibility of another new face between the posts at the Emirates this evening.

Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Arteta addressed Setford’s potential involvement, saying, “Obviously, we brought him in because we know he has the qualities we’re looking for in a goalkeeper, but unfortunately he’s been injured, so he hasn’t really had a chance to play. Let’s see if he will play [against Preston].”

Arsenal take on Preston North End in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday evening, and Ethan Nwaneri is one of the young stars who could be set to start in the clash at Deepdale.

The 17-year-old has made five appearances for the Gunners so far this season, including one start in the Carabao Cup. During that clash against Bolton, Nwaneri was on the scoresheet twice, his first professional goals for the club.

While excitement is high over the young talent, Mikel Arteta has been careful with his young star, despite making him the youngest ever Premier League player when giving him his Arsenal debut at the age of 15 as a substitute against Brentford.

When asked about the possibility of Nwaneri and young teammate Myles Lewis-Skelly starting against Liverpool last weekend, Arteta said: “They are in contention. They always give us the option and the possibility to start the game. Myles came on the other night and he did really well. Ethan the same. They are first-team players. They are with us and we treat them and value the same way as any other player.”

Arsenal go from the frenetic title-impacting clash with Liverpool to a game perhaps totally at the other end of the spectrum, yet for many fans is equal in importance. The Gunners travel to Preston North End for their fourth-round League Cup clash with a chance to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2022 when they managed to progress to the semi-finals before being eliminated by Liverpool.

The competition has been a disappointment for more than three decades with the last victory in the competition coming in 1993. While certainly at the bottom of Mikel Arteta’s priorities with the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup above it, winning a major trophy has not been achieved since 2020 and this has only raised the pressure on the manager.

What is perhaps so interesting about this game is with so many question marks over player fitness and availability, rotating the squad for a fixture with lower-league opposition creates many challenges and questions.

With Neto cup-tied and David Raya available, unlike in the third round when Jack Porter made his debut against Bolton, the Spaniard must come in. Even now Tommy Setford, the young stopper signed in the summer from Ajax, is now fit having also been out injured, it makes sense for Raya to continue.

Jarred Gillett, a Liverpool supporter, has been assigned to the VAR booth for the match between Arsenal and Newcastle this weekend. This will mark the fourth time this season that Gillett has played a direct role in an Arsenal game, either as the referee or as the VAR official, raising eyebrows among fans and pundits alike.

Gillett’s previous involvement in Arsenal fixtures has not been without controversy. Most notably, during the Gunners’ clash against Bournemouth, Gillett intervened to recommend a red card for William Saliba, resulting in the defender’s suspension for a crucial match against Liverpool, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

His increasing presence in Arsenal games—40% of their Premier League fixtures so far—contrasts sharply with other officials, none of whom have officiated more than two Arsenal matches this season.

Arsenal supporters remember Gillett’s controversial handling of incidents in their opening game against Wolves, where he failed to book Yerson Mosquera for two serious fouls, including an incident involving Kai Havertz. Although Arsenal won the match, Gillett’s leniency was met with widespread criticism.