Preston North End vs Arsenal Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 English League Cup | Round of 16
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Championship side Preston North End host Arsenal, who have already dispatched one Lancashire club in this season’s Carabao Cup, thrashing Bolton Wanderers 5-1 in the third round.
KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Wednesday 30th October 2024: UK – 7:45pm / US ET – 3:45pm / US PT – 12:45pm
HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – Sky Sports+ / US – CBS Sports Network
HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Sky Go / US – Paramount+
PRESTON NORTH END PREVIEW: FREE HIT FOR PNE AFTER CHAMPIONSHIP COLLAPSES
For the second Championship match running, Preston North End have thrown away a multiple-goal advantage, costing themselves four points in the process. Paul Heckingbottom’s side were two-goals up at home to Norwich, before being pegged back to 2-2 and it got even worse for them this past Saturday. Three goals ahead and cruising against Plymouth, PNE crumbled in dramatic circumstances.
Wayne Rooney’s Argyle rallied in the final in unbelievable fashion, pulling a goal back soon after PNE had added their third, before making it 2-3 with eight minutes of normal time to play. Then deep into stoppage time, PNE surrendered their lead as Plymouth equalised at the death. Whilst a plum cup draw against Arsenal represents the ideal distraction, those missed opportunities will surely be at the back of their minds.
ARSENAL PREVIEW: INJURIES STARTING TO PILE UP
Mikel Arteta has plenty of worry about from an Arsenal perspective with injuries coming thick and fast, along with the unrelenting fixture list. Gabriel and Jurrien Timber were the latest two affected, both subbed off in Arsenal’s rollercoaster 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League, a game which saw the Gunners take the lead twice, but be pegged back both times.
Whilst some may argue that the Carabao Cup represents a distraction in the face of Premier League and Champions League commitments, Arteta has fielded a number of his best players across the competition so far and is clearly putting a lot of stock into the tournament.
PRESTON NORTH END TEAM NEWS: OSMAJIC REMAINS SUSPENDED, BRADY INJURED
A nasty injury suffered by Robbie Brady this past weekend has ruled him out with ankle ligament damage. Milutin Osmajic is still suspended for biting Blackburn’s Owen Beck, but winger Josh Bowler has recovered from illness and should feature at some point whether it be from the start or the bench.
PREDICTED XI (3-5-2): Woodman; Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Kesler-Hayden, McCann, Frokjaer-Jensen, Whiteman, McCann, Potts; Greenwood, Riis
UNAVAILABLE: Brady (Injured), Osmajic (Suspended)
QUESTIONABLE:
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS: SALIBA BACK FOLLOWING SUSPENSION
Whether he plays or not is up for debate but centre-back William Saliba will be available for Arsenal at Deepdale after serving a one-game suspension on Sunday. Mikel Arteta may be forced into fielding one of his star men when taking into account the injuries to numerous other defenders such as Gabriel, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori.
PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Zinchenko; Nwaneri, Jorginho, Merino; Sterling, Jesus, Martinelli
UNAVAILABLE: Odegaard (Injured), Tierney (Injured), Tomiyasu (Injured)
QUESTIONABLE: Calafiori (Injured), Gabriel (Injured), Timber (Injured)
PRESTON NORTH END VS ARSENAL PREDICTION
Although Arsenal won’t be at their strongest, especially from a defensive standpoint, they will surely prove a class above for a team in the Championship. Across 90 minutes, Preston are likely to struggling keeping the visitors contained and it feels like only a matter of time before Arsenal eventually break through the PNE backline.
Whilst Preston should be able to carve out a few chances of their own, expect the quality of Arsenal to win out and ensure a fairly routine victory for the Gunners. Therefore, back an away win by at least two clear goals.
PRESTON NORTH END VS ARSENAL TIP: ARSENAL TO WIN WITH -1 HANDICAP
