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As noted in the intro, Mikel Arteta has not taken the EFL Cup lightly in his stint as Arsenal boss.
He’d have every right to, given that the Gunners are in the midst of a busy fixture schedule that incorporates Premier League and Champions League action, but all the signs are that he’s going to field a strong side on Tuesday evening.
Fleetwood defeated Chesterfield and Shrewsbury Town in the opening rounds of the EFL Cup, before delivering a giant-killing blow to Sheffield United at their ironically-named Highbury Stadium in their previous outing in the competition.
They will have their work cut out on Tuesday, but this is a huge game for Fleetwood… and they will give it both barrels.
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Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal Tips
Arsenal to Win to Nil @ 1/2 (Bet365)
Arsenal Goals Range: 2-4 @ 4/7 (Bet365)
Arsenal to Score in Both Halves @ 1/2 (Bet365)
Odds courtesy of Bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Away Day Domination
In their EFL Cup third round outing against Ipswich Town, Arteta fielded Kepa Arrizabalaga in goal, Gabriel, Myles Lewis-Skelly and Martin Zubimendi in defence – alongside highly-rated youngster Marli Salmon – and a midfield pivot of Bruno Guimaraes and Mikel Merino.
That's a spine of a team that could compete at the top end of the Premier League, and when you consider Arteta’s attacking options on the day – Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke, Max Dowman and co – they surely have far too much firepower for a Fleetwood side battling at the wrong end of the League Two table.
The Cod Army are just outside of the relegation places in the fourth tier, but have played more games than most of the teams below them.
So this EFL Cup jaunt has been a nice distraction, but the bottom line is that they are around 80 or so places below Arsenal in the English football pyramid for a reason.
Assuming Arteta takes this game as seriously as he normally does in the EFL Cup, it’s hard to see anything other than a comfortable Arsenal victory – with Arsenal keeping clean sheets in six of their last EFL ties, and winning five of seven away ties in all competitions this season.
Tip: Arsenal to Win to Nil @ 1/2 (Bet365)
Explanation: Our bet lands if Arsenal win this game and don’t concede a goal.
A Class Above
The challenge of betting on EFL Cup games ahead of time is trying to second-guess the strength of the side that Arteta will field.
Based on his selections in the Gunners’ 2-0 victory over Everton on Saturday, there’s a chance that the likes of Gyokeres, Dowman and Guimaraes could start against Fleetwood.
Sprinkle in some of Arsenal’s impressive youth team, and you have the potential for a tough evening for Fleetwood – they’ve conceded six in their last pair of League Two outings.
With just one clean sheet since September 16, surely Fleetwood’s leaky defence will yield to Arsenal’s extra class?
Tip: Arsenal Goals Range: 2-4 @ 4/7 (Bet365)
Explanation: Our bet lands if Arsenal score two, three or four goals.
No Half Measures
The beauty of playing fringe players and youngsters in these kinds of fixtures is that they’re hungry to impress.
So don’t expect any let-up if Arsenal take an early lead at Highbury… which lends itself to a Gunners masterclass from first whistle until the last.
We expect them to win and score a handful of goals along the way, so this market – backing Arteta’s side to notch in both halves – seems fair value as a result. It's a market which has landed in Arsenal's last two matches, against Arsenal and Bayern Munich, as well as Arsenal's EFL win over Ipswich in September.
Tip: Arsenal to Score in Both Halves @ 1/2 (Bet365)
Explanation: Our bet lands if Arsenal score at least once in the first half and at least once in the second half, too.
Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal: Match result odds
These odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
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