Morning all.

Have you heard the joke about the two hard of hearing guys who go into a pub, buy a beer each only to find out they’ve had to pay an extra fiver because there’s a live country and western band playing later in the evening? No, Google it, it’s funny albeit naughty..

Anyway, Arsenal are in Preston tonight for a League Cup fixture against the Championship club. I’d rather the game was at The Emirates but hey, we can’t have good fortune all of the time. Yes, I’m being ironic. Sky Sports+ are showing the game, no doubt desperate to see an upset.

I have no idea what to expect from Preston North End this evening so I’ve had a route around the internet to find out. The EFL is 12 games in and Preston have won just 3. They’ve scored 13 goals but conceded 17 which would suggest defending is not their strong point. Their last game was away against Plymouth when at 3-0 up after 50 minutes played, they ended up drawing 3-3. Their last home game which was against Norwich, having led 2-0 early in the game, 2-2 was the final score.

However, the result and performance one should perhaps focus on more than their league fixtures is the defeat of Fulham in the last round of this competition. As an oft made statement suggests, league form goes out the window when Cup matches come along and Marco Silva’s team certainly found that out. Admittedly, it took a penalty shootout to decide the result but for over an hour, Preston were leading 1-1. Reiss Nelson was the player to take the game to penalties. 31 spot kicks later, Fulham were beaten. The Premier League side had 70% possession but couldn’t turn possession into goals.

Arsenal’s Adrian Clarke says Preston are aggressive out of possession and largely well organised, usually deploying three at the back although of late they have also tinkered with 4-2-3-1 in a bid to be more attacking. Sharp interplay and movement will be the best way to create space against this opponent suggests Clarke and punting crosses or high balls into the box is not a good idea because Preston are good at defending them. Players to watch out for are former Arsenal youngster Sam Greenwood who has been in great form and their striker Emil Riis. 

As far as injuries go, Mikel Arteta said that Gabriel’s injury doesn’t look too bad but Riccardo Calafiori is out for a few weeks. Jurrien Timber is fit and healthy and Martin Odegaard isn’t far away from returning but “there are still a few boxes to tick.”

Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney remain out which is shame as I’m sure both would have played otherwise. .

Preston are set to be without Robbie Brady. Ched Evans, Patrick Bauer and Will Keane.

Mikel Arteta in his pre-match interview:

We will try to find the right balance. We have very demanding matches now, in different competitions. We want to win them all and we have to start against Preston to get the momentum again and we’ll put a strong team out. It’s important because it keeps everybody alive. It maintains the winning habit which is really, really important, and it shows you care about every competition, regardless of what you play. You have to compete for every match you are in, or you are out. The margins are so small and tomorrow (today) we are going to face a really tough opponent.

I know it’s often said that a season is about one game at a time but with Newcastle, Inter Milan and Chelsea away to play within 8 days, surely tonight is about squad players and a few other youngsters. Maldini Kacurri and Josh Nichols are a possibility with both having featured in the last round and Myles Lewis-Skelly along with Ethan Nwaneri must have one foot on the team sheet.  Then there is Raheem Sterling, Gabriel Jesus, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho who should be desperate to start. No doubt one of Declan Rice, Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino will start too and possibly David Raya and Ben White unless our young keeper Jack Porter starts again. Neto is cup-tied of course. If Jurrien Timber and Bukayo Saka need minutes for fitness reasons, perhaps they’ll be involved too.

Catch up in the comments.