After both teams came away with thrilling draws over the weekend, Preston North End and Arsenal are preparing for an EFL Cup showdown at Deepdale on Wednesday evening, with a quarter-final spot on the line.
Notably, these two clubs are the only teams in English football history to have completed a top-flight season as “Invincibles.”
Arsenal reached the fourth round with an emphatic 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers, showcasing their attacking flair, while Preston North End progressed in dramatic fashion by winning a remarkable penalty shootout against Fulham, one of the most memorable in recent years.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot praised Arsenal for being the first team to truly outplay his side for a stretch during their recent clash, where Arsenal led 2-1 at halftime, demonstrating dominance at the Emirates.
However, Mikel Arteta’s defense faced added challenges as they played without suspended William Saliba, only to see Gabriel Magalhaes pick up an injury.
Liverpool capitalized on this and managed to level the score through Mohamed Salah’s last-minute goal, leaving Arsenal with a four-goal thriller draw.
The draw meant Arsenal missed out on a crucial victory, which leaves them trailing Manchester City, the Premier League leaders, by five points.
Still, Arsenal impressed in the previous round of the EFL Cup against Bolton, where 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri scored twice, and they’re determined to avoid another early exit after being eliminated in the fourth round last season by West Ham United.
Arsenal has not claimed the EFL Cup title in 31 years, and they’re keen to make a deep run this time around.
Arteta’s team also hopes to recover from their first domestic loss of 2024, which came against Bournemouth earlier in October.
Both Arteta and Preston manager Paul Heckingbottom share frustrations about conceding late goals; however, Arsenal’s case may be somewhat more pressing given their competitive goals.
While Arsenal was busy facing Liverpool, Preston took on Plymouth Argyle in a Championship match that seemed to be under control at 3-0.
However, Plymouth mounted a stunning comeback to tie the match 3-3, with Morgan Whittaker securing the equalizer. Despite this disappointment, Preston is on an unbeaten run of five games.
Preston’s impressive penalty shootout win over Fulham, where they advanced through a record-breaking 16-15 scoreline, has been a source of pride.
However, they currently sit in 16th place in the Championship, with just 14 points from 12 games.
Preston has also struggled in recent cup clashes against Arsenal, having lost their last three knockout matches to them, including a notable FA Cup tie in the 2016-17 season when Olivier Giroud scored a decisive late goal.
As Arsenal prepares for this clash, they welcome back defender William Saliba from suspension, but face more injury issues.
Gabriel’s knee injury and Jurrien Timber’s recent cramping against Liverpool leave the backline shorthanded.
Other sidelined players include Riccardo Calafiori (knee), Martin Ødegaard (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), and Kieran Tierney (hamstring).
For goalkeeping, with second-choice Neto unavailable due to being cup-tied, 16-year-old Jack Porter made history as Arsenal’s youngest-ever starting goalkeeper in their last cup match against Bolton.
There’s a possibility that another young debutant, Tommy Setford, born in 2006, could step in this time.
Alongside him, youngsters such as Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, and Josh Nichols might be given opportunities to contribute as Arteta looks to manage his squad depth while competing across multiple fronts.
