Ipswich Town v Arsenal: Carabao Cup third round – live
⚽️ Carabao Cup news, 8pm BST kick-off at Portman Road
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30 min: Flemming looks sharp for Ipswich, dropping deep to hold the ball up.
29 min: Zubimendi makes an off-the-ball run from right-back and finds himself up top … the ball lands with Dowman, who has an effort from outside the area blocked.
27 min: A fine move from Ipswich. They break down the left, Ouattara sends the ball into the area for Flemming, who lays it off with his first touch to Mehmeti. He can’t keep his effort down but it’s much better from the hosts, moving swiftly on the counter.
25 min: Merino, leading Arsenal tonight, fouls McAteer to give Ipswich a free-kick from far out. Núñez sends it into the area … but it doesn’t cause any real trouble.
22 min: Madueke follows a stepover with a lovely, low, teasing ball across goal. It’s cleared away but he’s causing problems.
20 min: Ipswich are starting to play. Philogene has a chance to take on Zubimendi … but the converted right-back wins the duel.
19 min: McAteer wins the ball off Eze and drives down the right wing for Ipswich … the move eventually leading to a chance for Flemming inside the area, but his volley is blocked by Salmon.
Guimarães wins it high up the pitch, Merino’s deflected ball finds Madueke inside the area … and he puts his left foot through it, the power too much for Walton. Arsenal are all over Ipswich.
Arsenal’s relentless press creates a second.
13 min: Ipswich have a rare spell on the ball as Arteta points in various directions on the touchline.
11 min: Arsenal appeal for handball after Eze tries to make room for a shot inside the area.
10 min: Dowman is playing centrally, with Eze over on the left wing.
Dowman wins the ball in midfield, plays it to Eze on his left before getting the return ball. He drives forward, shimmies past Kipré with ease to leave the centre-half on the floor, and slots it in with ease inside the area. Too easy for the teenager.
6 min: Ipswich finally have a chance to wheel it around at the back.
5 min: Arsenal cut their way through the press before they’re crowded out inside the Ipswich area. The visitors are dominating possession.
3 min: Madueke has room on the right, works it central and Guimarães launches an effort from outside the area … into traffic.
2 min: Eze drops deep as Arsenal knock it around at the back, with Ipswich pressing high.
1 min: Zubimendi is at right-back for Arsenal.
Let’s get going. The hosts kick things off.
As a British-born Canadian, who has shuttled back and forth over the Atlantic for six decades, when I get back to England I seek out cherished beverages past and present that are unavailable or only sporadically found in Canada: orange squash, ginger beer, Theakston’s Old Peculier, real bitter, etc. What is Carabao? What does it taste like? And, perhaps most important, what are the cultural assumptions British people make about Carabao drinkers? I’m old enough to know that no seemingly benign refreshment decision in the UK is made without social consequences.
I’ll be honest, Allan, I’ve never tried it. Not sure I’ve seen anyone else do so either.
With Enciso on the bench, Arsenal will win. It’s too bad for Ipswich’s lack of courage.
Gary O’Neil says it was “a tough choice” between Zian Flemming and Chuba Akpom to start up front. The former will lead the line for Ipswich. Mikel Arteta refuses to say if it’ll be a back three for his side. “Let’s see,” he says, smiling.
In case you’re wondering: VAR won’t be in operation tonight at Portman Road.
Scott Murray is keeping tabs on Liverpool against Spurs.
Marli Salmon, 17, makes his second start for Arsenal. He’s not the youngest in the XI, of course. Max Dowman plays for the first time this campaign.
Arsenal make nine changes to the XI that beat Sunderland – and the formation’s a little bit of a mystery. Jacob Greaves is the only survivor from the Ipswich side that started against Crystal Palace on the weekend. This is pure Carabao.
Ipswich: Walton, Furlong, Kipré, Greaves, Ouattara, Florentino, Núñez, McAteer, Mehmeti, Philogene, Flemming
Subs: Palmer, Davis, O’Shea, Lukic, Walle Egeli, Enciso, Maeda, Clarke, Akpom
Arsenal: Arrizabalaga, Salmon, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Merino, Guimarães, Madueke, Dowman, Eze, Gyökeres
Subs: Meslier, Konsa, Calafiori, Ibrahim, Julienne, Tzolis, Saka, Ødegaard, Havertz
I’ve just remembered that I was present to watch Ipswich’s League Cup exit last year.
In the last 30 years, Ipswich have faced Arsenal six times in the league and failed to win a single game. The League Cup, though? That’s brought some joy for the Tractor Boys. There was a 2-1 third-round win for the visitors at Highbury in November 2000 (let me know if you remember that one well). A more significant occasion arrived a decade later, when they met in the semi-finals and Tamas Priskin scored the only goal in the first leg at Portman Road. But Arsenal triumphed 3-0 at the Emirates, reaching a final they ended up losing to Birmingham City, Obafemi Martins nabbing the winner at Wembley. Even I would’ve scored from there.
That’s been Arsenal main story in this comp for quite some time now – finishing just short. They’ve reached four finals this century and lost them all, including defeat this year against Manchester City, Nico O’Reilly’s brace getting in the way. This is the one domestic trophy Mikel Arteta hasn’t lifted at Arsenal, a box that still needs ticking, his latest crack at it starting tonight at 8pm BST. Drop me a line and let’s guzzle some of that sweet, sweet Carabao together (other drinks are available).