Port Vale will have the monumental task of facing one of the best sides in English football this week. Arsenal are looking to breeze past the Valiants in a third round clash. Against the odds, could another giant killing see the third tier side progress?
EFL Cup
Our Three Predictions for Port Vale vs Arsenal
- First Prediction: Ethan Nwaneri to score anytime 6/5
- Second Prediction: Arsenal over 4.5 goals 29/10
- Third Prediction: Gabriel Martinelli to score anytime 13/10
Betting odds are correct at time of writing via MyriadPlay
First Prediction for Port Vale vs Arsenal – Ethan Nwaneri to score anytime 6/5
Ethan Nwaneri could be expected to flourish in an attacking Arsenal side this week. The young winger, who can operate exceptionally well in ‘the Martin Odegaard role’, will likely start the EFL Cup meeting with Port Vale. The 18-year-old has only featured three times in the Premier League this season, starting none. The impetus will be on Nwaneri to showcase his ability against lower league opposition.
Port Vale may sit back and defend their area formidably to begin with. However, Mikel Arteta’s side are brilliant at being able to break down low-block sides in the top-flight. The comparison to Grimsby Town’s giant killing against Manchester United could see some Vale fans hopeful of an upset, but the pace, trickery and attacking quality of Nwaneri could prove too much.
The 18-year-old academy graduate scored three times in just four matches over last season’s Carabao Cup campaign. A stunning strike against Preston North End epitomised the capability of the young attacker. At 6/5, the odds are very short compared to Premier League matches, but this can still more than double earnings if the bet lands.
Second Prediction for Port Vale vs Arsenal – Arsenal Over 4.5 goals 29/10
Despite being the away side in this tie, Arsenal will be looking to decimate the Valiants with a convincing and high-scoring victory. The Gunners have the capability to do this to teams. This season in the top flight, Leeds United were on the end of a 5-0 thumping and would easily beat Port Vale in a one-off match.
Last season’s opening round of the tournament, saw Arsenal win 5-1 in this very same stage of the Carabao Cup. Bolton Wanderers were the opponents on the day, before a 3-0 away win against Preston saw Arteta’s side progress easily.
Vale have been unfortunate to be sitting in 19th place. Decent performances of late have followed near misses in terms of points. Darren Moore’s side have been susceptible to late goals and could see their priority remain on the league as they bid to stay up. Arsenal can take advantage of this and progress fairly comfortably with rotated, attacking talent that would be beyond world class in comparison to League One.
Third Prediction for Port Vale vs Arsenal – Gabriel Martinelli to score anytime 13/10
Gabriel Martinelli could likely start in the left wing position over Leandro Trossard and Eberechi Eze as he looks to continue his impressive form and translate it from the Premier League onto a worse opposition in Port Vale. Bakc-to-back goals across top competitions – against Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League and Manchester City in the Prem. A last-minute equaliser against City saw Martinelli become the super-sub that the Gunners desperately needed.
The winger has scored 53 goals across 230 matches for Arsenal, with a need to add to this against a lesser team. Playing against two natural centre-backs on Vale’s right-hand side could create an interesting dynamic down the wing. Martinelli will likely use his pace and superior tactical knowledge to dictate the Arsenal attacks from his position.
Best Odds for Port Vale vs Arsenal
| Bookmaker | Port Vale | Draw | Arsenal |
| MyriadPlay | 20/1 | 8/1 | 3/50 |
| Gentleman Jim | 22/1 | 8/1 | 1/12 |
| Betarno | 22/1 | 9/1 | 1/10 |
Full Preview of the Game – Last Results and Head-to-Head
Port Vale needed to turn their form around after a promising start against Cardiff City on the opening match day. Moore’s heavy rotation against Doncaster Rovers resulted in a 1-0 loss as well as questions over the choices. However, a 1-0 win against Blackpool saw the Valiants progress to this second round tie. Since then, Port Vale have won 4-1 in the Vertu Trophy against Leeds United’s academy side as well as in the league against Mansfield Town and Exeter City.
Arsenal are currently sitting in fourth place after a 1-1 draw with Man City. The Gunners enter the cup at this stage due to their European involvement. In the last five matches for Arsenal, the London side has won against Bilbao in an opening UCL fixture as well as against Nottingham Forest and Leeds in convincing win-to-nil outings in the top-flight. A loss to Liverpool saw Arteta’s side slip down the standings and could be a crucial three points for the Reds at the end of the season.
The two sides have not faced each other in recent history, as the gulf in quality has not seen any occasions for the two to face each other – especially in a league situation.
24/09/2025
League Cup
League Cup
Port Vale Arsenal 0 2 08/11/2025
League One
League One
Bolton Port Vale 4 0 L 02/11/2025
FA Cup
FA Cup
Port Vale Maldon & Tiptree 5 1 W 27/10/2025
League One
League One
Port Vale Stockport County 0 3 L 18/10/2025
League One
League One
Wigan Port Vale 1 0 L 11/10/2025
League One
League One
AFC Wimbledon Port Vale 1 1 D 08/11/2025
Premier League
Premier League
Sunderland Arsenal 2 2 D 04/11/2025
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
Slavia Prague Arsenal 0 3 W 01/11/2025
Premier League
Premier League
Burnley Arsenal 0 2 W 29/10/2025
League Cup
League Cup
Arsenal Brighton 2 0 W 26/10/2025
Premier League
Premier League
Arsenal Crystal Palace 1 0 WConfrontation
Last Results - Port Vale
Last Results - Arsenal
Where to watch Port Vale vs Arsenal
Where can I watch this Carabao Cup clash, either on TV or in-person?
- Location: Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent
- Date: Wednesday 24th September 2025
- Channel: Live on Sky Sports+ from 7:45pm
Probable Lineups for Port Vale vs Arsenal
What sort of lineups can we expect for this third round fixture?
Predicted Port Vale Lineup:
- Lineup: J. Gauci, L. Gordon, C. Hall, C. Humphreys, J. Debrah, J. Gabriel, F. Ojo, G. Byers, G. Croasdale, R. Paton, D. Cole
- Manager: Darren Moore
Predicted Arsenal Lineup:
- Lineup: K. Arrizabalaga, M. Lewis-Skelly, Gabriel M., C. Mosquera, B. White, C. Norgaard, D. Rice, M. Merino, G. Martinelli, E. Nwaneri, V. Gyökeres
- Manager: Mikel Arteta
- Injured/Suspended: P. Hincapié, M. Odegaard, N. Madueke, K. Havertz, G. Jesus
Media Centre – News about Port Vale vs Arsenal
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Arsenal – Official Twitter Page
