With Arsenal dropping out of the Carabao Cup in a 3-1 defeat to Brighton there is a slight positive going forward from the game.
As much as the competition may have proved to be a chance to win silverware in the cup once more for Mikel Arteta - who won the FA Cup in his first year as manager - the fixture overload which would have come from staying in has now been avoided.
As much as more games does provide extra chance to bed in young players and provide minutes for rotation, the fourth round of the Carabao Cup is due to be played three days after the World Cup final and just five before the league returns, creating a logistical nightmare for managers.
