Arsenal begin their Carabao Cup campaign tonight when they face Brighton and Hove Albion in the third round.
An impressive 1-0 win over Chelsea saw Arsenal stay top of the Premier League on Sunday afternoon, giving the Gunners the perfect boost ahead of Wednesday’s clash. Mikel Arteta's made it to the Carabao Cup semi-finals last season, but a 2-0 defeat in the second leg to Liverpool sawe the Gunners eliminated from the competition.
Arsenal haven't won this competition since the 1992/23 season, and with the form they're currently in, Arteta's side should feel confident this season. But, the Gunners don't have a great record against Brighton heading into tonight's clash, winning just two of the last nine meetings with the Seagulls.
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So, what could the score be in Arsenal's Carabao Cup clash with Brighton? We simulated the game to find out.
Arsenal vs Brighton simulated to get a score prediction
To complete this simulation, we used FIFA 23 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Arsenal could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Turner; Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Tierney; Sambi Lokonga, Elneny, Viera; Saka, Nketiah, Nelson.
We predict that the visitors could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their line-up as follows: Steele; Gross, Dunk, Colwill, Estupinan; Mac Allister, Gilmour; Undav, Lallana, Mitoma; Welbeck.
A rotated Brighton side couldn't cope with the Arsenal pressure in the early stages of the game, with Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah and Mohamed Elneny all having good chances in the opening six minutes of the game. As expected, Arsenal did eventually take the lead following their dominance.
Albert Sambi Loknonga opted to test his luck from range, but his powerful strike was aimed centrally at the 'keeper. In what should've been a straightforward save, the 'keeper spilt the ball into the path of Nelson, and the forward was quickest to react, finding the net from a tight angle.
After going ahead, the Gunners didn't slow down as they continued to camp in the Brighton half and cause problems. The persistence paid off, and Arsenal doubled their lead after 30 minutes through Fabio Vieira.
As Brighton attempted to push forward and create a high line, they lost possession, allowing Arsenal to hit the visitors on the break. As Bukayo Saka advanced down the right he spotted the bursting run of Vieira into the box.
Saka picked out the midfielder with an inch-perfect cross, and Vieira passed the ball into the far corner to double the lead. The Portuguese midfielder was having a great game, and he put the game to bed before half-time as he grabbed the Gunners' third on 44 minutes.
Like Granit Xhaka has done all season, Vieira often was pushing into the box to offer himself as an extra attacking option. The midfielder made a late run into the box and was found by Saka again, and after holding off his marker, Vieira fired past the 'keeper at the near post to make it 3-0.
Ex-Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck pulled a goal back for the visitors in the 83rd minute, but it was nothing more than a consolation goal as Arsenal advanced to the next round with ease.
FIFA 23 predicted final score: Arsenal 3-1 Brighton
Here are the full-time match stats.
FIFA 23 predicts that an impressive first-half performance could see Arsenal advance to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson both starred in the win, proving that despite the Gunners not having a massive squad, the current players they have as backup can perform when needed.
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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