Arsenal face Portsmouth in the third round of the FA Cup
Arsenal begin their quest to win a record 14th FA Cup when they play Championship strugglers Portsmouth at Fratton Park.
The third-round tie is the first of four away games in four competitions in the space of nine days for the Gunners, who will be out to avoid another big upset after Crystal Palace were stunned by Macclesfield yesterday. Mikel Arteta’s side are six points clear at the top of the Premier League and the Arsenal boss facing some big decisions over his team selection ahead of the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea next week.
Portsmouth are fighting against relegation to League One and Arsenal should comfortably progress to the fourth round. But the FA Cup has a history of giant killings and Arteta will be wary of a shock in what will be a hostile atmosphere at Fratton Park. Follow the game LIVE below with our dedicated match blog, including expert insight and analysis from Matt Verri at the ground.
Arsenal team news
Mikel Arteta is set to ring the changes at Fratton Park.
Piero Hincapie is a doubt after coming off in Thursday’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool, while Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera remain sidelined.
Arsenal hope to have Kai Havertz in the squad but he is not believed to be ready to start.
Today is the first of four away games in four competitions in the space of nine days for the Gunners, and Arteta is expected to rotate his squad ahead of the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final against Chelsea next week.
There could be an opportunity for 16-year-old defender Marli Salmon if Arteta decides to rest one of Gabriel or William Saliba.
Portsmouth team news
Portsmouth have been hit by a host of injury problems and could be missing as many as 10 players.
Mark Kosznovszky has been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a serious knee injury and he joins Florian Bianchini, Josh Knight, Callum Lang, Hayden Matthews, Josh Murphy, Connor Ogilvie and Thomas Waddingham on the sidelines.
Colby Bishop is another fitness doubt but Marlon Pack could return from a hamstring injury.
How to watch
TV channel: In the UK, the game will be televised live on TNT Sports 1, with coverage starting at 1.30pm ahead of a 2pm kick-off.
Live stream: TNT Sports subscribers can also catch the contest live online via the Discovery+ app and website.
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Hello and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Portsmouth vs Arsenal!
Arsenal are away at Fratton Park as they bid to book a spot in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
There have already been some big third-round giant killings this weekend and the Gunners will be out to avoid another shock against Championship strugglers Portsmouth.
We’ll have all the latest updates and build-up right here, ahead of the kick-off at 2pm at Fratton Park.