Arsenal - Carabao Cup
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Arsenal will travel to Vale Park to face League One side Port Vale in the third round of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup, following Wednesday night’s draw conducted live on Sky Sports. The fixture, confirmed byArsenal.com, will be played during the week commencing September 22.
The Gunners enter the competition at this stage as one of the Premier League clubs competing in Europe. They reached the semi-finals last season, bowing out to eventual winners Newcastle United, and will be hoping to go one step further this time around.
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Port Vale booked their place in the third round with a 1-0 win over Birmingham City and will now welcome Mikel Arteta’s side in what promises to be a memorable occasion for the League One club. It will be the first competitive meeting between the two sides since the 1998/99 FA Cup, when Arsenal edged a replay on penalties at Vale Park thanks to David Seaman’s heroics.
🚨BREAKING: Arsenal will face Port Vale away in the third round of the Carabao Cup.
Manchester United will face no one as they got knocked out to League Two side Grimsby tonight…
👀🤣 pic.twitter.com/Sz2IaZOSJO
— now.arsenal (@now_arsenaI) August 27, 2025
Arteta is expected to rotate his squad for the tie, with summer signings Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze likely to feature amid ongoing injury problems. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus are both sidelined with knee injuries, leaving Gyokeres as Arsenal’s only fully fit striker.
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The clash also offers Arsenal the chance to take another step towards lifting the Carabao Cup for the third time in their history, having previously won the trophy in 1987 and 1993. In a new initiative introduced by the EFL, the club will wear a sleeve patch marking their past triumphs.
Port Vale, managed by Darren Moore, will relish the challenge of hosting Premier League opposition. Vale Park is expected to be sold out, with a raucous atmosphere awaiting the visitors.
The tie adds to Arsenal’s packed September schedule, which includes a Premier League showdown with Manchester City, Newcastle United and the start of their Champions League league phase.
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