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2025-09-24 - Port Vale vs Arsenal
A Sports Betting Pick by Auls
Football: English League Cup Third Round
Wednesday 24th September 2025 - Kick Off 8pm
This game is live on TV
Port Vale
A strong second half of the season ensured Port Vale's stay in League Two lasted a single campaign and Darren Moore has to be given some credit for the job he is doing with the club. The reputation that was built at Sheffield Wednesday has been enhanced with the results being produced by Port Vale, although it will be a challenge keeping the club in the third tier of English Football.
In recent years Port Vale have bounced between the third and fourth tier of English Football, and recent form has been encouraging in their bid to consolidate at their current level. The Club have not finished higher than 18th in League One since 2016 and that has to be the first ambition for Darren Moore, while Port Vale have upset Blackpool and Birmingham City away from home in the League Cup.
Port Vale took advantage of a kind draw to reach the League Cup Quarter Final two seasons ago before they were eventually beaten 0-3 by Middlesbrough. They will be heading into this big tie having won 4 of their last 6 games in all competitions, including consecutive League wins. Port Vale have won 2 of the last 3 home games played in all competitions.
Darren Moore is expected to pick as strong a team as possible for this Third Round tie.
Arsenal
When the team news came out at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, the initial feeling of this writer was that Mikel Arteta had been far too cautious. He had left out some big attacking names and ultimately it may have cost Arsenal the chance to beat Manchester City and keep the pressure on Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Instead there are 5 points between the Champions and the Challengers and the early pressure could begin to build if The Gunners cannot round out the next couple of weeks with some real momentum. Only once in the last ten seasons have Arsenal been beaten in the Third Round of the League Cup and they did reach the Semi Final last season before losing to eventual Winners Newcastle United.
Arsenal are unbeaten in 3 games in all competitions since losing 1-0 at Anfield, but they were not quite able to make it a hat-trick of victories. They needed an injury time goal to force a draw with Manchester City on Sunday, while Arsenal have won 3 of their last 4 away games in all competitions.
Noni Madueke is hoping he has not suffered a serious injury, although the initial feeling is that he will miss the next month at the very least. Mikel Arteta will make a host of changes for this League Cup tie.
Head to Head
These clubs last met in the FA Cup in the 1997/98 season.
Despite having the likes of David Seaman, Nigel Winterburn, Martin Keown, Patrick Vieira, Marc Overmars, Ray Parlour and Dennis Bergkamp starting, Arsenal needed a Replay and then Penalties to eventually beat Port Vale.
They went on to win the domestic Double that season, but Arsenal have won 1 of their last 8 visits to Port Vale.
Prediction
There will be a lot of changes in the Arsenal starting lineup on Wednesday in this League Cup Third Round tie, but they should still have enough quality to beat this opponent.
Darren Moore's Port Vale will work hard, but there is a quality edge massively in favour of Arsenal.
Internationals in the away team will have to weather an early storm, but eventually Arsenal should be able to get on top of an opponent that have ambitions to consolidate at League One level.
Port Vale have nothing to lose and they have already upset Birmingham City in the League Cup, but conditions should be comfortable for Arsenal and the Premier League club can eventually wear down the hosts in a relatively straight-forward victory.
The Pick :
Port Vale 0-3 Arsenal
