Arsenal vs Bolton EFL Cup Preview: Good to be Home

Today at 02:45 PM

After nearly a month away, the Gunners return to the Emirates to begin their domestic cup campaign

After a month of tough away fixtures, Arsenal return to the Emirates to kick start their EFL/Carabao Cup campaign, hosting Bolton Wanderers from League Two.

The Gunners return home battered and bruised, but certainly invigorated after Sunday's draw away at Manchester City. While the shared points left a sour taste in the mouths of Arsenal fans, it was the kind of heroic display that also showed just how tough and resolute the team have become under Mikel Arteta.

The test presented by Bolton feels far less tense, but it is no less important for the Gunners. For all of their growth under Arteta, the lack of silverware has been a cudgel that rival fans and pundits are quick to wield when criticizing the side. It may feel like the least important competition by some distance, but trophies shine all the same, and the Gunners will undoubtedly like to add some more to their cabinet.

Here are five talking points ahead of Wednesday's match.

Know the Enemy

I wish I could say I know enough about Bolton to provide any major insight, but it may or may not surprise any of you to learn that I don't have an encyclopedic knowledge of the lower divisions of the English Football Pyramid. Shameful, I know. That being said, I'll give it the old "quick google and a summary" try.

Bolton Wanderers were once a staple of the Premier League in the late 90s and early 2000s, but since then, hard times have fallen on the club. After being relegated at the end of the 2011-12 season, the Greater Manchester-based club have bounced around the lower divisions, having played in the Championship, then League One, dipping all the way to League Two in 2021-22 before returning to League One the following season.

The club are currently 18th out of 24 after 6 matches this season after finishing 3rd the season before, when they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Championship after losing in the playoff final.

They have at least one name on their roster that Arsenal fans may recognize, as former academy product Jordi Osei-Tutu plays in the defense.

Last Time Out

Despite their rich lineage of success, Arsenal have had pretty poor results in the EFL Cup, historically. The last time Arsenal won England's third-most prestigious competition was all the way back in the 92/93 season, when they beat Sheffield Wednesday. Since then, it's been a whole lotta nothing for over 30 years, with appearances in the finals only three times since, the most recent being in 2017/18 against Manchester City.

Last season, Arsenal were bounced by West Ham in the 4th round, losing to the Hammers 3-1. The only notable moment from that match for the Gunners was David Raya's penalty save late on to prevent the score from finishing 4-1.

For the last time Arsenal played Bolton, you'd have to go all the way back to 2012, when the two clubs played to a 0-0 draw at Reebok Stadium and Mikel Arteta started in midfield.

Injuries & Suspensions

Leandro Trossard became the second Arsenal player this season to be given his walking papers for the egregious crime of kicking a ball a fraction after the ref's whistle was blown. For his sins, he will pay the price of a one match ban.

Luckily for Arsenal, he can serve his ban on Wednesday, since match bans apply to all domestic competitions and not just the PL. So, best of a bad situation, I suppose.

The injury list remains the same. Ødegaard is out for the next month and some change as he rehabs his ankle injury. Mikel Merino and Takehiro Tomiyasu should be getting closer to availability, with neither of them yet to be available for selection on Wednesday.

The main update came when Arteta announced at his pre-match press conference that Alexander Zinchenko, who has been sidelined with a calf injury, is now set to miss several weeks.

Predicted Lineup: Midfield and Attack

Rotation, rotation, rotation. That should absolutely be the name of the game after Sunday's exhausting draw at the Etihad. Arteta will look to make wholesale changes where possible to give players rest after a brutal run of away games.

Up front, the rotation will still see a strong lineup take the pitch. I think Martinelli will get another start, if only to get his confidence up. He has done everything so well this season outside of the final product, and a chance to put the ball in the net could be a huge boost for him. Alongside him should be Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling to round out the front three, while Saka can come off the bench after being subbed at half against City due to Trossard's red card.

If ever there was a match to see Ethan Nwaneri get a start, it's on Wednesday. He has the talent; now all he needs is the opportunity. Jorginho was unused on Sunday and should provide the type of veteran backing at the 6 to allow Nwaneri to play freely and give Thomas Partey much needed rest. For the 8, I would imagine Rice will be given a half of play, largely due to a lack of options with Merino still not back from injury.

Predicted Lineup, Part 2: The Defense

The defense could look completely different on Wednesday, especially after the shift they put in on Sunday. Without Tomi or Zinchenko, though, Mikel has fewer options than he'd like, but there's still plenty to work with. Miles Lewis-Skelley could make his 1st team debut at left back, with Jakub Kiwior and William Saliba in the middle.

At right back, both Ben White and Jurrien Timber could do with rest. White was forced into action on Sunday after starting on the bench with a minor injury. But if he is anything, he is a warrior, coming on in the 2nd half to put in a solid shift to keep the City attack at bay. Timber has been given very little rest after returning to action following his ACL injury, and I think giving him at least one half of respite would suit him. No Tomiyasu means no true sub for either, so a half for each seems fair.

In goal, David Raya is the only choice as Neto, on loan from Bournemouth, is cup tied and third string keeper Tommy Setford is injured.

Take a breath, Arsenal fans. Relax the shoulders and unclench the jaw. The first tough stretch is behind us. The season is still a long way from being completed, but some of the trickiest fixtures are done and over with, and now comes a slightly less dense run of fixtures, with nearly all of them at home.

That being said, nothing can take the wind out of the sails quite like taking the foot off the gas and getting caught on your heels. After two seasons of coming so close and falling short, the Gunners of all clubs should know this. Bolton may be leagues below Arsenal at the moment, but a motivated club from any league can be a thorn in the side if they aren't careful. A focused and convincing win for the Gunners could be the salve needed after the last three weeks.

WHO: Arsenal vs Bolton Wanderers
WHAT: The EFL/Carabao Cup 4th Round
WHEN: Wednesday, September 25th, 2:45pm EST/11:45am PST/7:45pm GMT
WHERE: The Emirates Stadium, London
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming live on the Paramount+ app

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