da betcris： Arsenal are back in EFL Cup action in midweek after being held to a goalless draw by lowly Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Saturday.
da bet esporte： In a game of few chances, Arsene Wenger will be glad to turn his back on the league after a frustrating afternoon against Boro, who were more than worth their point on the final whistle.
And standing in Arsenal’s way in the EFL Cup on Tuesday evening are Championship outfit Reading, who have enjoyed a decent start to the season themselves.
Under Jaap Stam, the Royals will be hoping to push for the play-offs come the end of the season. But Tuesday’s game against the Gunners might just be too much for the second division side.
We’re tipping Arsenal to do the business against the underdogs and despite a bounty of changes, this rotated Gunners XI should have more than enough quality to sweep aside the Championship outfit.
GK: Emiliano Martinez
Arsenal academy graduate Emiliano Martinez has had to be extremely patient in his hunt for first-team minutes.
Now 24, he’s still only appeared nine times for the Gunners first-team, with most of his time being spent out on loan in the lower divisions. Tuesday night is a great chance for him to impress and potentially force the understudy berth from David Ospina.
RB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles
Another academy graduate who could feature is Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who very much impressed in Arsenal’s third-round win over Nottingham Forest.
The Gunners overcame Forest 4-0 and Maitland-Niles was praised for his performance on the right-hand side, which could see him rewarded with another start on Tuesday evening.
CB: Gabriel
Brazilian defender Gabriel has been criticised for some of his performances since his move to the club back in 2015 and he’s struggling for first-team minutes, especially after the addition of Shkodran Mustafi during the summer.
But Tuesday night gives him the chance to play against a lesser outfit in Reading, which could be a massive confidence booster for the Brazilian defender.
CB: Rob Holding
A surprise to some Arsenal fans this summer was that young defender Rob Holding didn’t go out on loan to pick up some more first-team experience after his move from Bolton Wanderers.
We haven’t seen much from Holding since Arsenal’s defeat to Liverpool at the start of the season but this game provides him with the chance to pick up some more experience on the big stage.
LB: Kieran Gibbs
Kieran Gibbs is battling quite the war with Nacho Monreal for the first-choice left-back berth but the Spaniard is slightly edging ahead.
However, a good performance and a comprehensive win over Championship outfit Reading could be the perfect route back into the first-team for Gibbs.
CDM: Francis Coquelin
Coquelin didn’t have his strongest of afternoons against Middlesbrough but we’re tipping him to put things right in the game against Reading on Tuesday evening.
He’s a combative central midfielder who does anything to disrupt the rhythm of the opposition. If he’s on form, Reading will struggle to break through.
CDM: Mohamed Elneny
Mohamed Elneny will relish the chance to get some first-team action on Tuesday evening, having struggled to escape the role of squad player since joining the Gunners from FC Basel.
Despite not featuring as much as he might have liked, he’s a quality individual and should have too much for the second division side.
RM: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
The Ox is slowly but surely coming back into the Arsenal first-team fold and we think Wenger will keep him in the side for the game against Reading.
When he’s in form, Chamberlain is a match for any top flight defender – so in theory, Reading should struggle to keep up with the England international.
CAM: Jeff Reine-Adelaide
Another exciting player coming through the Arsenal ranks is Jeff Reine-Adelaide, who played 83 minutes in the third round win over Nottingham Forest.
He’s a skillful, pacy attacking midfielder who will be desperate to be given the nod to ensure his name is still on Arsene Wenger’s radar going forward.
LM: Lucas Perez
Lucas Perez is settling into life with the Gunners and there are definite signs suggesting he’s only going to get better with time.
The Spaniard is a pacy forward player who can play wide or through the middle but against Reading, we’d like to see him running at right-back Chris Gunter. Another strong performance could be a real stepping stone for the former Deportivo man.
ST: Chuba Akpom
Chuba Akpom made his senior breakthrough whilst on loan at Hull City last season and you get the impression the youngster hasn’t got an awful lot of time left to impress the Arsenal coaches.
He needs to start showing why he could be the man to lead the line in future years or he will be moved on. A strong showing against Reading will do his reputation no harm.