Key events
68 min: Akpom, who started his career at Arsenal, finds the sidenetting with a cross.
65 min: Theo Julienne, 18 years old, is on for Guimarães.
Clarke, replacing Philogene on the left for Ipswich, drives down the wing and cuts back for Mehmeti, who finds the bottom corner to give Ipswich fans something to shout about. Or to set up the greatest comeback in Carabao history.
GOAL! Ipswich 1-4 Arsenal (Mehmeti 62)
Instant impact from Clarke!
61 min: Ipswich make changes, with Chuba Akpom and Jack Clarke sent on.
Merino collects on the edge of the area and has enough space to curl in with his left foot. Clinical.
GOAL! Ipswich 0-4 Arsenal (Merino 58)
And another.
57 min: Arsenal continue to dominate the ball.
54 min: The corner is worked short … and the ball eventually finds Madueke inside the area, an excellent first touch setting him up for an effort … he pokes it across goal instead, perhaps hoping to find Gyökeres, but it escapes the centre-forward.
53 min: Madueke takes on Ouattara, who times his challenge well, leading to an Arsenal corner.
52 min: Arsenal knock it around at the back.
50 min: Flemming fights for the ball out on Ipswich’s left, gets a decent cross in … but he needs to be in the middle, too. Arrizabalaga collects.
Madueke pokes the ball through to Zubimendi inside the area, and he finds Dowman on the right-hand side. He calmly slots in once again – there was a shout for an Ipswich handball in there, but the 16-year-old’s finish makes it irrelevant.
GOAL! Ipswich 0-3 Arsenal (Dowman 47)
That’ll wrap it up.
46 min: We go again, with Arsenal on the ball and Lewis-Skelly drifting from left-back into midfield.
A change from Arsenal: Ezri Konsa replaces Gabriel.
Arsenal have had moments where they’ve been a bit open, particularly down the Ipswich left, where Zubimendi is filling in. But Gabriel has been typically solid, nipping in to sort any issues.
Kári Tulinius writes in:
The way Max Dowman cut through the Ipswich defense it was as if he was a 26-year-old playing against 16-year-olds.
HALF-TIME: Ipswich 0-2 Arsenal
A fairly smooth half for the Premier League champions.
45 min: We’ll have an extra minute.
43 min: Ipswich have been much better since going two-down but … well, they’re two-down.
41 min: Guimarães very nearly sneaks a ball to Eze inside the area, but it’s cut out by a blue shirt.
40 min: Mehmeti finds the ball on the left for Ipswich as they break, just Gabriel ahead of him … but it’s Gabriel. He doesn’t dive in, keeping Mehmeti quiet while Arsenal retreat.
37 min: Philogene, on Ipswich’s left, goes around the outside, into the area, leaving Salmon on the floor … but Arrizabalaga gets in the way of his cutback.
36 min: Gyökeres has had a quiet half.
35 min: Eze cuts in from the left … and has his shot blocked.
34 min: Merino gives away the ball in midfield and Ipswich win a corner … Núñez sends it into the front post, it’s flicked into a dangerous area … but Gabriel, once again, is there to save Arsenal.
32 min: Salmon slips up for Arsenal and Ipswich break forward … but Gabriel, the senior man at the back, slides in to clean up inside his area.
30 min: Flemming looks sharp for Ipswich, dropping deep to hold the ball up.
29 min: Zubimendi makes an off-the-ball run from right-back and finds himself up top … the ball lands with Dowman, who has an effort from outside the area blocked.
27 min: A fine move from Ipswich. They break down the left, Ouattara sends the ball into the area for Flemming, who lays it off with his first touch to Mehmeti. He can’t keep his effort down but it’s much better from the hosts, moving swiftly on the counter.
25 min: Merino, leading Arsenal tonight, fouls McAteer to give Ipswich a free-kick from far out. Núñez sends it into the area … but it doesn’t cause any real trouble.
22 min: Madueke follows a stepover with a lovely, low, teasing ball across goal. It’s cleared away but he’s causing problems.
20 min: Ipswich are starting to play. Philogene has a chance to take on Zubimendi … but the converted right-back wins the duel.
19 min: McAteer wins the ball off Eze and drives down the right wing for Ipswich … the move eventually leading to a chance for Flemming inside the area, but his volley is blocked by Salmon.
Guimarães wins it high up the pitch, Merino’s ball finds Madueke inside the area … and he puts his left foot through it, the power too much for Walton. Arsenal are all over Ipswich.
GOAL! Ipswich 0-2 Arsenal (Madueke 16)
Arsenal’s relentless press creates a second.
13 min: Ipswich have a rare spell on the ball as Arteta points in various directions on the touchline.
11 min: Arsenal appeal for handball after Eze tries to make room for a shot inside the area.
10 min: Dowman is playing centrally, with Eze over on the left wing.
Dowman wins the ball in midfield, plays it to Eze on his left before getting the return ball. He drives forward, shimmies past Kipré with ease to leave the centre-half on the floor, and slots it in with ease inside the area. Too easy for the teenager.
GOAL! Ipswich 0-1 Arsenal (Dowman 7)
Oh, that’s sublime.
6 min: Ipswich finally have a chance to wheel it around at the back.
5 min: Arsenal cut their way through the press before they’re crowded out inside the Ipswich area. The visitors are dominating possession.
3 min: Madueke has room on the right, works it central and Guimarães launches an effort from outside the area … into traffic.
2 min: Eze drops deep as Arsenal knock it around at the back, with Ipswich pressing high.
1 min: Zubimendi is at right-back for Arsenal.
Peeeeep!
Let’s get going. The hosts kick things off.
Allan Castle writes in:
As a British-born Canadian, who has shuttled back and forth over the Atlantic for six decades, when I get back to England I seek out cherished beverages past and present that are unavailable or only sporadically found in Canada: orange squash, ginger beer, Theakston’s Old Peculier, real bitter, etc. What is Carabao? What does it taste like? And, perhaps most important, what are the cultural assumptions British people make about Carabao drinkers? I’m old enough to know that no seemingly benign refreshment decision in the UK is made without social consequences.
I’ll be honest, Allan, I’ve never tried it. Not sure I’ve seen anyone else do so either.
AnhTuan Nguyen Huynh writes in:
With Enciso on the bench, Arsenal will win. It’s too bad for Ipswich’s lack of courage.
Gary O’Neil says it was “a tough choice” between Zian Flemming and Chuba Akpom to start up front. The former will lead the line for Ipswich. Mikel Arteta refuses to say if it’ll be a back three for his side. “Let’s see,” he says, smiling.
In case you’re wondering: VAR won’t be in operation tonight at Portman Road.
Scott Murray is keeping tabs on Liverpool against Spurs.
Marli Salmon, 17, makes his second start for Arsenal. He’s not the youngest in the XI, of course. Max Dowman plays for the first time this campaign.
Arsenal make nine changes to the XI that beat Sunderland – and the formation’s a little bit of a mystery. Jacob Greaves is the only survivor from the Ipswich side that started against Crystal Palace on the weekend. This is pure Carabao.
The teams
Ipswich: Walton, Furlong, Kipré, Greaves, Ouattara, Florentino, Núñez, McAteer, Mehmeti, Philogene, Flemming
Subs: Palmer, Davis, O’Shea, Lukic, Walle Egeli, Enciso, Maeda, Clarke, Akpom
Arsenal: Arrizabalaga, Salmon, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Zubimendi, Merino, Guimarães, Madueke, Dowman, Eze, Gyökeres
Subs: Meslier, Konsa, Calafiori, Ibrahim, Julienne, Tzolis, Saka, Ødegaard, Havertz
I’ve just remembered that I was present to watch Ipswich’s League Cup exit last year.
Preamble
In the last 30 years, Ipswich have faced Arsenal six times in the league and failed to win a single game. The League Cup, though? That’s brought some joy for the Tractor Boys. There was a 2-1 third-round win for the visitors at Highbury in November 2000 (let me know if you remember that one well). A more significant occasion arrived a decade later, when they met in the semi-finals and Tamas Priskin scored the only goal in the first leg at Portman Road. But Arsenal triumphed 3-0 at the Emirates, reaching a final they ended up losing to Birmingham City, Obafemi Martins nabbing the winner at Wembley. Even I would’ve scored from there.
That’s been Arsenal main story in this comp for quite some time now – finishing just short. They’ve reached four finals this century and lost them all, including defeat this year against Manchester City, Nico O’Reilly’s brace getting in the way. This is the one domestic trophy Mikel Arteta hasn’t lifted at Arsenal, a box that still needs ticking, his latest crack at it starting tonight at 8pm BST. Drop me a line and let’s guzzle some of that sweet, sweet Carabao together (other drinks are available).