Arsenal vs Sunderland EFL Cup preview: How to watch, lineups, Covid concerns & prediction

Arsenal Predicted Lineup to Face Sunderland – Entirely New XI?

Arsenal: Leno; Cedric, Holding, Gabriel, Tavares; Elneny, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Smith Rowe, Pepe; Nketiah

Sunderland: Hoffmann; Wright, Flanagan, Doyle; Gooch Winchester, Neil, Hume; Pritchard, Broadhead, Stewart

Arsenal vs Sunderland Score Prediction

Part of the reason Arteta will have been confident to field the same team three times in a week against Leeds is that he knows he can make multiple changes against Sunderland and still have a team more than capable of securing the win.

The gulf in class is vast. There is no two ways about it.

Wholesale changes are expected although the squad will be tough to manage and players who featured at Leeds are sure to see action again on Tuesday. Pablo Mari being unavailable, for example, is likely to result in Gabriel keeping his place with White having played more minutes than anyone else this season.

But Arsenal should still win, and you’d like to think relatively comfortably, too.

A spot in the semi-finals is begging to be taken, which not only acts as one step closer towards lifting a trophy, but also presents two more matches to keep rotating around the squad and handing minutes to those who couldn’t buy them (Pepe et al).

Sunderland have nothing to lose with their next fixture for a week, and with 5,000 Mackems there to support them they’ll be eyeing an almighty shock.

Score Prediction: Arsenal 3-0 Sunderland