Arsenal begin their 2025 Carabao Cup campaign on Tuesday with a challenging trip to Portman Road to face Ipswich Town. Mikel Arteta’s side enters the fixture in strong form, remaining unbeaten across all competitions this season with notable victories over Manchester City, Aston Villa, and Chelsea already secured.
Despite their momentum, the Gunners are expected to field a significantly altered lineup for this cup tie. With the club aiming to end a trophy drought in this competition dating back to 1993, manager Mikel Arteta is reportedly planning as many as nine changes to his starting XI. The rotation will likely see Kepa Arrizabalaga continue his role as the designated cup goalkeeper, while Viktor Gyokeres is expected to spearhead the attack. There is also potential for academy talents Marli Salmon and Max Dowman to feature as the manager looks to balance his squad depth.
Team News and Tactical Outlook
The visitors face several personnel concerns heading into the match. William Saliba remains sidelined with a back injury, and Ben White has not participated in training following a groin issue sustained against Sunderland. Additionally, the availability of Cristhian Mosquera remains uncertain. These defensive absences may force tactical adjustments, with reports suggesting midfielder Martin Zubimendi could be deployed in an unfamiliar right-back position.
Ipswich Town, currently navigating their return to the Premier League, reached this stage of the tournament following a 3-1 victory over Leicester City. They enter the contest buoyed by a dramatic 3-2 win against Crystal Palace. While manager Gary O’Neil will be without the services of Jack Taylor and Azor Matusiwa, the team will be bolstered by the presence of top scorer Zian Flemming. Despite appearing for Burnley earlier in the tournament, Flemming is eligible to lead the Ipswich attack.
The match, scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, kicks off at 8:00 p.m. BST, which corresponds to 12:30 a.m. IST on September 16. For viewers in India, the fixture will be available to stream via FanCode, while UK audiences can watch the action on Sky Sports+. The last encounter between these two clubs took place in April 2025, resulting in a 4-0 victory for Arsenal at the same venue.
