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Enjoying a place atop the Premier League table and a perfect Champions League record early in the league phase, Arsenal welcome fellow top flight side Brighton to London for their matchup in the Carabao Cup fourth round.
A weekend win over Crystal Palace plus defeats for Manchester City and Liverpool saw the Gunners finish Matchweek 9 with a four-point lead atop the domestic table.
Before that, a win over Atletico Madrid in European play moved Arsenal to three victories in three matches in Champions League action, one of just five clubs out of the 36-team table to remain unblemished.
Brighton, meanwhile, fell to a surging Manchester United side 4-2 to drop them into the bottom half of the domestic standings. They took down Barnsley 6-0 in the third round of the Carabao Cup in late September, when Diego Gomez scored four goals, including three in the first half.
MORE: Updated 2025/26 EPL Golden Boot rankings as Haaland races clear
Arsenal lineup vs. Brighton: Projected starting XI
Kepa (GK)
White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly
Merino, Norgaard
Saka, Nwaneri, Trossard
Gyokeres
Formation: 4-2-3-1
Arsenal team news
Mikel Arteta is likely to rotate his squad significantly for this Carabao Cup fourth-round match. Three players came off during the weekend match against Crystal Palace with fitness concerns, and all are likely to see the bench here, as Declan Rice, William Saliba, and Riccardo Calafiori all seem to be ok for the most part, but could use a bit of rest.
Injuries have affected Arteta’s ability to fully rotate, however, as the absences of Martin Odegaard, Kai Havertz, and Noni Madueke mean that if Bukayo Saka or Eberechi Eze are to get rest, the boss will have to turn to youngsters Ethan Nwaneri or Max Dowman.
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Arsenal injury list
Below is the latest injury picture for Arsenal, and estimated return dates for those who are sidelined.
Kai Havertz
- Injury: Knee
- Expected return date: Late November, 2025
Havertz had a minor operation after damaging his knee in the opening win over Manchester United. Arteta is eager not to rush him back as the manager wants to keep the player fully fit for as long as possible. After the November international break is the target.
Gabriel Jesus
- Injury: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) (left knee)
- Expected return date: January 2026
Jesus has not played since suffering a serious knee injury in January 2025. Arteta said they are hopeful of having the striker back “between December and January”, but he is cautiously optimistic that the Brazilian could return sooner.
Noni Madueke
- Injury: Knee
- Expected return date: Late November, 2025
Madueke hurt his knee against Manchester City in September and had to be substituted after attempting to play through the pain. The timeframe for his recovery was “weeks”, and it seems unlikely he will be back until after the November international break.
Martin Odegaard
- Injury: Knee
- Expected return date: Late November, 2025
Captain Odegaard has been beset by injury problems this season. His latest, a knee issue, is expected to rule him out until the latter part of November, although Arteta has been wary of putting a precise estimate on his recovery time.
Declan Rice
- Injury: Calf/Achilles
- Expected return date: Early November, 2025
Declan Rice was withdrawn in the 82nd minute of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace, and could be seen pointing to the back of his lower right leg. Mikel Arteta had little information on the situation after the match, but he did refer to the issue as a “knock” and reports seem to indicate he’s okay. The midfielder likely just needs a bit of rest.
William Saliba
- Injury: Undisclosed
- Expected return date: Early November, 2025
Like Rice, William Saliba was also withdrawn during the win over Crystal Palace, coming off at halftime. Mikel Arteta did not expand on the issue post-match other than to say he “felt something,” but it’s believed that his too should be a quick recovery.
Arsenal vs. Brighton match details
- Date: Wednesday, October 29, 2025
- Kickoff time: 7:45 p.m. local / 3:45 p.m. ET / 12:45 p.m. PT / 5:45 a.m. AEDT (Oct. 30)
- Location: Emirates Stadium, London (England)
- Competition: EFL Cup 4th round
- Referee: Sam Barrott
- VAR: —
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