Preview for Port Vale v Arsenal
Mikel Arteta has the chance to lead Arsenal to a much-needed trophy in the EFL Cup this season with their campaign opening at Port Vale tomorrow night.
For all the progress the Gunners have made under the Spaniard, the only silverware claimed in his near six years in charge was the 2020 FA Cup.
They have come close several times, particularly in the Premier League, but the murmurings of discontent are just starting to grow with Arsenal already five points behind defending champions Liverpool following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City.
Former Arsenal midfielder Ray Parlour has urged Gunners fans not to panic and rightly pointed out the season was still in its infancy.
Three-time Premier League winner Parlour told HaytersTV: “It’s still early days. In 1998, we were 12 points behind in March and came back to win the league. Five points now is nothing. There are still 33 games to go, anything can happen over the season.
“Liverpool haven’t been great yet but they’ve still won every game. They’re the ones to beat this year, but Arsenal have the squad and the quality to challenge. If they beat Liverpool at the Emirates later in the season, that could be a big turning point.
“As much as you want to win every single match, there’s still a long way to go. Don’t panic now – Arsenal are still good enough to win this title.”
Vale made a slow start to life back in League One after promotion but come into this game on the back of two wins, the most recent against Mansfield at the weekend.
Boss Darren Moore was unimpressed, however, after his side required a 95th-minute goal from Ronan Curtis to beat a Stags team that were reduced to 10 men in the 14th minute.
The former Sheffield Wednesday boss said: “There have been some choice words said by myself in the dressing room to the players because their goal should never have happened. The sending-off from them made it really difficult because they ended up with all 10 players behind the ball.
“The game ended up being about Port Vale winning the game. We needed that impetus to find the goal, because we knew they were sitting deep in and around their box.”
