Ipswich Town vs Arsenal: Carabao Cup Preview, Team News & Prediction (Sept 15, 2026)
Back in the top flight, Ipswich get a cup night against the champions
Arsenal’s Carabao Cup campaign starts the hard way — at a promoted side riding a genuine wave of confidence.
Newly promoted Ipswich Town welcome the reigning Premier League champions to Portman Road on Tuesday night for a third-round Carabao Cup tie that looks lopsided on paper and considerably less so on current form. Gary O’Neil’s side arrive having just come from behind twice to beat ten-man Crystal Palace 3-2 at Selhurst Park, a result that follows an earlier win over Leicester City in the previous round. Four league games into their return to the top flight, Ipswich have already matched half the win total of their last relegation-ending campaign.
Arsenal, by contrast, are simply not losing. Mikel Arteta’s team head into Suffolk on six straight wins across all competitions, most recently a 2-0 win over Sunderland in the league. This is their first appearance in this season’s competition, entering at the third round on account of their European fixtures, and they’ll be doing so with a heavily rotated side — as is customary for a champions-elect side with continental football to manage.
Ipswich’s lone win in this fixture’s cup history came in that 2010-11 semi-final first leg, when a Tamás Priskin goal edged Portman Road 1-0 before Arsenal ran out 3-0 winners in the return to progress. In league meetings since, results have been mixed but recent form has swung heavily to Arsenal, with a 4-0 scoreline at Portman Road as recently as April 2025.
Team news
Ipswich Town
- Jack Taylor — knee, out
- Azor Matusiwa — thigh, out
- Emersonn — quad tightness, doubtful
- Zian Flemming — likely to start if Emersonn sits
Arsenal
- William Saliba — back, out for months
- Ben White — groin, fresh concern
- Cristhian Mosquera — doubtful
- Kepa Arrizabalaga — expected in goal
Last five meetings
| Date | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2025 | Premier League | Arsenal 4–0 Ipswich |
| 27 Dec 2024 | Premier League | Arsenal 1–0 Ipswich |
| 25 Jan 2011 | League Cup | Arsenal 3–0 Ipswich |
| 11 Jan 2011 | League Cup | Ipswich 1–0 Arsenal |
| 21 Apr 2002 | Premier League | Arsenal 2–0 Ipswich |
Arteta is expected to make close to nine changes, but the squad depth that lets him do that without losing shape is exactly why Arsenal remain favourites here. Ipswich have conceded in each of their last three matches, and a heavily rotated Arsenal side has still won its last six outings in all competitions. A cup shock is never off the table at Portman Road, but the form gap says otherwise.
