| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Competition | 2025–26 Carabao Cup, Third Round |
| Venue | Vale Park (Port Vale’s home) |
| Attendance | 16,326 — reported as the biggest crowd at Vale Park this century |
| Final Score | Port Vale 0 – 2 Arsenal |
| Goalscorers | • Eberechi Eze (8’) • Leandro Trossard (86’) |
Highlights & Key Moments
- Arsenal struck early. After just eight minutes, Eze latched onto a low ball from Gabriel Martinelli, after Myles Lewis-Skelly’s dummy wrong-footed a defender, and calmly finished.
- For much of the match, Port Vale defended resolutely and made the tie competitive, despite Arsenal dominating territory and possession.
- Arsenal found it difficult to break the Vale block. Clear cut chances were limited until the late goal.
- In the 86th minute, Trossard sealed the tie. He cut inside from the left and drove a low shot past the goalkeeper to make it 2–0.
- There was some pressure from Vale: Devante Cole had a dipping effort that shaved the roof of the net.
- Arsenal’s substitutes also saw action: Max Dowman (15 years old) came on, and later Declan Rice and Trossard.
You can watch the match highlights (goals, key chances) here: Sky Sports – Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal | Carabao Cup highlights
Reaction & Takeaways
- Eze’s milestone: The goal was his first for Arsenal, and he described it as “special.”
- Arteta’s view: Mikel Arteta praised Eze’s composure and work, but said there’s more to come — he wants to see better synergy and more consistency.
- Port Vale’s performance: Though eliminated, Vale earned respect for their fighting display. Their crowd and energy made the match harder than perhaps Arsenal expected.
- Criticism / cautions: Some observers thought Arsenal were too comfortable and lacked urgency for long periods — their dominance in possession didn’t translate into many clear chances until late.
- Next round: Arsenal advance to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.