Arsenal ran out 2-0 winners in their Carabao Cup clash against Port Vale.

It wasn’t the prettiest performance from Arsenal, but at the end, it’s the result that matters, and they ensured they got the necessary result to progress to the next round of the Carabao Cup.

From kickoff, Port Vale made it difficult for Arsenal to play, even in the presence of their star boy, Bukayo Saka, who started after returning from a hamstring injury. 

Arsenal could impose themselves as much as they would have expected, but they kept the pressure, and in the eighth minute, they were rewarded. Eberechi Eze got the Gunners off to an expected start after stabbing the ball into the net from close range. 

Although Arsenal took the lead, Port Vale didn’t have Arsenal dictate play or impose themselves in style like the Premier League they are. While Arsenal controlled much of the possession, Port Vale players went in for hard tackles, breaking up play and keeping the backline of the Gunners restless. 

As Port Vale continued to take the game to Arsenal, Arteta took no chances and made a few subs to help kill the game. These subs were impactful as Arsenal slowly began to regain control of the game, and in the 86th minute, they killed the game off. A long pass from Saliba flew past the Port Vale defence, finding the run of Leandro Trossard, who killed the ball on his first touch and fired it past the goalkeeper. 

Arsenal ended as 2-0 winners and will progress to the next round.