Eyeing a shock
Ipswich are undoubtedly eyeing a shock against much stronger opponents at Portman Road, but are between managers at the moment. Roy Keane was shown the door after a very poor league campaign that sees them only inches away from dropping down into the relegation zone in the Championship. And their recent 7-0 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup would have dented their confidence even further.
Recovering from such a difficult defeat against opponents like Arsenal will be no small feat, but the unpredictable nature of the cup means that the hosts have a chance of springing a surprise.
But the league campaign will likely be their priority, since relegation is obviously not a good sign for any club.
Paul Jewell will soon take charge of the club’s affairs, despite having been out of management for the past two years. His last job at Derby County ended in ignominy in 2008, but the 46-year-old has in the past guided Bradford City and Wigan Athletic to the Premier League.
In this first leg, however, it will be coach Ian McParland who will be in charge - but Jewell is expected to be in the stands at Portman Road.
Gunning down lesser opposition
If an out of sorts Chelsea side could record an emphatic 7-0 result against these opponents, then so can Arsenal. Manager Arsene Wenger’s defence may look shaky in the absence of Thomas Vermaelen, Sebastien Squillaci and Bacary Sagna, but it may not prove to be a significant problem against the Championship strugglers.
Ideally speaking, the former Monaco boss will want the tie to be wrapped up in the first leg, so he can give many of his younger charges a run out in the semi-final of the tournament - since he has been fielding relatively strong line-ups in comparison to previous years.
The stronger line-ups have been seen as a sign that the north London club are taking the League Cup seriously, due to their silverware drought that stretches way back to Patrick Vieira’s penalty against Manchester United in 2005 - which won them the FA Cup.
The emphasis on the contest at hand takes a more serious tone when it is noted that the Gunners drew their FA Cup tie against Leeds United at the weekend.
TEAM NEWS
Ipswich Town
Jake Livermore and Rory Fallon are unavailable for this encounter, as the on-loan pair have already played for Tottenham and Plymouth Argyle respectively during earlier rounds of the competition.
Grant Leadbitter is still serving a suspension, while Gareth McAuley could overcome a hamstring injury in time for a start.
Possible starting XI: Fulop; Brown, McAuley, Delaney, Kennedy; Norris, Edwards, Quinn, Colback; Wickham, Scotland.
Arsenal
Thomas Vermaelen (Achilles), Manuel Almunia (ankle), Abou Diaby (calf) and Sebastien Squillaci (hamstring) are all sidelined for this encounter, with Gunners boss Arsene Wenger entertaining defensive worries.
The north London club’s manager has admitted that he may have to dip into the transfer market to bring in cover for Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou.
Bacary Sagna is currently serving a suspension, so Emmanuel Eboue is likely to slot in at right-back.
Possible starting XI: Szczesny; Eboue, Djourou, Koscielny, Gibbs; Walcott, Fabregas, Eastmond, Denilson, Arshavin; Bendtner.
Prediction
Ipswich 1-2 Arsenal 
