Arsenal Advances to Carabao Cup Quarter-Finals with Victory Over Brighton
Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka scored in the second half, leading a youthful Arsenal team to a 2-0 victory over Brighton and securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.
Manager Mikel Arteta made significant changes to the lineup, featuring 15-year-old Max Dowman, who became the youngest player to start a match for Arsenal, alongside 17-year-old Andre Harriman-Annous. This lineup saw 10 changes from the team that triumphed over Crystal Palace on Sunday.
In the 57th minute, it was two of Arsenal's promising young talents who connected to score the opening goal. Mikel Merino executed a clever backheel to set up Myles Lewis-Skelly in the penalty area. Lewis-Skelly then delivered a precise pull-back for fellow academy graduate Ethan Nwaneri, who finished confidently into the far corner.
Substituting in the second half, Saka extended the lead by capitalizing on a rebound from a Harriman-Annous shot, slotting the ball into an empty net to secure the win for Arsenal.
Brighton had several opportunities to take the lead in the first half, with Georginio Rutter coming close, but his shot was saved by Kepa Arrizabalaga. Striker Stefanos Tzimas also missed a significant chance, shooting wide from inside the area during a counter-attack.
This victory propels Arsenal into the last eight of the competition, marking their 11th consecutive game without defeat and extending their streak of not conceding a goal to six matches.