Arsenal secured their spot in the next round of the Carabao Cup by beating Port Vale 2-0 in a tricky match. 

The biggest highlight was the opening goal, scored by summer signing Eberechi Eze, which marked his first time scoring for Arsenal. 

The Premier League team had to work hard, however, as Port Vale’s players defended well in front of their biggest crowd in years. 

After Trossard scored a late second goal to make the win safe, Arsenal now look forward to playing Brighton as they continue their chase for their first League Cup trophy since 1993.

The £60 million man, Eberechi Eze, needed just eight minutes to open his Arsenal account. 

The number 10, making his sixth appearance for the club, slotted home a composed finish after a neat flick from academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly. 

For Eze, who joined from Crystal Palace in the summer, the moment was personal. 

He told the media that scoring was “Very special. Something I’ve been working towards for a long time.” 

Manager Mikel Arteta was quick to praise his new creative force, noting, “That is why he is here, to win football matches and generate impact with creativity and threat.” 

Despite Arsenal dominating possession for much of the first half, Eze’s early strike was the only thing separating the two sides for over 70 minutes.

Port Vale, buoyed by the presence of 16,326 roaring fans—their largest attendance this century—delivered a performance of resilience. 

Newly promoted to League One, the home side, managed by Darren Moore, defended stoutly and frustrated the visitors. 

Moore expressed pride in his players after the match, saying, “To concede in the first 10 minutes, the boys kept their composure and discipline. That’s the most pleasing thing.” 

The Valiants nearly grabbed an equalizer late on through substitute Devante Cole, whose curling effort narrowly missed the goal. 

The match was only put to bed in the 86th minute when Trossard scored following a long ball from William Saliba, a goal that drew strong offside protests from the home crowd in a fixture without VAR technology. 

The performance confirmed Port Vale’s recent upturn in form, having recently claimed back-to-back League One victories after a winless start to their campaign.

Mikel Arteta used the cup tie to heavily rotate his squad, making nine changes from the weekend’s league fixture, but still fielded a side featuring stars like Bukayo Saka, who played 63 minutes as he recovers from a hamstring issue. 

The match also provided minutes for promising young talents, including Ethan Nwaneri and 15-year-old debutant Max Dowman, showcasing the depth of Arsenal’s squad. 

The Gunners now turn their focus to the fourth round, where they will host familiar Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion. 

With a remarkable record of progressing in 18 of their last 19 cup ties against lower-league opposition, the pressure is mounting for Arsenal to finally end their long 32-year League Cup drought, a trophy they have not won since 1993.