There could be no better opponent to highlight Chelsea’s continuing trauma than Brighton, who visit Stamford Bridge for tonight’s Carabao Cup tie. Since Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali bought the club, Chelsea have pillaged tonight’s opponents, demonstrating their financial might by spending nearly a quarter of a billion to poach two of their best players in Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo, head coach Graham Potter and a host his of backroom staff, as well as sporting director Paul Winstanley.
Arsenal are out to lift the Carabao Cup for the first time in over 30 years this season, with a third-round trip to Brentford next up. Not since Steve Morrow netted a Wembley winner past Sheffield Wednesday in 1993 have the Gunners lifted this cup, where their paltry return of two trophies comes in stark contrast to their record-breaking efforts in the FA Cup. Mikel Arteta will hope to change that tonight with a trip across the capital, off the back of a fiery derby draw with Tottenham on the weekend.
Santiago Gimenez continued to impress reported suitors Arsenal by netting Feyenoord’s first-ever hat-trick away to Ajax behind closed doors on Wednesday afternoon. A report in The Times has named Gimenez, 22, as on Arsenal’s radar while they consider attacking reinforcements in the January transfer window. Ivan Toney is another target although players will likely have to be sold to land either player.