A place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals awaits the winner of Tuesday’s tie at Highbury Stadium, featuring League Two’s last team standing.
Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal Betting Predictions
All odds courtesy of SkyBet - correct at time of publishing and subject to change
Backing the young Gunners to break Town down
Fleetwood have yet to concede in three home Carabao Cup ties this season. Chesterfield, Shrewsbury and Sheffield United all left Highbury Stadium empty-handed.
Arsenal are expected to rotate heavily. Declan Rice is set to rest, and Bukayo Saka, William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori are out. Young players may need time to break down a compact defence.
Fleetwood could struggle with fatigue. This will be their fourth game in 11 days after defeats at Exeter and Cheltenham. Lawlor’s side may struggle to match their Premier League opponents’ fitness levels.
Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyokeres could be called upon from the bench if needed. A dominant second-half display from Arsenal looks plausible at an implied probability of 51.8%. This is arguably the value bet from our trio of Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal predictions. The hosts will try all they can to frustrate Arsenal in the early exchanges.
- Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal Bet 1: 2nd Half (Half with most goals) @ 10/11 with SkyBet
Arteta’s men to win by at least a three-goal margin
The gulf in quality is enormous. Arsenal are reigning Premier League champions, and Fleetwood sit 18th in League Two.
The Gunners are unbeaten in five October outings. They beat Everton 2-0 and drew 2-2 at Bayern Munich. Fleetwood have won three of 13 league games.
The hosts will also be without their best performer. FotMob rates Lewis McCann top on 7.11, and he is suspended for this one.
Arsenal recorded a 4-2 victory over Premier League Ipswich in the previous round. They should face a less demanding test against League Two opposition. However, the Gunners haven’t lifted the EFL Cup trophy since 1993. Victory by three goals or more at a 56.5% implied probability looks fair given the gulf in class. Arsenal have a host of young Gunners desperate to impress in the cup.
- Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal Bet 2: Arsenal -2 (Handicap 3-way) @ 4/5 with SkyBet
Value on Dowman to net after his 3rd Round performance
Midfield maestro Max Dowman scored twice in Arsenal’s 4-2 win at Ipswich in the last round. That remains his only start of the season.
The 16-year-old has two goals from just 108 minutes in all competitions. He averages 3.02 shots and 3.74 completed dribbles per 90 across his last 19 appearances.
League Two defenders will struggle with that. Dowman is already the youngest scorer in Premier League history. He is also the youngest player ever to appear in the Champions League.
Arteta has also signalled a bigger role for Dowman, with Saka nursing a quad problem. We can back Dowman to score anytime here at an implied probability of 45.5%.
- Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal Bet 3: Max Dowman anytime goalscorer @ 6/5 with SkyBet
Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: Fleetwood Town 0-3 Arsenal
- Goalscorers prediction: Arsenal: Dowman, Merino, Eze
18th-placed League Two side Fleetwood Town welcome last season’s Premier League champions to Highbury Stadium on Tuesday night. The EFL Cup 4th Round is a chance for Town to reach the last eight of the competition.
Fleetwood enjoyed a stunning 1-0 home win over Championship side Sheffield United in Round 3. They are yet to concede a goal in three EFL Cup ties this season.
Matt Lawlor’s men have struggled to deliver in League Two so far in 2026/27. They’ve won just three of their 13 league matches. The Sheffield United win seemed to result in a dip in league form. They’ve picked up just four points from their last seven League Two games.
Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal continue to build momentum. The Gunners’ 2-0 home win over Everton lifted Arsenal level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League. While they are also keen on a Champions League charge, more silverware in the EFL Cup would be equally welcome.
Arteta may nevertheless be forced into resting several key players for the trip to the north-west. Bukayo Saka could be sidelined for up to two months after a fresh injury. Riccardo Calafiori also picked up a knock against Everton and is unlikely to be risked. It’s a good opportunity for homegrown youngsters like Max Dowman, Marli Salmon and Andre Harriman-Annous to impress.
Probable lineups for Fleetwood Town vs Arsenal
Fleetwood Town expected lineup: Lynch, Rooney, Bennett, Potter, Cirino, McLean, Neal, Helm, Andrew, Coughlan, Evans
Arsenal expected lineup: Kepa, Timber, Salmon, Mosquera, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, Merino, Eze, Harriman-Annous
Fleetwood vs Arsenal - Where to Watch
- Date: Tuesday 27 October 2026
- Kick off time: 8:00pm UK time
- Stadium: Highbury Stadium, Fleetwood
- UK TV: Sky Sports Football