Blackpool V Arsenal – FA Cup Third Round Preview, Predicted XI Plus Betting Odds

Blackpool V Arsenal – FA Cup Third Round Preview, Predicted XI Plus Betting Odds

Arsenal are likely to make a significant number of changes for the FA Cup third round tie against Blackpool on Saturday.

Unai Emery’s side have been through an intensive fixture schedule during the festive period so expect to see a number of young players given an outing at Bloomfield Road.


Hector Bellerin has been out with a calf strain for the last four games but was close to being fit for the Fulham game on Tuesday.  The match against the Tangerines may come too early to start but he could return to the matchday squad.

Shkodran Mustafi had to be taken off at halftime against the Cottagers. Unai Emery explained after the game that he was still feeling his hamstring, and he will be given a few days off as a precaution. He’s a major doubt to play at the weekend.

Nacho Monreal (hamstring) and Mesut Ozil (knee) also have niggling injuries and are unlikely to feature versus Blackpool.

Rob Holding (knee), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (foot), Danny Welbeck (ankle) are all unavailable but Konstantinos Mavropanos is closing in on a first-team return.

Blackpool gave the Gunners a test earlier this season in the Carabao Cup with the London club coming out 2-1 winners at the Emirates despite having Matteo Guendouzi sent off.

Manager Terry McPhillips will be without the suspended Jordan Thompson, who is serving the last game of a three-match ban while Curtis Tilt, Mark Cullen and Ollie Turton have been out injured.

The bookmakers have made Arsenal clear favourites. They are 1/4 odds-on with Unibet. A draw is 11/2 with Bet365 while an unlikely win for the Tangerines is 13/1 at Betfair.

Arsenal’s Predicted XI To Face Blackpool:

Cech, Lichtsteiner, Pleguezuelo, Koscielny, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Elneny, Smith-Rowe, Ramsey, Saka, Lacazette

Blackpool’s Predicted XI:

Howard, Taylor, O’Connor, Daniels, Henegham, Bola, Guy, Spearing, Feeney, Gnanduillet, Delfouneso

Predicted Score – 3-1 to Arsenal

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.