Can Town stun Arsenal under the lights? My prediction for Carabao Cup clash...

Town toppled 10-man Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday (Image: Ross Halls)

It all could have been so different.

75 minutes into Saturday’s game at Crystal Palace, Ipswich were facing the prospect of throwing away a 2-1 lead against 10 men after consecutive defeats to Manchester United and Liverpool.

Jorgen Strand Larsen’s strike was a sucker punch, but one that sparked Town into life. Their response was good, and they grabbed the goal they needed at the death, when Zian Flemming flicked the ball past Walter Benitez to put his new team 3-2 up.

If that hadn’t happened, the mood would have been different. A strong feeling of frustration at a missed opportunity.

Instead, the Blues took three points, securing their second win of the season. It took them until the end of December to do that in their last Premier League campaign.

The vibes around Portman Road are positive as a result, and everyone has one eye on Everton away this weekend - an opportunity to put more points on the board before the international break.

But we can’t forget that the Premier League champions are in town tonight, with a place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on the line.

The two teams have previous in this competition, of course, going back to the semi-finals in 2011, when Tamas Priskin handed Ipswich a 1-0 win at Portman Road before Arsenal sealed a convincing 3-0 victory in the second leg at the Emirates to reach the final.

The Blues are looking for their fourth win of the campaign in all competitions (Image: Ross Halls)

WHY TOWN WANT TO WIN IT

There’s an argument that Ipswich would be better off out of the Carabao Cup. The odds of them lifting the trophy at Wembley in March next year are incredibly slim - around 80/1, via William Hill.

It’s not helped by the fact that they face a visit from the bookies’ favourites to win the competition. Progressing past this stage seems a tall order for Town.

You could make a case for it being a distraction from the priority, which is obviously Premier League survival, but that's not a strong enough reason for them to want to crash out against the Gunners.

Winning breeds confidence. Could you imagine how buoyed everyone at the club would feel heading up to Merseyside on Saturday off the back of wins against Palace and Arsenal?

Furthermore, additional Carabao Cup games would provide opportunities to players who maybe won’t get regular Premier League minutes. There are a fair few who can’t even get on the bench at the moment.

Defeat would likely be shrugged off. It’s even possible to spin positives from an exit tonight, but those involved will be desperate to progress.

After all, it only takes a few fortunate draws and some competitive performances to find yourself in the latter stages, eyeing a trip to the capital.

The Gunners have won all of their competitive games so far this season (Image: PA)

ARSENAL’S PRIORITIES

Arsenal ended their lengthy wait to win the Premier League by lifting the title last season. Now, they are after more, expecting to win all four competitions that they are competing in this season - including the Carabao Cup.

Expect them to take it seriously. The Gunners have continuously fallen short in this competition, last winning it in 1993. They have only reached the final twice in the last decade, which includes a 2-0 defeat to Man City earlier this year.

Mikel Arteta would love to be the man to etch Arsenal’s name back on that trophy (not literally, of course) for the first time in the 21st century.

At the same time, the Carabao Cup isn’t going to be their top priority. Retaining their Premier League crown and winning a first ever Champions League will be seen as more important.

They have made a fine start, too, winning all five competitive games that they have played so far this season while also swatting Man City aside in the Community Shield last month.

Expect Arteta to rotate at Portman Road tonight, albeit that he can still name a strong starting lineup. The likes of Piero Hincapie, Martin Zubimendi and Noni Madueke are all likely to start.

Possible Arsenal XI: 4-3-3: Kepa; Timber, Salmon, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Merino, Dowman; Madueke, Gyokeres, Eze

Zian Flemming could make his first start for Ipswich (Image: Ross Halls)

POSSIBLE ROTATION

I think Gary O’Neil will make a fair few changes for this game. I’ve gone for 10 in total.

Christian Walton should get his opportunity in goal, with Darnell Furlong, Dara O’Shea, Cedric Kipre and Abdoul Ouattara ahead of him - the same back line that started against Leicester in the last round of the Carabao Cup.

In midfield, Florentino Luis will likely get his first competitive start for the club, partnering Marcelino Nunez.

There are some question marks about Ipswich’s attack. Kasey McAteer will probably get the nod on the right, with Sindre Walle Egeli playing through the middle and Jaden Philogene on the left.

Up top, O’Neil has already confirmed that Emersonn won’t play, so either Zian Flemming or Chuba Akpom will lead the line. I’d lean towards the former.

While he’s unlikely to start, it would be great to see Azor Matusiwa back among the substitutes as he returns from injury.

Possible Town XI: 4-2-3-1: Walton; Furlong, O’Shea, Kipre, Ouattara; Florentino, Nunez; McAteer, Walle Egeli, Philogene; Flemming

Arsenal are heavy favourites to progress to the next round (Image: Ross Halls)

In the battle of rotated Ipswich against rotated Arsenal, I’m struggling to look past the Gunners winning this one. Even with extensive changes and a couple of teenagers in the team, their side looks exceptionally strong.

For me, it’s not just about progressing in the cup, as amazing as that would be. More importantly, it’s an opportunity for those picked to start to prove that they can play a bigger part in the Premier League campaign.

I’d like to see the Blues go toe-to-toe with the Gunners and try to stay in the game for as long as possible, making it a competitive clash. But I do expect that Arsenal’s quality will be enough to get them over the line, so I’m predicting a 2-0 defeat for Town.