Capital One Cup: Expect Arsenal to progress as Arsene eyes silverware

Wenger has watched some abject Arsenal performances in recent weeks - has he got his eyes on Capital One Cup glory?

Arsenal should ease past Reading in the Capital One Cup with the likelihood of goals at the Madejski, says Andy Tongue

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Kick-off 19:45

Arsene Wenger may have claimed at last week's Annual General Meeting that potential signings aren't interested in winning the League Cup but he'll be desperate to progress to the quarter-finals away to Reading on Tuesday night.

As ever, in what is now known as the Capital One Cup, the key to successful punting is knowing what strength sides the two teams will be putting out.

While still using the competition to blood his never-ending conveyer belt of young talent, Wenger has noticeably drafted in bigger names at earlier stages over the past two or three seasons with the likes of Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Olivier Giroud and Andrey Arshavin all starting at home to Coventry in the previous round.

After the setbacks against Norwich and Schalke, the Gunners ground out a win at home to QPR on Saturday and Wenger will want another confidence-building display ahead of Saturday's daunting lunchtime trip to renew acquaintance with a certain Mr Van Persie at Old Trafford.

Reading are without a win in the Premiership but sides in that situation can often find some relief in the Cup and play with a degree of freedom impossible in the Premier League dogfight that they find themselves in-even at this early stage of the season. Surprisingly for a promoted side, goals haven't necessarily been a problem for Brian McDonald's men but they have leaked more than he would like at the other end of the pitch. With a huge game at QPR on Sunday, they are likely to make a few changes of their own and will try to play football which suits the visitors, who as we know tend to struggle against the more physical sides.

Arsenal are available at just a shade under evens at 1.910/11 and, expecting a relatively strong side to be put out, that's certainly good enough to tempt us in.

But with Reading in decent enough attacking form themselves goals are to be expected, so we'll also back both sides to score and over 3.5 goals in the expectation of an entertaining match for the televised audience, but one that sees Wenger's men march on into the last eight of the tournament he professes to care little for.

Best Bet
Back Arsenal at 1.910/11
Other Recommended Bets
Back both sides to score at 1.674/6
Back Over 3.5 goals at 2.942/1