Port Vale v Arsenal EFL Cup Football Betting Tips 24/09/2025

League One outfit Port Vale welcome Premier League giants Arsenal to Vale Park on Wednesday night in the third round of the EFL Cup, so here’s our Port Vale v Arsenal EFL Cup Football Betting Tips. Darren Moore’s men head into this clash with confidence after back-to-back league wins, but Mikel Arteta’s Gunners arrive as overwhelming favourites and will be looking to avoid any slip-ups against lower league opposition. Kick-off is at 7:45 p.m., with the match available to watch live on Sky Sports.

Form & Team News

League One Port Vale have had a patchy start to the 2025/26 campaign. The Vale secured two victories from their opening eight games, both in the EFL Cup against Blackpool and Birmingham (1-0). Darren Moore’s side have improved recently and secured back-to-back wins from their last two. A 2-0 win at Exeter came before a 2-1 victory over Mansfield on Sunday. Arsenal enter the EFL Cup in the third round this season as one of the higher-ranked teams in the competition. The Gunners join the competition following a three-match unbeaten run since the September international break. Mikel Arteta’s side beat Nottingham Forest (3-0) and Athletic Club (2-0) before a 1-1 home draw with Man City on Sunday. 

Port Vale trio Liam Gordon, Mitch Clark and Kyle John are injured and unlikely to feature. Gabriel Jesus, Kai Havertz, Noni Madueke and Martin Odegaard are ruled out for Arsenal. 

Match Winner Bet

Despite their recent upturn in form, Port Vale remain heavy underdogs against Arsenal. The Vale are winless in seven of their last nine home games, and although they held Arsenal to a 1-1 draw in the last meeting, this represents a far tougher challenge. Vale will have some confidence after winning their last 2 matches — their best run of form so far this season. However, 29/1 odds for a home win, offered by 10Bet, represent the tough challenge facing the hosts here. Arsenal played out their first stalemate of the season against City on Sunday, and a draw appears slightly more likely amongst the bookies. BetVictor have 21/2 odds for a deadlock in the EFL Cup. The Gunners are in strong form, going undefeated in six of their last seven fixtures across all competitions. Arteta’s men have also looked solid defensively, conceding just two goals in their last six matches and keeping four clean sheets. It’s no surprise that bookmakers have Arsenal priced as clear favourites to progress at 1/10, offered by AK Bets. However, for greater value, a better pick is to back an Arsenal win to nil at 4/6, provided by William Hill. 

Handicap Betting

Even with squad rotation expected, Arsenal should have more than enough quality to win comfortably on Wednesday. The Gunners have already demonstrated their ability to score freely this season, netting 12 times in their opening six matches. They have also covered a -2 handicap on two occasions, thrashing Leeds 5-0 and Nottingham Forest 3-0. Port Vale’s defensive record at Vale Park does not inspire much confidence, with no clean sheets in their last five home games and four goals conceded in their last two. Arsenal can show their firepower here, and a -2 handicap is the best bet at 20/23 at BoyleSports. 

Anytime Goalscorer Bets

With Arsenal looking to dominate, we are picking two Gunners to potentially score at any time against Port Vale. Bukayo Saka made his return from injury against Manchester City on Sunday and could get valuable minutes here to build match fitness. The England international has scored twice in his last three starts and looks a likely threat if involved from the off. Sky Bet have decent odds for a Saka anytime goal against Port Vale at 11/10.  Another strong option in the goalscorer market is Gabriel Martinelli. After being left out of the starting XI against City, the Brazilian forward is expected to start in midweek and will be eager to impress Arteta. Martinelli has been decisive off the bench recently, scoring the late equaliser on Sunday and contributing two goals and an assist in his last two outings. Backing him to find the net could be a solid bet given his upturn in form, and Livescore Bet have 2/1 odds for a Martinelli anytime goal.

Our Port Vale v Arsenal EFL Cup Football Betting Tips –

Match winner bet — Arsenal win to nil — 4/6 with William Hill

Handicap bet — Arsenal -2 goals — 20/23 with BoyleSports

Anytime goalscorer — Bukayo Saka — 11/10 with Sky Bet

Anytime goalscorer — Gabriel Martinelli — 2/1 with Livescore Bet

All 4 bets acca combo bet — 17.7/1 with BetMGM

Port Vale will look to frustrate Arsenal in front of a packed Vale Park, but the gulf in quality between these sides is hard to ignore. The Gunners’ defensive solidity and attacking depth suggest a comfortable away win is the most likely outcome in this third-round clash. As always, our Port Vale v Arsenal EFL Cup Football Betting Tips are based on form and statistics, but they are never guaranteed to win. Please use our predictions as a guide to find value in the markets, rather than sure winners.

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