Arsenal will be hoping to bounce back with a win over fierce rivals Tottenham after losing their 22-game unbeaten run against Southampton.
Gunners boss Unai Emery has a number of injury concerns ahead of the clash with Hector Bellerin ruled out for several weeks.
The Spaniard, renowned as a cup specialist, is prepared to send out a strong team in an attempt to win his first silverware as Arsenal boss.
That means the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette, who have had to settle for places on the bench in recent weeks, are both poised to start.
But for Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, the EFL Cup represents an opportunity to rest some of his key players.
Harry Kane is expected to be on the bench with Heung-min Son deputising as the lone striker, while Juan Foyth returns to replace Jan Vertonghen.
There are also opportunities for Paulo Gazzaniga and Ben Davies to impress, coming in for Hugo Lloris and Danny Rose respectively.
Standard Sport's predicted line-ups
Arsenal [3-4-2-1]: Cech, Lichtsteiner, Sokratis, Xhaka, Maitland-Niles, Guendouzi, Torreira, Monreal, Ozil, Lacazette, Iwobi
Tottenham [4-2-3-1]: Gazzaniga, Walker-Peters, Foyth, Alderweireld, Davies, Sissoko, Winks, Eriksen, Alli, Lamela, Son
