Chris Sutton
Former England striker on Monday Night Club

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There is a gulf in class between the Championship and the Premier League. If you are Russell Martin, you can't just come into the Premier League and say this is how I play and this is the only way I am going to play.

You are going up against the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta - great managers who are better tactically than you. Then you have to adapt your game and think about how you can improve, how you can learn and get better tactically.

If I was a player, I would have gone to the manager and said it wasn't working. You got to find a different way and that is where the players should have a voice. But at Southampton, everyone was like a robot.

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Crystal Palace's only two wins in their first 10 games this season came in the EFL Cup but they approach this game in decent form, having not lost any of their last five fixtures.

This is the first of two meetings with Arsenal in a matter of days as the meet again in the Premier League on Saturday.

"Every game [I get nervous],” Palace boss Oliver Glasner said. "After the [broadcast] interview one hour before [kick-off], it's the worst time for me, the hour [leading up] to the game, because players and the staff go out to the pitch, warming up, and you're alone in the dressing room.

"It of course many question marks: will everything we planned work? How are the players doing? Every time, it's butterflies, so it's maybe not the hour I like the most of the day, but as soon as the game starts, it's just focus on the game."

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Alex Pewter, Fan writer

Wednesday may just be another match for Arsenal, and with a title challenge, FA Cup and European campaign among their priorities, that is justified. For Palace fans, with their club still seeking a cup victory, ending the wait would be everything.

The turnaround in Premier League fortunes certainly helps, and an emphatic victory at rivals Brighton lifted the club further from the bottom three and alleviated some pressure before a double-header of fixtures against Arsenal.

After a run of games primarily against teams higher in the table, the team has had to weather the storm for periods in matches while defending and relying on their pace to break forward and counter - with some success.

Palace fans hope that strategy will succeed once again on Wednesday night.

Listen to the full column here.

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Stephen Warnock believes Arsenal are relying too much on Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka as the Gunners' attacking from open play is being questioned.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, the former Liverpool defender said: "There's a bit of a reliance on Saka and Odegaard, if you can keep those two players quiet.

"Martinelli and Trossard aren't quite performing, Havertz isn't where he was a few months ago. There's been a drop off from Declan Rice - that balance isn't quite right.

"There's a lot to be said about the way Arsenal have played, I think it's been slower and not as dynamic and quick.

"They've tried to control games a little bit more and it's gone against them in a way."

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Harry Symeou, Fan writer

It just feels at the moment that there is something missing with this Arsenal team. They are not quite as free flowing as last season or the season before.

Let's not forget that they did have some periods where the attack did look a little blunt during both seasons where they went close to winning the Premier League title.

The January window is going to be massive because there is a real opportunity there to try and fix some of the issues that the team has experienced over the course of the season so far.

Do the club have big plans for the summer window that they can potentially try to move forward? Can it be done financially? They are some of the big questions that will be being asked behind the scenes.

There is just a bit of spark, a bit of creativity missing, and January represents a big opportunity to put that right.

Listen to the full column here.

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Charlotte Robson, Fan writer

One of the reasons Newcastle could dominate at the weekend was because of how dangerous their left flank was. This was in no small part because of Hall.

When we got him from Chelsea, Blues fans were gutted and told me he was a huge loss for them. It took him a long time to get into our squad, but he is now undroppable.

His ability to push up the pitch, intelligence in reading the game, and work-rate are all integral to Newcastle's prospects of staying in the cup and moving up the table.

It will be interesting to see our defensive options when Sven Botman returns - but moving Hall out of position should not be one of them.

Read the full column here.

Arsenal

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta speaking to Sky Sports: "The players who have come in play because they deserve to play and also because we are playing every there days. It's a busy schedule and everybody needs to feel fresh. We need to maintain everybody at their best."

On Ethan Nwaneri: "I've been impressed by the way he is competing and the decisions he takes on the field. It is a big step for him. He has got the talent, creativity and capacity to create great moments in matches and also score goals. And he has got another opportunity tonight."

On Kieran Tierney: "He was on loan at Real Sociedad and then had a long injury. He has been training well and he's been part of us. It's also a great opportunity for him as well."

On Crystal Palace: "They have been in great form, especially against big teams and have been getting some big results. They have put out a strong 11 tonight which tells us they have come here with big intentions."

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Chris Waddle
Former Newcastle & England winger on BBC Radio 5 Live

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There are a few Brentford players who are not as confident when they go on the road and I don’t understand why.

You do play at some stadiums where the atmosphere is electric but the fans are not on the pitch. When you play away from home you have to be up for the challenge and Brentford have a few in their ranks who don’t have that confidence on the road. That said Newcastle do leave gaps and if Brentford are cute, work hard and counter attack they could have a good night.

Southampton begin life without Russell Martin by making three changes to the side that lost 5-0 to Tottenham on Sunday.

In come James Bree, Nathan Wood and Cameron Archer.

Out go Kyle Walker-Peters, Kamaldeen Sulemana and Adam Armstrong.

Southampton XI: McCarthy, Bree, Harwood-Ellis, Bednarek, Wood, Manning, Downes, Fernandes, Aribo, Dibling, Archer.

Subs: Lumley, Edwards, Sugawara, Lallana, Fraser, Amo-Ameyaw, Kamaldeen, Brererton Diaz, Onuachu.

There is no Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool, who make eight changes to the side that started the 2-2 draw with Fulham last Saturday. Seventeen-year-old Trey Nyoni makes his first senior start.

Harvey Elliott makes his first start of the season and Alexis Mac Allister returns from suspension. Darwin Nunez starts up front.

Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Gomez, Quansah, Endo, Alexander-Arnold, Morton, Mac Allister, Nyoni, Elliott, Gakpo, Nunez.

Subs: Jaros, Chiesa, Jota, Tsimikas, McConnell, Nallo, Ngumoha, Danns, Norris

It is only a week and a half since these teams met in the Premier League.

The Bees, who were the home team, won that game 4-2.

"This will be completely different," said Brentford boss Thomas Frank.

"We will face a team that will come flying out for a late kick-off under the lights. They will take no prisoners and will go after us - but we are ready."

Toon manager Eddie Howe said his team "fell below our levels, especially defensively" in that match.

Khan Karn: Surprised Palace have gone with their full team, surely the weekend Premier League game is much bigger as they are fighting relegation. They also have a better chance to beat Arsenal at home on Sat. This team will have to play the weekend as well!

No messing round from Newcastle there. Good to see someone taking the cup so seriously. There's no glory in finishing eighth or 12th, is there?

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Newcastle boss Eddie Howe sticks with the same side that started the 4-0 win over Leicester in the Premier League last weekend.

Newcastle: Dubravka, Livramento, Schar, Burn, Hall, Tonali, Guimaraes, Joelinton, Jacob Murphy, Isak, Gordon.

Subs: Vlachodimos, Trippier, Barnes, Targett, Osula, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Miley.

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Brentford make five changes to the side that began their 2-1 defeat to Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday evening.

Kristoffer Ajer, Ben Mee, Vitaly Janelt, Fabio Carvalho and Kevin Schade all start in place of Nathan Collins, Mads Roerslev, Mikkel Damsgaard, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard.

Brentford XI: Flekken, van den Berg, Pinnock, Mee, Ajer, Yarmoliuk, Janelt, Lewis-Potter, Carvalho, Schade, Wissa.

Subs: Valdimarsson, Mbeumo, Meghoma, Collins, Damsgaard, Konak, Trevitt, Roerslev, Maghoma.

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Cody Gakpo loves the League Cup.

The Netherlands forward has scored eight times in his last eight games in the competition.

He is also joint top scorer in the League Cup this season with four goals.

Watford's Tom Ince also has four.

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These two sides face each other in the first of two successive clashes, with the pair also meeting in the Premier League at the weekend.

A place in the EFL Cup semi-finals is at stake tonight and Gunners boss Mikel Arteta believes winning this trophy could spur his side on to push for the league title.

"It brings belief, trust and positive energy," he said when asked what winning the League Cup would do.

"Beating someone in the semi-final and final generates that energy and creates the right path to go and do something else."

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Will Southampton have a new permanent manager in charge for Sunday's away game at Fulham?

Simon Rusk takes temporary charge tonight following the dismissal of Russell Martin.

Sheffield Wednesday's Danny Rohl, former Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand and West Brom's Carlos Corberan have been linked with the role.

"He's an interesting character," former Southampton midfielder Jo Tessem tells BBC Radio Solent about Corberan.

"He's a promotion guy and he's been good at that. He hasn't taken that next level that the Premier league needs."

Brentford boss Thomas Frank is not happy with the scheduling around this game.

The Bees faced Chelsea on Sunday at 19:00 GMT - and play Nottingham Forest on Saturday at 15:00.

The club tried to get either game moved but the Premier League rejected the request.

"Us and Crystal Palace are the only teams in the quarter finals that have to play three games in six days," said Frank.

"The other six teams, the bigger clubs - are playing in eight or nine days, which might be a coincidence? Maybe the EFL or Premier League can answer that."

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How quickly things change in football.

Before last weekend it looked like Russell Martin and Arne Slot would be in opposing dugouts for tonight's tie.

Instead it will be Simon Rusk taking charge of Southampton following Russell Martin's dismissal, with Sipke Hulshoff and John Heitinga in the Liverpool technical area as Arne Slot serves a touchline suspension.

Slot was booked for the third time this season against Fulham at the weekend triggering an automatic ban.

"If you are suspended in Holland then you're not allowed to be in and around the dressing room, you cannot do the media as well," said Liverpool boss Slot on the eve of the tie.

"This is a lighter version of suspension, I would say, than I'm used to - but I've never been used to being suspended as it's the first time."

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Whether there is a feeling of relief at Southampton that they no longer have to play Russell Martin's style of football or whether there is anxiety over a change depends on the players.

Some of the players in that squad have been given an opportunity by Martin and as a consequence they would have tried everything they could to make it work out.

Unfortunately it has not worked out for them.

I think even though there will be a new manager coming in and the style of play may change a little bit, the fact is not many people outside of Southampton still believe in them anyway.