Arsenal begin a stretch of four straight away games on Wednesday when they face Preston North End with a spot in the EFL Cup quarterfinals on the line.

Preston have already bettered last season's first-round exit and beat Premier League side Fulham on penalties to earn a spot in this week's matchup. Arsenal, meanwhile, have now matched last season's round of 16 finish and hope to go one better this time around. This is a second consecutive favorable matchup for the Gunners, who entered this season's competition with a 5-1 win over Bolton Wanderers in the third round.

Here's what you need to know before tuning in.

How to watch and odds

  • Date: Wednesday, Oct. 30 | Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
  • Location: Deepdale -- Preston, England
  • Live stream: Paramount+, CBS Sports Golazo Network
  • Odds: Preston North End +800; Draw +525; Arsenal -400

Storylines

Arsenal's season so far has been full of good days, but a surprising amount of underwhelming showings have raised a new series of questions about their title hopes. Their stellar defensive record in the UEFA Champions League, where they have yet to concede a goal in three games, has not been matched by their Premier League record, where they have let in 10 goals in nine games. That, though, is unlikely to be a problem against Preston, who currently rank 16th in the Championship.

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One thing that could linger in the back of Arsenal's minds, even against a lower-league opponent, is their recent disciplinary record. The Gunners already have three red cards in league play this season, something that may need addressing by manager Mikel Arteta, though the visitors are likely to come out of this game unscathed. Though he will have a wide range of players available to him, Arteta will likely rotate ahead of some important games over the next few weeks, so expect a match that's calmer in tone.

Projected lineup

Porter, Nichols, Kiwior, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri, Jorginho, Rice, Saka, Jesus, Sterling

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Prediction

This game is Arsenal's to lose and it is very unlikely that they will, regardless of Arteta's team selection. Expect the Gunners to put enough distance between them and Preston to secure a straightforward victory and a spot in the quarterfinals. Pick: Preston North End 0, Arsenal 3