Another break-us-down-if-you-can test awaits Arsenal when they host Reading in the EFL Cup fourth round on Tuesday. Having endured a frustrating afternoon against Middlesbrough at the weekend, the pressure will be on the Gunners to get back to winning ways.
Arsenal saw a seven-match winning run in all competitions come to an end with a 0-0 draw against Boro. That was a match that the Gunners players and fans will want to forget quickly, because the football was uninspiring and had it not been for a couple of really good saves and some poor finishing, it could have easily ended up in a defeat.
To their credit, Arsenal have shown their boncebackability powers quite well so far this season, and if they want to move into the quarterfinals of the tournament formerly known as the League Cup, they will need to find their attacking verve again.
One of the players key to Arsenal doing that against Reading will be Lucas Perez, the summer signing who hasn't quite been able to make his mark yet, largely due to the fact that he has played so little. When he has been given a chance to impress, though, he has done just that, with his most eye-catching performance coming in this very tournament when he scored two goals against Nottingham Forest in the previous round.
Wenger is confident the Spaniard can make a similar impact again. "He did extremely well against Ludogorets (in the Champions League) because he came on and gave two great goals," Wenger said of Lucas.
"He was a bit like the rest of the team against Middlesbrough, in that he could not have as big an impact because the whole team was not functioning as well. I believe he has the potential to be a great player for us. In training he continues to show he has the potential to play, he now has to transfer that into the games.
"The more he does that – against Reading he will have an opportunity – the more we will be tempted to say, 'let's do it'."
Wenger will make quite a few changes to his starting lineup, while resting the likes of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, and that could be the case with Reading too, with Jaap Stam hoping his team can cause an upset on Tuesday, full-strength team or not.
"It's a game that everybody is looking forward to – especially fans and people around Reading, because you never know what's going to happen," the former Manchester United defender said.
Where to Watch Live
Arsenal vs Reading is scheduled for a 7.45pm BST (12.15am IST, 3.45pm ET) start. Live Streaming and TV guide is below.
India and UK: No live coverage on TV or online. Radio: Arsenal Player and BBC Radio 5 Live Extra.
Middle East, North Africa, USA, Canada: TV: Bein Sports. Live Streaming: Bein Sports Connect and Go 90 (US only).
South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa: TV: SuperSport. Live Streaming: SuperSport Live Video.
