Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Eberechi Eze hits first Gunners goal in EFL Cup fixture

Eberechi Eze scored his first Arsenal goal to help the Gunners book their spot in the fourth round of the EFL Cup on Wednesday night.

The England international's eighth-minute effort sent Mikel Arteta's side 1-0 ahead against League One outfit Port Vale at Vale Park.

It did appear that the floodgates would open when Eze netted in the early exchanges, but the Premier League team had to wait until the 86th minute to register their second, with Leandro Trossard on the scoresheet for 2-0.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Well, it was not exactly a vintage performance from Arsenal, and many would have expected the Gunners to go on and win this more comfortably after scoring in the eighth minute.

However, the Gunners did not find a second until the 86th minute, and Port Vale deserve credit for making a fight of it against their Premier League opponents, even if they ultimately came up short.

According to Arteta's critics, the Arsenal boss is playing with the handbrake on this season, and this is another result that plays into that narrative, as it was not exactly an attacking masterclass from the visitors.

That said, Port Vale did not have a single shot on target, so elimination was always incredibly unlikely.

Arsenal now have a huge game against Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday, and there will be pressure on the North London club to pick up all three points in that contest.

PORT VALE VS. ARSENAL HIGHLIGHTS

Eberechi Eze goal vs. Port Vale (8th min, Port Vale 0-1 Arsenal)

Slick football from Arsenal!

Eberechi Eze gets his first goal for the club! ? pic.twitter.com/KipQbsWAIf
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 24, 2025

Arsenal make the breakthrough in the eighth minute of the contest, and it is Eze with his first goal for the club, with the attacker carefully placing the ball into the bottom corner of the net following a flick from Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Leandro Trossard goal vs. Port Vale (86th min, Port Vale 0-2 Arsenal)

Leandro Trossard gets on the scoresheet! ? pic.twitter.com/stCDKLFhp3
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) September 24, 2025

Arsenal double their advantage in the 86th minute of the match, with Trossard smashing the ball into the bottom corner after being found by William Saliba - that is a brilliant touch and finish from the attacker.

MAN OF THE MATCH - EBERECHI EZE

Eze's first Arsenal goal proved to be important in the third-round fixture, and it was a strong all-round performance from the former Crystal Palace attacker, who played 81 minutes of the contest.

The 27-year-old finished with a pass success rate of 88%, while he also made three tackles to help his side out defensively, as Port Vale did provide an attacking threat on home soil despite failing to register a shot on target.

PORT VALE VS. ARSENAL MATCH STATS

Possession: Port Vale 19%-81% Arsenal

Shots: Port Vale 3-11 Arsenal

Shots on target: Port Vale 0-4 Arsenal

Corners: Port Vale 1-6 Arsenal

Fouls: Port Vale 6-5 Arsenal

BEST STAT

Ebere Eze scores his first @Arsenal goal ✨ pic.twitter.com/uowE13aR4Q
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 24, 2025

WHAT NEXT?

Arsenal will resume their Premier League campaign away to Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, and the Gunners will be under pressure to return to winning ways in England's top flight.

As for Port Vale, Darren Moore's side will resume their League One campaign away to Barnsley on Saturday afternoon; the Valiants are currently 19th in the League One table.