Arsenal's fringe players play their part in easing past Brighton into Carabao quarter-finals

Retro-perspective. The shirt in the club shop that was all the rage when the League Cup was last won by Arsenal 32 years ago : Picture by @YTJourno

Carabao Cup Fourth Round

Arsenal (0) 2 Nwaneri 57, Saka 77

Brighton (0) 0

Arsenal's pursuit of the gold standard trophies meant this League Cup tie was never going to feature highly in the list of priorities, but the Gunners' classic blend of fringe players, reserves and teenagers got the job done to clinch a quarter-final place.

They will joined by Chelsea and Crystal Palace - who beat Wolves and Liverpool respectively - Brentford and Fulham. Spurs fell by the wayside at holders Newcastle.

Goals from Ethan Nwaneri and sub Bukayo Saka were enough to get the job done as the Seagulls' early promise was repelled.

The Gunners seem averse to this cup in a way that has bemused and irritated fans down the years. While other clubs have seen it as a way of ending trophy droughts or of keeping things ticking along during fallow periods - see Man United under Jose Mourinho - Arsenal have remained true to their almost dismissive approach.

This was the 250th match played by the Gunners in the competition since it launched in 1960 and it's fair to say far too many of those matches have ended in disappointment.

Arsene Wenger used it merely to give his young academy and fringe players a taste of first team football, and very good a great many of them were. But winning the actual thing? That's for those desperately shameless cup accumulators like Chelsea, Liverpool and Man City.

There have been a few finals since the 1993 victory over Sheffield Wednesday, which was only their second ever win in the competition - but Chelsea, Birmingham City and Man City all made sure the the decades could roll by without the honours list in the matchday programme being altered when it came to the most winnable of the domestic baubles.

In years gone by there have also been Wembley defeats at the final hurdle to Leeds United and those other traditional powerhouses Swindon and Luton Town.

Arsenal's inglorious relationship with the League Cup in its various guises was exploited by Brighton not so long ago. Just three years previously, they won 3-1 at the Emirates to stop another EFL cup run in its tracks and the line-up then hints at the frivolous nature of the home side's approach.

Of the starting XI, only William Saliba is still in business. The team included Estonian keeper Karl Hein, Rob Holding, Cedric Soares, Reiss Nelson, Marquinhos, Sambi Lokonga and Mohamed Elneny. Eddie Nketiah scored the only goal.

In short, we should never expect much from Arsenal when it comes to this competition - even if that sounds harsh given they were semi-finalists only last year.

That said, here was something to enjoy. It was fun seeing 15-year-old Max Dowman given his first start and Andre Harriman-Annous handed his debut at the age of 17. What took him so long? We also got to see that veteran Nwaneri and, at the back, Piero Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera. An intriguing fringe festival line-up.

Dowman was fearless and thrilling and worth the admission fee alone. Merino, as skipper for the night and Eberechi Eze - booed by away fans for his Palace past - seemed to relish being the responsible adults needed to guide the side home.

Albion started well, however, and twice passed up gilt-edged chances, with Georginio Rutter denied in a one v one by Kepa and Stefanos Tzimas missing the target altogether with only the keeper to beat. Diego Gomez flashed a shot just wide from distance.

This looked as if was not going to be the miserly defence we see in the Premier League but the habit of not conceding was satisfyingly maintained.

Those first signs may have been worrying but the mood changed quickly after a finely worked goal at the start of the second half. Started by a clever backheel from Merino and a low cross from Myles Lewis-Skelly, Nwaneri was on hand to sweep a low shot past Jason Steele's left hand.

Arteta then sent on his finishers from a star-studded bench to complete the task, with Gabriel, Bukayo Saka and Jurrien Timber adding their heft for the final quarter. And very soon, Saka made it 2-0, picking up the pieces after Harriman-Annous' shot had been saved by the keeper. A brilliant run from Timber made it all possible.

Leandro Trossard smacked a low shot against a post as he almost added a third against his old club but no-one minded too much by then.

Gunners: (4-3-3) Arrizabalaga - White (Timber 70), Mosquera, Hincapie (Gabriel 70), Lewis-Skelly - Merino, Norgaard, Nwaneri - Dowman (Saka 70), Harriman-Annous (Rice 77) - Eze (Trossard 84)

Seagulls: (4-2-3-1) Steele - Kadioglu, Coppola (Welbeck 77), van Hecke, De Cuyper (Wieffer 68) - Baleba, Boscagli - Rutter (Minteh 68), Kostoulas (Ayari h/t), Gomez (Watson 68) - Tzimas

Attendance: 59,292