Arsenal vs. Reading: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info for EFL Cup Match

Arsenal will host Reading at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night with a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals at stake. It's a fixture sure to conjure memories of the 12-goal thriller these teams played out at the same stage of this competition in 2012.

The League Cup is the only domestic trophy Gunners manager Arsene Wenger hasn't raised, having lost in two finals. His bid to win this season's tournament began with a 4-0 away win over Championship side Nottingham Forest. Meanwhile, Reading were 2-1 winners against Brighton & Hove Albion in the last round.

As he often does, Wenger reshuffled his squad for this competition. Striker Lucas Perez scored twice in the previous round and is a good bet to start again.

Before a preview, here are the schedule and streaming details:

Date: Tuesday, October 25

Time: 7:45 p.m. / 2:45 p.m. (ET)

TV: The game will not be broadcast on television.

Live Stream: Arsenal Player / BBC Sport (Online updates).

Preview

It's impossible not to think back to 2012 whenever these two meet. On the night, struggling Reading stunned a mixed Arsenal squad by building a 4-0 lead before the break.

Theo Walcott scored on the stroke of half-time, before Olivier Giroud and Laurent Koscielny each found the net in the second half. Walcott pounced for the equaliser deep into stoppage time.

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He completed his hat-trick in extra time, while substitute Marouane Chamakh bagged a brace. Pavel Pogrebnyak had made it 5-5 before Walcott got his third and Chamakh finally put the game beyond doubt.

Arsenal's recent cup history with Reading also features the 2015 FA Cup semi-final, a game the Gunners escaped from with a 2-1 win thanks to Alexis Sanchez and some blunders from then-Royals goalkeeper Adam Federici.

At least Reading likely won't have to contend with Sanchez this time. Like many of the Arsenal regulars, the Chilean will probably be rested.

Wenger could hand another start to Perez, the former Deportivo La Coruna striker who cost the Gunners £17 million in the summer. The Spaniard hasn't featured much so far, but he's impressed when given a chance.

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Aside from a brace and an assist against Forest, Perez also supplied a pair of goals for Mesut Ozil during the recent 6-0 win over Ludogorets Razgrad in the UEFA Champions League.

Perez is following a similar initiation with the Gunners to the one Eduardo da Silva faced in 2007. He'd signed from Dinamo Zagreb and was rarely seen in the Premier League during the early months of the season, but he did make his mark in this competition.

Eduardo scored twice at Sheffield United in the fourth round and netted another brace against Blackburn Rovers in the quarter-final.

Another cup match will help Perez get used to the physicality and pace of football in England. He'll also thrive if attacking midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, a scorer against Forest, can supply the chances.

Wenger has also indicated French target man Giroud could be in the squad after a lengthy injury layoff, per the club's official site.

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Wenger's biggest dilemma will come in the heart of midfield, where injuries and suspensions have thinned his choices.

Granit Xhaka will serve the second game of a three-match ban, while Santi Cazorla missed Saturday's 0-0 draw with Middlesbrough in the Premier League due to an Achilles problem.

Wenger may stick with Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin, but he could also use the game to give some youngsters a chance. They include dynamic Frenchman Jeff Reine-Adelaide, versatile Ainsley Maitland-Niles and cultured schemer Gedion Zelalem.

Arsenal have had success bringing through youngsters in recent seasons, with both Hector Bellerin and Alex Iwobi making the jump. There's enough talent in the youth ranks for another prospect to be unearthed.

Like Wenger, Reading boss Jaap Stam  has rested and rotated players in this competition. But he may be reluctant to leave out experienced players such as skipper Chris Gunter and winger Garath McCleary at the Emirates.

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Arsenal should still have the quality in their ranks to field a team strong enough to win at home and book the club's place in the last eight.