Blackpool vs. Arsenal: FA Cup 2019 Odds, Live Stream, TV Info

Arsenal travel to Blackpool on Saturday to begin their 2019 FA Cup campaign against the same opposition they beat 2-1 in the Carabao Cup fourth round back in October.

While the Gunners' victory over League One opposition came at the Emirates Stadium, they will be at Bloomfield Road for the third round of a competition they have won a record 13 times.

Playing away from home hasn't stopped Arsenal being firm favourites for the tie, even though head coach Unai Emery is likely rotate his options. He'll have to be careful how much rotating he does, though, if the Gunners are going to avoid another third-round exit to lower-league opposition after last season's 4-2 defeat away to Nottingham Forest.

Date: Saturday, January 5

Time: 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET

TV Info: BT Sport 2

Live Stream: BT Sport App. ESPN+.

Odds (Per Oddschecker)

• Blackpool: 14-1
• Arsenal: 5-19
• Draw: 11-2

Emery has been dealing with a host of injuries in defensive areas, but he should have enough options to deploy either a back four or back three. The doubt will be Shkodran Mustafi, who was withdrawn at the break during the 4-1 Premier League win at home to Fulham on New Year's Day.

His condition was updated by Emery after the match:

Emery said full-backs Nacho Monreal and Hector Bellerin haven't trained, but he did confirm centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos is back in training, per Football.London's Charles Watts.

Laurent Koscielny, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Sead Kolasinac, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Ainsley Maitland-Niles will likely continue to form a makeshift defensive unit.

Emery does at least have ample options in midfield and attack, even though schemers Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan are dealing with injuries. There's still strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, as well as playmakers Alex Iwobi and Aaron Ramsey.

Aubameyang is the player Blackpool will fear since he's been in red-hot form in England's top flight:

The midfield will be strong no matter who starts between Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira, Matteo Guendouzi and Mohamed Elneny.

Blackpool can't match the Gunners for talent but manager Terry McPhillips is taking comfort from how close his side pushed Arsenal at the Emirates. He told the Press Association (h/t BT Sport):

"They did score two goals from their only two shots on target in that game. But there were loads of positives. Paudie O'Connor heads one against the crossbar and then he heads one in the net to make it 2-1, and we had them on the back foot for 10 or 15 minutes."

Blackpool have the aerial power up top to cause Arsenal's suspect defence more than a few problems. The hosts will also enter the game boasting one of the stingier defences in League One, having conceded 25 times in as many matches.

BEN STANSALL/Getty Images

Blackpool's capabilities mean Emery can't afford to take this tie lightly. He's struggling to return Arsenal to the top four in the Premier League and has already been knocked out of one competition after losing 2-0 to north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup quarter-final.

The FA Cup may represent Emery's most realistic chance of silverware during his first season in charge since succeeding Arsene Wenger.