Arsene Wenger has given 85 players Arsenal debuts in the League Cup including Cesc Fabregas and Ashley Cole... how has each one fared since?

  • Matt Macey made his Arsenal debut in the 2-1 win over Norwich on Tuesday
  • The keeper is the 85th player Arsene Wenger gave a debut to in the League Cup
  • Notable names include Cesc Fabregas, Ashley Cole and Hector Bellerin  

Arsene Wenger made 11 changes to his Arsenal team that beat Norwich 2-1 after extra-time in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.

Goalkeeper Matt Macey became the 85th player to be handed his Arsenal debut in a competition that is notorious for big sides ringing the changes.

But how have the other 84 fared? Sportsmail assesses them below. 

Arsene Wenger has given a debut to 85 players in the League Cup during his time at Arsenal

Arsene Wenger has given a debut to 85 players in the League Cup during his time at Arsenal


 

October 14 1997: Arsenal 4-1 Birmingham - third round

Alex Manninger - The Austria goalkeeper is remebered for being deputy to David Seaman but made his Gunners bow in the victory.

Matthew Upson - The centre-back went on to play 21 times for England and spent four years at the club he made his debut against.

Alberto Mendez - Plucked from German non-league football, Mendez scored Arsenal's fourth goal on his debut but failed to establish himself under Wenger.

Paolo Vernazza - The midfielder was with Arsenal until 2000 and is best remembered for a three-year spell with Watford. 

Matthew Upson made his debut against Birmingham - a team he went on to play for

Matthew Upson made his debut against Birmingham - a team he went on to play for

Oct 28 1998: Arsenal 2-1 Derby - third round

David Grondin - The victory was the left-back's only appearance for Arsenal. He played predominantly in France but had a spell at Dunfermline from 2003-04.

Oct 12 1999: Arsenal 2-1 Preston North-End - third round

Stefan Malz - The German scored on his debut but only made eight appearances before joining Kaiserslautern in Germany.

Nov 30 1999: Middlesbrough 2-2 Arsenal, Gunners lose 3-1 on pens - fourth round

Tommy Black - A regular in Arsenal's youth side but had no route to the first-team with the likes of Thierry Henry joining the club. 

Rhys Weston - A substitute appearance here was as good as it got at Arsenal but Weston enjoyed six years at Cardiff City after leaving the London club.

Jermaine Pennant - The midfielder came on for Black and became Arsenal's youngest ever player. Produced an impressive display in the 2007 Champions League final with Liverpool, now at Billericay Town.

Ashley Cole - The full-back came on for Ray Parlour after 89 minutes and enjoyed a distinguished career with the Gunners, Chelsea and England. Now at Los Angeles Galaxy.

Ashley Cole made his Arsenal debut in 1999 and won many trophies before joining Chelsea

Ashley Cole made his Arsenal debut in 1999 and won many trophies before joining Chelsea

November 1 2000: Arsenal 1-2 Ipswich - third round

Stuart Taylor - The goalkeeper has predominantly served as a back-up throughout the number of English clubs he has played for. Arguably will be best remembered for the Call of Duty style announcement from Southampton that he had signed a contract extension last summer.

Igors Stepanovs - The Latvia defender was at Arsenal for four years but never became a regular.

Moritz Volz - While never breaking through at Arsenal, the defender had five successful years with Fulham before returning to his native Germany.

November 5 2001: Arsenal 4-0 Manchester United - third round

Stathis Tavlaridis - the Greek defender failed to dislodge Sol Campbell or Kolo Toure in three years and left to join Lille via a loan spell at Portsmouth,

John Halls - Sent off for two bookable offences on his debut and was eventually joined Stoke, then managed by Tony Pulis.

Rohan Ricketts - The midfielder's only Arsenal appearance came in the win. His next move was to join fierce north London rivals Tottenham.

Carlin Itonga - After playing his only game against United, Itonga played at non-league level for the likes of Enfield and Kettering Town.

Jeremie Aliadiere played his first game for Arsenal against Grimsby in November 2001

Jeremie Aliadiere played his first game for Arsenal against Grimsby in November 2001

Nov 27 2001: Arsenal 2-0 Grimsby - fourth round

Juan - One of two Arsenal appearances for the Brazilian, he later went on loan to Millwall before returning to his home country with a move to Fluminense.

Sebastian Svard - The Danish midfielder could not break in at Arsenal but played across Europe, most notably for Borussia Monchengladbach.

Jeremie Aliadiere - The journeyman striker played his first Arsenal game against Grimsby and would go on to play for Celtic, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Middlesbrough.

Nov 6 2002: Arsenal 2-3 Sunderland - third round

Ryan Garry - Injury problems ruined the midfielder's chances of getting into the Arsenal first team. He played for Bournemouth for four years but had to retire at 27 due to a nerve problem in his leg.

28 Oct 2003: Arsenal 1-1 Rotherham (Arsenal won 9-8 on penalties) - third round

Graham Stack - While never making it at Arsenal, Stack's career has taken him to places such as Belgium and India. Currently at Eastleigh in the National League. 

Gael Clichy - The Frenchman would go on to play second-fiddle to Ashley Cole at left-back before joining Manchester City in 2011. He currently plies his trade in Turkey with Istanbul Basaksehir 

Cesc Fabregas - After being plucked from Barcelona's esteemed academy, the midfielder made his Arsenal debut on a Tuesday night against Rotherham and became the youngest player to represent the club. Has enjoyed a remarkable career, winning 11 major honours with Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea and the 2010 World Cup with Spain. 

After joining from Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas made his Arsenal debut against Rotherham

After joining from Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas made his Arsenal debut against Rotherham

Jerome Thomas - A left winger who went on to enjoy good spells with Charlton and West Brom. Was released by Port Vale in May after relegation from League One. 

Ryan Smith - Made six Arsenal appearances, all in the League Cup. Went on to play for teams such as Southampton and Crystal Palace after leaving the Emirates in 2006 before joining Sporting Kansas City in the United States in 2010. 

Quincy Owusu-Abeyie - He replaced Fabregas on 85 mins for the first of 14 games for the club. He left in 2006 after Emmanuel Adebayor's arrival shunted him further down the pecking order.

John Spicer - His only Arsenal appearance, Spicer went on to play for several Football League sides.

2 Dec 2003: Arsenal 5-1 Wolves - Fourth round

Frankie Simek - a full-back, Simek joined Sheffield Wednesday in 2005 after never breaking through under Wenger. He played five times for the United States.

Olafur Ingi Skulason - Eventually released by Arsenal in 2005, Skulason played for Brentford before featuring for a number of clubs across Europe and his native Iceland. He has 31 international caps but was left out of the Euro 2016 squad.

Michal Papadopulos - Like Skulason, Wolves was his only Arsenal appearance. He joined Bayer Leverkusen and currently plays for Piast Gliwice. Has six Czech Republic caps.

Manuel Almunia made his Arsenal debut in 2004 and spent eight years at the club

Manuel Almunia made his Arsenal debut in 2004 and spent eight years at the club

October 27, 2004: Arsenal 2-1 Man City - Third round

Manuel Almunia - Brought in as back-up for Jens Lehmann in 2004 and got the No 1 shirt after the German’s departure in 2008. Eventually was sold to Watford in 2012. 

Philippe Senderos - The Swiss arrived at Arsenal at just 18 in 2003 but injury meant he did not feature until the following year. Never deemed a top-class defender and went to Fulham after seven years.

Seb Larsson - Managed to carve an admirable career in the Premier League, albeit not with Arsenal. After 12 appearances in three years, he made his name with Birmingham and Sunderland as a free-kick specialist.

Arturo Lupoli - A promising prospect in the youth ranks with 27 goals in 32 outings in 2004-05. He couldn't carry that form into the first team and was went to Fiorentina in 2007 on a free transfer. 

Daniel Karbassiyoon - Replaced Lupoli to score the winner against City, but despite starting the next game with Everton, he never gained a regular place. He retired at 22 in 2007 owing to knee problems and worked as a scout for the club in his homeland of the United States.

Johan Djourou - A  10-year stint at the Gunners yielded 140 appearances under Wenger. Became first-choice defender in 2010-11 due to Thomas Vermaelen’s injuries but fitness problems of his own saw opportunities dwindle.

November 9 2004 Arsenal 3-1 Everton: - round four

Pat Cregg - The Irish midfielder found regular football in Scotland, joining Falkirk in 2006 before eventually returning to Ireland in 2014. 

October 25, 2005: Sunderland 0-3 Arsenal - Round Three

Fabrice Muamba - Forced to retire from professional football at the age of 24 after suffering a cardiac arrest while playing for Bolton against Tottenham in March 2012. Muamba, who has said he was extremely lucky to have survived the incident, has turned his attention to journalism and coaching since hanging up his boots.

Fabrice Muamba played his first game for Arsenal in October 2005 against Sunderland

Fabrice Muamba played his first game for Arsenal in October 2005 against Sunderland

Anthony Stokes - his only competitive appearance for the Gunners came against Sunderland in the League Cup. He is now plying his trade for Hibernian following spells at Sunderland, Celtic and Blackburn. 

Nicklas Bendtner - seen as a cult hero at Arsenal but failed to make the grade in north London despite scoring 45 goals in 171 appearances. He is now playing in Norway with Rosenborg. 

November 29 2005 Arsenal 3-0 Reading - Fourth round

Kerrea Gilbert - A promising defender whose Arsenal prospects were dashed by injuries. 

October 24 2006: West Brom 0-2 Arsenal - Third round 

Matthew Connolly - He never made the grade at Arsenal but Connolly is a respected Championship defender. Spent four years at Queens Park Rangers and now plays for Cardiff.

Denilson - Now at Cruzeiro, Denilson played 96 times for Arsenal over seven years, failing to make a regular first-team starting role his own.

Armand Traore - While never making it at Arsenal, the full-back had loan spells at Portsmouth and Juventus and is a Senegal international. Now at Nottingham Forest.

Mark Randall - A midfielder at League Two side Crawley Town, Randall was described as a key player for the future by Wenger but never made the grade.

November 8 2006: Everton 0-1 Arsenal - Fourth round

Mart Poom - Best remembered for his time at Derby, Poom had a spell at Arsenal as cover for Jens Lehmann and Manuel Almunia.

September 25 2007: Arsenal 2-0 Newcastle - Third round

Lukas Fabianksi - The Poland goalkeeper is now a regular for Swansea but was brought to England by Wenger. Fabianksi played 78 times for Arsenal.

Fran Merida - Signed from Barcelona's youth ranks and tipped as a new Fabregas but did not follow in his countryman's footsteps. Left Arsenal for Atletico Madrid in 2010 and now is at Osasuna.

Big things were expected from Fran Merida but he failed to deliver in his time at Arsenal

Big things were expected from Fran Merida but he failed to deliver in his time at Arsenal

October 31 2007: Sheff Utd 0-3 Arsenal: 

Kieran Gibbs - After a decade in the first-team fold at Arsenal, Gibbs made the decision to join West Brom this season. The left-back has made seven appearances in all competitions. 

Henri Lansbury - High hopes for the midfielder at Arsenal but things never worked out. Left north London and spent five years at Nottingham Forest in the Championship before moving to Aston Villa in January. 

Nacer Barazite - The Dutch attacking midfielder has made several moves since departing Arsenal without making a single league appearance. Now at Yeni Malatyaspor in Turkey. 

Septembe 23 2008: Arsenal 6-0 Sheff Utd  

Gavin Hoyte - Now at Eastleigh with Graham Stack, Hoyte left Arsenal in 2012 after several spells away on loan.

Francis Coquelin - The defensive midfielder plays regularly for Arsenal now after three loans to Freiburg, Lorient and Charlton.

Jay Simpson - He left Arsenal in 2010 and after three years apiece at Hull and Leyton Orient, Simpson plays for Philadelphia Union.

November 11 2008: Arsenal 3-0 Wigan: 

Rui Fonte - Now Fulham's No 9, Fonte left Arsenal in and had spells in Spain and Portugal before returning to London this year.

Amaury Bischoff - He spent a year at Arsenal, leaving in 2009 and currently plays for Hansa Rostock.

December 2 2008: Burnley 2-0 Arsenal: 

Paul Rodgers - His only appearances was against Burnley and he was taken off at half-time. Now at Chelmsford City.

September 22 2009: Arsenal 2-0 WBA: 

Wojciech Szczesny - Now at Juventus where he is back-up to Gianluigi Buffon, Szczesny played 181 times in goal for Arsenal. 

Wojciech Szczesny made the first of 181 Arsenal appearances in the 2009 League Cup

Wojciech Szczesny made the first of 181 Arsenal appearances in the 2009 League Cup

Sanchez Watt - The striker scored on his debut but could not continue that form on a regular basis. Now at Crawley Town.

Gilles Sunu - A winger, Sunu now plays in France for Angers and left Arsenal in 2011.

October 28 2009: Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool: 

Craig Eastmond - Now at Sutton United, Eastmond played in the 2-0 FA Cup defeat by Arsenal last season.

2010: No debutants 

September 20 2011: Arsenal 3-1 Shrewsbury: 

Park Chu-young - The forward made just one league appearance for the London outfit and was just as disappointing on loan at Watford in the Championship. Is now back in South Korea with Seoul.

Ryo Miyaichi - Shipped out on loan to five teams, including Bolton and Wigan, before he quit Arsenal to join German second division side St. Pauli. Is a bit-part player, playing just 19 games last season and failing to make an appearance this term.

Oguzhan Ozyakup - Never made the cut at Arsenal but the midfielder has forged a career for himself in Turkey with Besiktas. The Holland-born midfielder has 30 caps for Turkey, scoring once. 

Chuks Aneke - The 24-year-old midfielder is now at MK Dons, and has made six appearances this season. Spent two years at Zulte Waregem in Belgium after quitting Arsenal in 2014. 

October 25 2011: Arsenal 2-1 Bolton:

Nico Yennaris - One of four senior appearances and is now on loan at Wycombe from Brentford.

Daniel Boateng - Released by Airdrie at the end of last season. Released by Arsenal in 2014.

September 26 2012: Arsenal 6-1 Coventry 

Emiliano Martinez - The goalkeeper is still at Arsenal, on loan at Getafe for the season.  

Martin Angha - The Swiss defender is now captain of St Gallen.

Serge Gnabry - One that got away for Arsenal. After impressing at the Olympics last year, Gnabry left for Werder Bremen before Bayern Munich signed him in the summer.

Serge Gnabry made his Arsenal debut in 2012 and joined Bayern Munich last summer

Serge Gnabry made his Arsenal debut in 2012 and joined Bayern Munich last summer

October 30 2012: Reading 5-7 Arsenal: 

Thomas Eisfeld - Now back in Germany and the midfielder is a regular for VFL Bochum.

Jernade Meade - A left-back, the Englishman now plays in Sweden for Eskilstuna.

September 25 2013: West Brom 1-1 Arsenal (Arsenal 4-3 pens) 

Isaac Hayden - Now plays regularly in midfield for Newcastle under Rafa Benitez. Left Arsenal in 2016. 

Kris Olsson - Now back in his native Sweden playing for AIK as an attacking midfielder.

Hector Bellerin - Arsenal's first choice right-back and a Spain international. Bellerin has often been linked with a move to Barcelona.

Hector Bellerin is now Arsenal's first-choice right back and has been linked with Barcelona

Hector Bellerin is now Arsenal's first-choice right back and has been linked with Barcelona

September 23 2014: Arsenal 1-2 Soton

David Ospina - Colombia's first-choice goalkeeper is still at Arsenal and second choice behind Petr Cech.

October 27 2015: Arsenal 0-3 Sheff Wed:

Glen Kamara - After loans at Southend and Colchester, the midfielder now plays for Dundee.

Alex Iwobi - The Nigeria international is an Arsenal regular and has one goal in eight so far this season.

Ismael Bennacer - The midfielder has played twice for Algeria and joined Serie B side Empoli in the summer.

Krystian Bielik - The 19-year-old midfielder is still at Arsenal and played 10 times for Birmingham on loan last season.

September 20 2016: Arsenal 4-0 Nottingham Forest 

Chris Willock - The midfielder left Arsenal and signed a five-year deal with Benfica in June.

September 20 2017: Arsenal 1-0 Doncaster

Josh Dasilva - A creative midfielder and England Under 20 international.

Joe Willock - A younger brother to Chris who also plays as a midfielder.

October 24 2017 Arsenal 2-1 Norwich:

Matt Macey - the promising young goalkeeper, who has been on the bench in the Europa League this season, made his debut between the sticks on Tuesday night.

Matt Macey played his first Arsenal game in the 2-1 win over Norwich on Tuesday

Matt Macey played his first Arsenal game in the 2-1 win over Norwich on Tuesday