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Carabao Cup Draw: European Giants Discover Their Fate

The Carabao Cup finally opens its doors to the heavyweights tonight. The third-round draw arrives with the competition already up to speed, but this is the moment it starts to look and feel like a Premier League affair.

Manchester City, the holders. Arsenal, beaten by City in last season’s final. Manchester United, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace – all of them discover their path this evening as the Premier League’s European contingent joins the hat.

Not that it’s a straightforward toss of the balls.

The pre-draw that changes everything

Before a single third-round tie is confirmed, there is a pre-draw. Quiet, clinical, but crucial.

The eight clubs involved in the Champions League and Europa League are separated first, with their home or away status decided in advance. That group is set to include Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, with Brighton joining if they qualify for the Conference League.

The reason is simple: Uefa dates are non-negotiable.

With the Champions League and Europa League expanding, the Carabao Cup has had to bend. Round three is now spread across two weeks – starting Monday 7 September and Monday 14 September – to avoid a fixture pile-up.

Champions League sides – Arsenal, City, Liverpool, United and Villa – must play their Carabao Cup ties in the second of those weeks, as their European campaign kicks off in the week commencing 7 September. The Europa League trio – Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace – go the other way, playing in the first week, because their European group stage starts from 14 September.

So the EFL has ring-fenced them. Those eight European clubs cannot face each other in round three. The pre-draw fixes their home or away slot, the main draw then pairs them only with teams from the rest of the field. It guarantees every tie can be staged without clashing with Uefa’s calendar.

Once those eight ties are out, the competition returns to normal. The final eight fixtures are drawn with no protection, no regional split, no safety net.

From round three onwards, north and south no longer exist. It’s one national pot.

When and where to watch the draw

All of this unfolds live on television.

The third-round draw will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football, following the conclusion of Preston North End v Everton. With that second-round tie kicking off at 8pm BST, the draw is expected to begin at around 10.15pm BST.

Coverage starts at 7pm, with the pre-draw likely to take place at around 7.30pm BST before a ball is kicked at Deepdale. Sky Sports subscribers can also follow it online via the Sky Go app.

By the time Chelsea face Luton and Fulham meet AFC Wimbledon to wrap up the second round on Thursday, the third-round landscape will already be in place.

Tonight’s fixtures: big stories, early jeopardy

Before the draw, there is work to do on the pitch.

  • Bradford City v Burnley
  • Newcastle United v West Bromwich Albion
  • Preston North End v Everton
  • Tottenham Hotspur v Charlton Athletic

David Moyes returns to familiar territory, taking his Everton side back to Preston where his managerial journey began. At St James’ Park, Matthias Jaissle chases his first competitive win as Newcastle boss against West Brom. In north London, Tottenham host Charlton – a fixture that flirted with being a Championship meeting this season.

Then, on Thursday, Sky’s Monday Night Football reshuffle brings two more:

  • Chelsea v Luton Town
  • Fulham v AFC Wimbledon

Both west London clubs are at home, both needing safe passage to take their place in the 32-team line-up.

Who’s already through? Second-round story so far

The competition has already had its shocks and statement wins.

Leeds United enjoyed another profitable trip to the City Ground, beating Nottingham Forest away for the second time in four days. Hull City clung on at Stoke and edged through on penalties. Fleetwood Town stand alone as the only fourth-tier side into the next round after hammering Shrewsbury Town, while Brentford rediscovered their cutting edge with a 6–1 demolition of Birmingham City.

Northern Section results

  • Doncaster Rovers 1–3 Middlesbrough
  • Barnsley 3–2 Crewe Alexandra
  • Blackburn Rovers 1–2 Sheffield United
  • Blackpool 1–4 Lincoln City
  • Fleetwood Town 4–0 Shrewsbury Town
  • Sheffield Wednesday 0–2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Stoke City 1–1 Hull City (4–5 pens)
  • Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds United

Southern Section results

  • Cardiff City 1–2 Norwich City
  • Cambridge United 0–1 Millwall
  • Ipswich Town 3–1 Leicester City
  • Plymouth Argyle 2–4 Coventry City
  • Southampton 1–4 West Ham United
  • Stevenage 0–3 Reading
  • Walsall 0–0 Leyton Orient (5–6 pens)
  • Watford 1–5 Peterborough United
  • Birmingham City 1–6 Brentford

Goals, upsets, and one or two early exits. The usual Carabao chaos.

Ball numbers: who’s in the hat?

By the time the final whistle blows at Preston and the cameras cut to the studio, this is how the third-round draw will look, with late qualifiers slotting into shared numbers:

  • AFC Bournemouth
  • Arsenal
  • Aston Villa
  • Crystal Palace
  • Manchester City
  • Manchester United
  • Liverpool
  • Sunderland
  • Barnsley
  • Brentford
  • Brighton & Hove Albion
  • Coventry City
  • Fleetwood Town
  • Hull City
  • Ipswich Town
  • Leeds United
  • Leyton Orient
  • Lincoln City
  • Middlesbrough
  • Millwall
  • Norwich City
  • Peterborough United
  • Reading
  • Sheffield United
  • West Ham United
  • Wolverhampton Wanderers
  • Bradford City / Burnley
  • Newcastle United / West Bromwich Albion
  • Tottenham Hotspur / Charlton Athletic
  • Preston North End / Everton
  • Chelsea / Luton Town
  • Fulham / AFC Wimbledon

Eight of those numbers belong to clubs juggling Europe. The rest will be eyeing them, hoping for a glamour tie or a clear run.

How the main draw will unfold

Once the pre-draw has locked in home and away status for the European sides, the main event starts.

The first eight ties drawn will all feature one of those Champions League or Europa League clubs. Their position – home or away – is already fixed, so they will simply be paired with a team from the separate bowl containing the remaining clubs. No European clashes. No repeats of last season’s final just yet.

After those eight fixtures are set, the draw opens up. The last 16 teams are drawn without restriction, completing the third-round schedule.

By the end of the night, the holders will know their route. Arsenal will know whether last season’s pain can be channelled into a new run. Liverpool, United, Villa and the rest will see whether this year’s Carabao Cup is a distraction, a burden, or the first real chance of silverware.

For some managers, the names that come out of the bowl will shape how seriously they treat this season. For others, it might just define it.

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