Carabao Cup Third-Round Draw: European Teams Enter the Fray

The Carabao Cup finally clicks into top gear tonight. The third-round draw arrives, and with it the entrance of English football’s European contingent – and the defending champions.

Manchester City, holders of the trophy and still the benchmark in this competition, are joined by last season’s beaten finalists Arsenal, plus Manchester United, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Bournemouth, Sunderland, Brighton and Crystal Palace. All nine will discover their third-round opponents as the second round wraps up.

There is a twist, though. Before the main draw, a pre-draw quietly shapes the night.

Pre-draw to keep Europe’s calendar clean

Those clubs involved in Uefa competition are being handled with care. The eight Champions League and Europa League sides will be separated to avoid any clashes with European fixtures, with their home or away status decided in advance.

The EFL has been clear about why. Uefa dates cannot move. The Carabao Cup, squeezed into an already swollen calendar, has to fit around them.

So the pre-draw sets whether the European clubs are at home or away. Then, in the main event, they will each be paired with a side from a separate bowl, guaranteeing they do not face one another in round three. Only once those eight ties are set will the rest of the draw open up and run as normal.

From the third round onwards, the old North/South divide disappears. It’s a straight national draw from here.

A stretched third round

This season’s expanded Champions League and Europa League formats have stretched the domestic calendar even further. The third round of the Carabao Cup will now be played across two weeks, starting in the weeks commencing Monday 7 September and Monday 14 September.

The timing of European nights dictates everything. Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Aston Villa – the Champions League contingent – will play their Carabao Cup ties in the second week, once their opening European fixtures are out of the way.

Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, lined up for Europa League action, are pushed into the first week, as the Europa League group stage does not begin until the week commencing 14 September.

It’s a puzzle of dates and broadcast slots. Tonight’s draw is designed so every club can fulfil both their European and domestic commitments without disruption.

How to watch the draw

For those wanting to see the drama unfold, the third-round draw will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football after Preston North End’s second-round tie against Everton.

Kick-off at Deepdale is 8pm BST, so 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.

Sky Sports subscribers can also follow the draw live via the Sky Go app.

Second round still in motion

The draw will be completed before Chelsea face Luton Town and Fulham host AFC Wimbledon, with those ties concluding the second round over the next 24 hours.

Tonight, David Moyes returns to familiar ground as his Everton side travel to Preston, where his managerial journey began. At St James’ Park, Matthias Jaissle chases his first competitive win as Newcastle United manager against West Bromwich Albion, while Tottenham Hotspur welcome Charlton Athletic to north London – a fixture that came close to being a Championship meeting this season.

The schedule:

• Wednesday 28 August
• Bradford City v Burnley
• Newcastle United v West Bromwich Albion
• Preston North End v Everton
• Tottenham Hotspur v Charlton Athletic
• Thursday 27 August
• Chelsea v Luton Town
• Fulham v AFC Wimbledon

Last night’s second-round action thinned the field further. Leeds United claimed another impressive win at Nottingham Forest, their second victory at the City Ground in four days. Hull City clung on and then edged past Stoke City on penalties. Fleetwood Town, the only fourth-tier side left standing, crushed Shrewsbury Town 4–0, while Brentford cut loose with a 6–1 demolition of Birmingham City.

Northern Section

• 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 (4–5 p) Hull City
• Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds United

Southern Section

• 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 (5–6 p) Leyton Orient
• Watford 1–5 Peterborough United
• Birmingham City 1–6 Brentford

Who’s in the hat? Ball numbers confirmed

With only a handful of second-round ties left, the shape of the third round is almost complete. These are the numbers to watch for in the draw:

• 1 AFC Bournemouth
• 2 Arsenal
• 3 Aston Villa
• 4 Crystal Palace
• 5 Manchester City
• 6 Manchester United
• 7 Liverpool
• 8 Sunderland
• 9 Barnsley
• 10 Brentford
• 11 Brighton & Hove Albion
• 12 Coventry City
• 13 Fleetwood Town
• 14 Hull City
• 15 Ipswich Town
• 16 Leeds United
• 17 Leyton Orient
• 18 Lincoln City
• 19 Middlesbrough
• 20 Millwall
• 21 Norwich City
• 22 Peterborough United
• 23 Reading
• 24 Sheffield United
• 25 West Ham United
• 26 Wolverhampton Wanderers
• 27 Bradford City / Burnley
• 28 Newcastle United / West Bromwich Albion
• 29 Tottenham Hotspur / Charlton Athletic
• 30 Preston North End / Everton
• 31 Chelsea / Luton Town
• 32 Fulham / AFC Wimbledon

Eight of those numbers belong to clubs juggling European ambitions with domestic demands. Another eight belong to sides sensing opportunity, hoping the draw hands them a glamour tie, a home night under the lights, or a clear path to a deep run.

For City, it’s the first step in defending a trophy they have made their own. For Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United and the rest, it’s the moment their season gains another front.

By the end of the night, the road to Wembley will look a little clearer – and a lot more crowded.