The fourth round draw for the Carabao Cup has been made, headlined by a standout tie between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield and a daunting away trip for Premier League champions Arsenal, who travel to League Two side Fleetwood Town.
The Standout Ties
Liverpool vs. Chelsea is the marquee fixture of the round, pitting two of the competition’s most successful clubs against each other at Anfield. Elsewhere, Arsenal — who haven’t won the League Cup since the 1992-93 season — face the lowest-ranked team left in the draw in Fleetwood Town, who remain the Cod Army of the competition after pulling off an upset win of their own against Sheffield United in the third round.
Holders Manchester City still have to complete their third-round tie against Norwich City on Thursday, September 17, but the winner already knows their fourth-round opponent: Brighton & Hove Albion, fresh off a stunning comeback win over Manchester United. If City beat Norwich, the tie would send Brighton back to Manchester for a second daunting away trip in a row.
Everton, who haven’t won a major trophy in 31 years, will host last year’s competition winners, Newcastle United, at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
The Full Fourth Round Draw
- Fleetwood Town vs. Arsenal
- Manchester City or Norwich City vs. Brighton & Hove Albion
- Everton vs. Newcastle United
- Sunderland vs. Brentford
- Liverpool vs. Chelsea
- Bradford City vs. Peterborough United
- Fulham vs. Crystal Palace
- Bournemouth vs. Aston Villa
Fourth round matches will be played across the week commencing October 26.
League One and League Two Sides Punch Above Their Weight
Only three non-Premier League clubs remain in the competition’s final 16: Fleetwood Town, Bradford City, and Peterborough United. Bradford City and Peterborough have been drawn together in an all-League One clash, guaranteeing that at least one third-division side will reach the fifth round.
Peterborough‘s run is a notable one in its own right — this marks their first appearance in the fourth round since 2009, secured with a dramatic 7-6 penalty shoot-out win over Barnsley following a 3-3 draw. Fleetwood, for their part, remain unbeaten and have yet to concede a goal across three Carabao Cup matches this season, having knocked out Sheffield United 1-0 courtesy of a freak own goal.
Norwich City, meanwhile, are hoping to become just the fourth non-Premier League team to reach the last 16 when they take on Manchester City on Thursday night.
A Recap of a Dramatic Third Round
The draw comes after a chaotic week of third-round action. Manchester United’s exit was the standout shock: they raced into a 2-0 lead at Old Trafford inside 10 minutes through Shea Lacey and Mason Mount, only for Brighton to respond with three goals in 24 minutes from Charalampos Kostoulas, Pascal Gross, and Maxim de Cuyper. The result marked the first time United have lost a match from 2-0 up at Old Trafford, in any competition, in 50 years, and was met with boos from the home crowd.
Elsewhere on Wednesday, Tammy Abraham‘s brace fired Aston Villa past Coventry City 3-1, while a late Charly Alcaraz goal gave Everton a 1-0 win over Championship side Wolves. A day earlier, Liverpool beat Tottenham 3-1 — highlighted by a long-range Dominik Szoboszlai strike — and Arsenal put four past Ipswich Town, with 16-year-old sensation Max Dowman scoring twice. Fulham and Brentford also progressed as Premier League winners, while Bradford City won an all-League One tie away at Lincoln City.
Earlier in the competition, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace both cruised past lower-league opposition, Newcastle edged past Millwall at The Den, and Chelsea beat Leeds United 6-3 in a thriller at Stamford Bridge despite Leeds leading 2-0 at one stage.
Key Dates for the Rest of the Competition
- Fourth round: Week commencing October 26
- Quarter-finals: Week commencing December 14
- Semi-finals: Weeks commencing January 11 and February 1
- Final: Sunday, March 21
