The Carabao Cup third-round draw is close to being completed, with the eight sides in the Champions League and Europa League kept apart as the competition moves into its next stage. There are 16 ties in total, and the remaining places will be settled after the final two second-round matches.
That is why the draw is being searched now. Crystal Palace, Manchester United, Manchester City, Sunderland, Bournemouth and Liverpool already have home ties, while Arsenal and Aston Villa are away from home. The nine Premier League teams playing in Europe enter at this stage, and they are the ones shaping the third round before a ball is kicked in the next set of fixtures.
Nottingham Forest are the only Premier League team still not in the bag, after losing an all top-tier second-round game against Leeds on Tuesday. Their exit leaves the draw almost complete, with the last slots depending on Chelsea against Luton and Fulham against AFC Wimbledon tomorrow. Once those matches are done, the picture for the third round will be finished.
The rest of the night in the competition brought its own results, with Newcastle beating West Brom 3-2, Everton defeating Preston 4-0 and Spurs winning 5-1 against Charlton. Conor Coady, speaking after Everton’s win, called the display professional and efficient, said the big players stepping up was important, and added that Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall was outstanding. He also said Thierno Barry’s hat-trick was well needed and described it as a brilliant hat-trick and a professional performance.
For Everton, that kind of authority matters because the third-round draw is now forming around clubs that have already established home or away positions, while the European entrants wait to be slotted in without facing each other. The final answer on the bracket comes after Chelsea, Luton, Fulham and AFC Wimbledon settle the last two second-round ties, and then the Carabao Cup can move fully into the round that begins to define who gets a clear run and who gets tested early.
