The Carabao Cup welcomes the remainder of the Premier League teams to the third round draw following several thrilling second round ties this week.
Liverpool, looking to defend the trophy they won last season under Jurgen Klopp, will be joined by Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa.
This season’s first cup competition hots up with several interesting ties and the prospect of upsets as lower-league sides eye a place in the fourth round.
There were big wins for Brighton, Everton and Crystal Palace in the last round, while Watford continued their perfect start to the season, beating Plymouth following three successive league wins to sit joint-top of the Championship.
Check out the draw for the third round below after Nottingham Forest face Newcastle:
Everton took a mini step forward with Carabao Cup win
There is little chance of Dyche or his players getting ahead of themselves after overcoming Doncaster, but it was progress at the end of a chastening start to the Premier League season.
“We want all of the group to lay down markers,” the Everton boss said. “It’s not just about new players, it’s about every player.
“Can they keep evolving, if you like, for the next challenge? That’s what we’ve had to do many times. Challenges come, we have to go again and go again and go again, and there’s another challenge at the moment.
“So, that’s a mini step forward. The reason why I say a mini step forward is because it’s a cup competition.
“The league is the be-all and end-all. We all know that, so our next step is going into Saturday and deliver a performance that can win on Saturday.”
Mike Jones28 August 2024 21:30
Everton took a mini step forward with Carabao Cup win – Sean Dyche
“In many ways (it was satisfying), yeah,” Toffees boss Dyche said. “I think the first thing is the performance level.
“Without really opening too much in the first half, I thought it was a very solid performance and we were asking questions.
“Second half, a little bit more freedom came into the play, particularly in the top third, which is what I spoke to them about at half-time and I’m pleased they delivered that.
“We scored three goals – on another day could have had maybe another couple – so overall pleasing.
“You know, a lot of noise about our start, but I think it showed we’ve still got a group that are alive here and some good players.”
Mike Jones28 August 2024 21:23
‘Effortless’ Chris Basham tipped for new role after Sheffield United legend confirms retirement
Former Sheffield United defender Chris Basham has announced his retirement from football after breaking his leg in October last year.
The 36-year-old spent the remainder of last season recovering from the injury but he was released in the summer after a decade with the Blades.
And he has now confirmed that he will bring his playing career to an end.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 21:15
Manchester United make decision after talks with Chelsea over Ben Chilwell transfer
Manchester United are not acting on the availability of Ben Chilwell, despite Chelsea raising the prospect of a deal in ongoing talks between the two clubs.
Executives of both have been discussing whether they can resolve a number of squad issues with mutually beneficial deals, particularly the futures of Raheem Sterling, Jadon Sancho and Chilwell.
The left-back had been proposed by Chelsea due to United’s struggles in that area with Luke Shaw’s injury record, but the Old Trafford hierarchy have decided to press on with their own options. It is understood the figures involved in any prospective deal, as one factor, were way apart.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 21:08
How will the draw work?
To ensure there is no clash of fixture dates for the six English teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League, two bowls will be used. Bowl One will contain Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Tottenham and Manchester United, which will be pre-drawn ahead of the evening fixtures – the six clubs will be spread across six ties, with the draw also deciding if they will be at home or away in the third round. This means that the sextet cannot meet one another at this stage.
The main draw will follow later. The first six teams out of Bowl Two will complete the first six ties, before the remaining ten are drawn from the remaining 20 teams.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 21:00
How can I watch it?
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Football. A livestream will be available via Sky Go.
If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 20:52
When is the Carabao Cup third round draw?
The third round draw for the Carabao Cup will be conducted at about 10.15pm BST on Wednesday 28 August following the conclusion of Nottingham Forest vs Newcastle.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 20:45
Carabao Cup draw LIVE
The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup is set to be made as the remaining Premier League clubs enter the competition.
Those top flight sides involved in European competition this season join the 25 second-round winners for a draw that has been revamped this season.
It means that Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham cannot face each other in the third round.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 20:37
Barcelona have sights set on Liverpool youngster
But they face competition from several other clubs for the 19-year-old, who Liverpool may allow to leave on a season-long deal.
However, Liverpool are adamant that fellow midfielder Tyler Morton, who was the subject of interest from German champions Bayer Leverkusen, will not be going out on loan.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 20:30
Carabao Cup draw LIVE
Good evening and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of tonight’s Carabao Cup third round draw. After an evening of exciting action across the country the remaining teams will find out who they are facing in the next stage of the competition.
It is at this point that the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal all get included in the draw and the teams from lower league will be hoping for a home fixture against the big name Premier League sides.
The draw will follow the conclusion of Nottingham Forest’s clash with Newcastle and is scheduled for around 10pm this evening, though it could go on slightly longer.
We’ll have all the updates from the draw as well as a full breakdown of fixtures once it has concluded.
Mike Jones28 August 2024 18:28