On the other side of the draw, holders Newcastle United will battle Manchester City for a place at Wembley.

The semifinal match-ups were confirmed shortly after Newcastle sealed a dramatic quarterfinal victory over Fulham at St James’ Park. The Magpies needed a late moment of magic to progress, with academy graduate Lewis Miley firing home a stoppage-time winner to keep their title defence alive.

Chelsea were the first side to secure a semifinal ticket earlier in the week, edging past League One side Cardiff City with a 3–1 victory in south Wales. Despite dominating much of the contest, the Blues had to be patient before eventually pulling clear late in the game.

They were later joined by Manchester City, who brushed aside Brentford 2–0 on Wednesday night. A spectacular strike from Rayan Cherki set Pep Guardiola’s men on their way. City, who famously won the competition four consecutive times between the 2017–18 and 2020–21 seasons, are still chasing their first Carabao Cup triumph since that historic run ended.

Arsenal and Crystal Palace remain the only sides yet to complete their quarterfinal fixture, but both were included in the draw. Their tie, scheduled for the Emirates Stadium, was pushed back until next week due to fixture congestion.

In keeping with tradition, the Carabao Cup semifinals will be played over two legs, with the first matches taking place in January and the return fixtures set for February 2026.

2025–26 Carabao Cup Semifinal Draw

• Chelsea vs Arsenal / Crystal Palace
• Newcastle United vs Manchester City

2025–26 Carabao Cup Key Dates

• Preliminary round: August 4, 2025
• First round: August 11, 2025
• Second round: August 25, 2025
• Third round: September 15 & 22, 2025
• Fourth round: October 28, 2025
• Quarterfinals: December 15, 2025
• Semifinals: January 12 & February 2, 2026
• Final: March 22, 2026

With heavyweight clashes looming and Wembley in sight, the race for Carabao Cup glory is heating up nicely.

🏆 The draw for the #CarabaoCup Semi-Finals 👇 #EFL pic.twitter.com/rNBjkGRp8D

— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) December 17, 2025

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Top Premier League clubs, including defending champions Newcastle United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City, were all in action in the third round this week as the competition heated up.

The highlight of the round was Alexander Isak finding the net for the first time in a Liverpool jersey.

In what has become the fairytale of this season’s tournament, League Two side Grimsby Town extended its remarkable run. Fresh from their dramatic elimination of Manchester United in the second round via a penalty shootout, they edged Sheffield Wednesday to secure a place in the last 16.

Some Premier League outfits, however, bowed out earlier than expected. Everton, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, and Burnley all suffered exits in the third round, leaving the field wide open for both underdogs and heavyweights.

The draw has now thrown up some intriguing fixtures, with Newcastle United set to face Tottenham Hotspur, while Liverpool will battle Crystal Palace. Arsenal will square up against Brighton, and Manchester City head to Wales to meet Swansea City.

2025/26 Carabao Cup Fourth-Round Fixtures

• Arsenal vs Brighton & Hove Albion
• Grimsby Town vs Brentford
• Swansea City vs Manchester City
• Newcastle United vs Tottenham Hotspur
• Wrexham vs Cardiff City
• Liverpool vs Crystal Palace
• Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Chelsea
• Wycombe Wanderers vs Fulham

When Will Matches Be Played?

The fourth-round ties are scheduled to take place during the week beginning October 27, 2025.

🏆 The Round Four draw 👇#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/pWYuQ64yeg

— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) September 24, 2025

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England’s European campaigners Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Aston Villa, and Nottingham Forest all joined the competition at this stage after receiving automatic byes.

One of the standout stories sees Grimsby Town, who stunned Manchester United in the second round, handed a tie against Sheffield Wednesday.

😳 ONE OF THE BIGGEST CUPSETS EVER! #EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/e8wMsNTqOR

— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 27, 2025

Defending champions Newcastle United, who ended a 56-year wait for silverware by defeating Liverpool in last season’s final, will lock horns with Bradford City. Meanwhile, Liverpool have been drawn against Southampton.

Other ties include:

• Arsenal away to Port Vale
• Huddersfield against Manchester City
• Lincoln City taking on Chelsea
• A fierce South London derby between Crystal Palace and Millwall
• Brentford hosting Aston Villa in one of two all-Premier League fixtures.

The third round is slated for September, with matches spread across two weeks. Clubs involved in the Champions League and Europa League will play their games during the week commencing September 22, while the rest will feature from September 15.

In a nod to history, all past winners will sport a special sleeve patch on their kits this season, displaying the number of times they have lifted the trophy. Liverpool remain the record holders, with nine Carabao Cup triumphs to date.

The EFL confirmed that teams playing in European competitions were deliberately kept apart at this stage of the competition.

Carabao Cup: Third Round Full draw

Port Vale v Arsenal

Swansea v Nottingham Forest

Lincoln City v Chelsea

Tottenham v Doncaster

Brentford v Aston Villa

Huddersfield v Man City

Liverpool v Southampton

Newcastle v Bradford

Sheffield Wednesday v Grimsby

Wolves v Everton

Crystal Palace v Millwall

Burnley v Cardiff

Wrexham v Reading

Wigan v Wycombe

Barnsley v Brighton

Fulham v Cambridge

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According to the EFL, Premier League teams that participated in European competitions last season will bypass this stage and advance directly to the third round.

Among the standout ties, Manchester United have been drawn against League Two side Grimsby Town, setting up a classic David-versus-Goliath encounter.

This round will also feature two all-top-flight contests: Bournemouth will host Brentford, while Wolves face West Ham in what promises to be a fiercely contested clash.

The second round serves as the entry point for the 11 Premier League clubs not competing in Europe this term.

Carabao Cup second round full fixtures

1. Grimsby vs Man Utd
2. Fulham vs Bristol City
3. Norwich vs Southampton
4. Oxford United vs Brighton
5. Reading vs AFC Wimbledon
6. Bournemouth vs Brentford
7. Millwall vs Coventry
8. Wolves vs West Ham
9. Swansea vs Plymouth
10. Bromley vs Wycombe
11. Cardiff vs Cheltenham or Exeter
12. Cambridge Utd vs Charlton
13. Tranmere or Burton* vs Lincoln
14. Accrington vs Doncaster
15. Wigan vs Stockport
16. Stoke vs Bradford
17. Burnley vs Derby
18. Sunderland vs Huddersfield or Leicester
19. Birmingham or Sheffield Utd vs Port Vale
20. Preston vs Wrexham
21. Barnsley or Fleetwood vs Rotherham
22. Bolton or Sheffield Wednesday vs Leeds
23. Everton vs Mansfield

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As the 2024/25 Carabao Cup heads into the quarter-final, eight teams remain in contention for the season’s first major trophy in England. With Wembley Stadium just a few games away, excitement is building as teams battle to secure their spot in the semi-finals.

The standout result of the Round of 16 was Tottenham Hotspur’s victory over reigning Premier League champions Manchester City. This significant win at White Hart Lane keeps Ange Postecoglou’s record of winning a trophy in his second season within reach.

Other major outcomes included Newcastle United’s victory over Chelsea at St. James’ Park, Liverpool’s away win against Brentford under Arne Slot, and Manchester United’s impressive 5-2 triumph over Leicester City in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game as interim manager after Erik ten Hag’s departure.

The quarterfinal draw has set up thrilling encounters. Tottenham will host Manchester United, who are coming off a strong performance.

Arsenal, fresh from their comfortable win over Preston North End, will face Crystal Palace in a North vs. South London derby at the Emirates. Newcastle, after eliminating Chelsea, will now play Brentford, and Liverpool heads to the south coast once again, this time to face Southampton.

Each team now edges closer to Wembley and the opportunity to claim the first silverware of the English season.

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The Champions League has replaced its traditional group stage, where 32 teams were divided into eight groups, with a single 36-team league phase. In this new format, each team will play eight matches, adding two more matchdays in the first half of the season.

English clubs participating in European competitions receive a bye to the third round of the Carabao Cup. However, next season’s third round on September 17-18 coincides with the first matchday of the Champions League.

To mitigate fixture congestion, the third round of the Carabao Cup was already planned to be split over two weeks, with additional games on September 24-25. The Europa League’s new league phase starts on September 26, overlapping with the second week of the Carabao Cup’s third round.

The Daily Telegraph reports that ranked seedings will prevent Champions League qualifiers from being drawn against Europa League teams.

The Conference League’s league stage begins on October 3, avoiding a clash with the Carabao Cup third round. However, further measures might be needed for the Carabao Cup’s fifth round to prevent a fixture clash with the Conference League’s sixth matchday.

A notable instance of fixture congestion occurred when Liverpool had to field an Under-23 squad for a Carabao Cup quarter-final against Aston Villa in December 2019, while their first team played in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Fixture congestion is a legitimate concern, especially for clubs competing in Europe. However, some clubs have faced criticism for scheduling and participating in non-essential exhibition matches. For instance, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur traveled to Australia for a post-season friendly in Melbourne right after the Premier League campaign ended earlier this month.

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In the Carabao Cup semi-finals, Chelsea is set to face Championship team Middlesbrough, while Liverpool will take on Fulham.

Liverpool secured their spot in the semi-finals with a commanding 5-1 victory over West Ham United at Anfield. Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and a brace from Curtis Jones contributed to the emphatic win, solidifying Liverpool’s status as heavy favorites to clinch the cup.

Chelsea faced a tougher battle for their semi-final qualification, engaging in a tense penalty shootout against Newcastle United after a 1-1 draw in regular time, with Mykhailo Mudryk scoring a last-minute goal.

Middlesbrough, managed by Michael Carrick, advanced to the semi-finals by defeating Port Vale 3-0, while Fulham secured their spot with a penalty shootout victory against Everton at Goodison Park.

The draw sets the stage for a potential repeat of the 2022 final if Liverpool and Chelsea both progress as expected. In the previous final, Liverpool emerged victorious against Chelsea at Wembley Stadium through a penalty shootout.

2023/24 Carabao Cup semi-final draw

• Middlesbrough vs Chelsea
• Liverpool vs Fulham

When are the 2023/24 Carabao Cup semi-finals played?

The semi-finals’ first leg is scheduled for the week of January 8, while the second leg is scheduled for the week of January 22, a few weeks later.

In the opening legs of the semi-finals, Middlesbrough and Liverpool will play at home.

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Old Trafford was nicknamed the “Theatre of Nothing” by Gary Neville following Manchester United’s disastrous Carabao Cup elimination against Newcastle United.

The Magpies humiliated the Red Devils 3-0, scoring goals through Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall, and Joe Willock. On Wednesday night, they spectacularly exacted revenge for their Carabao Cup final loss to United the previous season.

In the past, Neville has stood up for Erik ten Hag in spite of the team’s poor performance and the uncertainty surrounding the club’s ongoing selling process.

But after suffering a 3-0 thumping at the hands of fierce rivals Manchester City last weekend, the former United defender says he has “had enough” and took his wrath out on X.

“Last night we saw the Theatre of Dreams turn into the Theatre of Nothing,” he wrote on the social media platform. “Every single United fan is bored and flat. On the pitch the players were in shock, the performances woeful and a manager struggling in front of our eyes. We’ve seen it before, we know how it ends and we’ve had enough.”

Neville contrasted the difference in management at Newcastle and the lack of it at United to explain the gulf in quality between the two sides on the pitch. The ex-England international lavished praise on Dan Ashworth, who is working as sporting director at St. James Park.

“On my way up to the gantry last night, I bumped into Dan Ashworth. He transformed the FA’s structure, set Brighton up for this incredible period of success and has now built a strong foundation for the new owners at Newcastle,” he said.

“He’s competent, highly qualified and knows what he’s doing. Will work with his coach, recruitment team and other departments coherently and calmly. In the last two matches, Manchester United have played two clubs that have installed proper football departments to support the team on the pitch and off it.

The complete opposite of United. We haven’t got a sporting director! I used to travel up to Newcastle and feel sorry for their great fans when the energy and enthusiasm had been sapped from them under Mike Ashley. It was painful to see.”

At Craven Cottage, United will play Fulham in their Premier League opener on Saturday.

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According to former Manchester United winger Nani, there is “no spirit of sacrifice” and insufficient leadership in the present team.

United is now ranked ninth in the Premier League, lost to Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup, and might not advance past their Champions League group.

They are still far from contending for the largest trophies on the continent, even if they have been among Europe’s top spenders recently. Nani, a former United player, has now criticized Erik ten Hag’s squad for lacking the essential components for success.

He told journalist Pedro Pinto: “When you watch Manchester [United] play, you see there is no spirit of sacrifice, there isn’t that determination, there isn’t a player who says, ‘We have to win! We have to run with the ball and put it in the back of the net’.”

It will be difficult for the Red Devils to win a title and get into Europe for the upcoming year, and manager Ten Hag’s position is in jeopardy. The Glazer family’s ownership is a source of instability, and Jadon Sancho and Ten Hag’s rivalry is only one of the team’s causes of unrest. It’s a formula for calamity all around.

On Saturday, United play Fulham at Craven Cottage following the Newcastle match.

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Manchester United faced a dismal outcome as they were knocked out of the Carabao Cup with a resounding 3-0 loss to Newcastle United at Old Trafford. The Magpies avenged their previous Carabao Cup final defeat by dismantling Erik ten Hag’s struggling Manchester United side.

Substitute Miguel Almiron and Lewis Hall scored first-half goals for the visitors, giving them a commanding lead, while Joe Willock’s goal in the 60th minute sealed their spot in the quarterfinals of the Carabao Cup.

This defeat marked the first time Manchester United had suffered back-to-back home losses by a margin of three goals or more since October 1962. Additionally, it was Newcastle’s most significant away win at Old Trafford since 1930, when they won 7-4.

The unwanted records didn’t end there, as per Opta statistics. Manchester United has now lost eight or more of their first 15 games in a season for the first time since 1962–63 (with 9 losses). Furthermore, they have lost five of their first 10 home games for the first time since 1930–31.

8 & 5 – Manchester United have lost 8+ of their first 15 games in a season for the first time since 1962-63 (9), while they've lost five of their first 10 at home for the first time since 1930-31. Crisis. #MUNNEW

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) November 1, 2023

The situation at Manchester United appears to be in disarray, with records being broken, an eighth-place standing in the Premier League, elimination from the Carabao Cup, and a challenging Champions League group stage. Manager Erik ten Hag’s position is under scrutiny, and there is ongoing tension between him and winger Jadon Sancho. The club’s ownership also remains uncertain.

The challenges may continue to mount for Manchester United if they fail to secure a positive result against Fulham at Craven Cottage in their upcoming match.

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After Manchester City’s unexpected elimination in the previous round, the Gunners would have been optimistic about their chances of winning the trophy this season, having not done so since 1993.

At the London Stadium, though, West Ham under David Moyes had other plans. Ben White gave the Hammers the lead early on with an own goal. Mohammed Kudus then doubled the lead early in the second half, and Jarrod Bowen put the hosts out of sight just after the hour mark.

Martin Odegaard did give Arsenal a response, but it took until the 96th minute.

Days had passed since Arteta’s team destroyed Sheffield United, scoring five goals without answering to take second place in the Premier League standings.

“I’m really disappointed and I am responsible for that,” Arteta told Sky Sports, reflecting on the defeat in east London. “It wasn’t good enough. We didn’t compete good enough. I tried to warn [the players] for 48 hours what was coming and how important it was going to be.

“Overall we were nowhere near the level we needed to show. This is football and every game is different. What happened a few days ago [against Sheffield United] is in the bin and in the past.

“We didn’t threaten enough. I wanted to see much more from my team. There is a lot to improve. The thing we have to take from the game today is how are we going to use this to beat Newcastle on Saturday. Feeling the pain. That’s what we have to do now.”

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Following their convincing victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Wednesday night in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup, Newcastle United will play Chelsea in the quarterfinals.

Chelsea defeated Blackburn Rovers of the Championship at Stamford Bridge, providing a much-needed break from their awful Premier League performance. The Blues will need to fight hard to get to the semi-finals, even at home, if they are to win their first domestic title since 2018.

West Ham United will face Liverpool at Anfield in the final eight as compensation for eliminating Premier League title contender Arsenal from the tournament. Fulham visit Everton in the meantime.

League One’s Port Vale, the lowest-ranked team left in the competition after beating Mansfield Town of League Two on Tuesday, have been presented with Middlesbrough as a reward for getting this far. It guarantees that one non-Premier League club will be in the semi-finals.

2023/24 Carabao Cup quarter-final draw

• Everton vs Fulham
• Chelsea vs Newcastle United
• Port Vale vs Middlesbrough
• Liverpool vs West Ham United

When are the 2023/24 Carabao Cup quarterfinals played?

The four quarterfinal matches will take place the week starting on Monday, December 18, in the final few days leading up to Christmas.

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