Carabao Cup Third-Round Draw: Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle Discover Opponents

The Carabao Cup third-round draw has been made following a dramatic set of second-round fixtures that included one of the competition’s greatest shocks. League Two side Grimsby Town knocked out Manchester United in a 12-11 penalty shootout. This round sees the Premier League’s European contenders enter the competition.

As a result, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest have all joined the fray. These eight sides were seeded to avoid scheduling conflicts with Champions League and Europa League matches.

Newcastle United, the reigning Carabao Cup holders, will begin their title defence at home against League One side Bradford City. Liverpool, beaten finalists last season, face a tricky home clash with Championship promotion hopefuls Southampton at Anfield.

We will host Southampton in the third round of the Carabao Cup 👊 pic.twitter.com/mrCji3N2L1
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 27, 2025

Arsenal will be on the road against League One outfit Port Vale, while Chelsea also face third-tier opposition with a trip to Lincoln City. Manchester City head to the Accu Stadium to take on Huddersfield Town, another League One challenger.

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Two All-Premier League Clashes in Carabao Cup Third-Round Draw

There are two all-top-flight encounters to look forward to in Carabao Cup third-round. Firstly, Brentford vs Aston Villa promises an intriguing clash between two sides with European ambitions. In the second match, Wolves take on Everton. A south London derby between Crystal Palace and Millwall also stands out as one of the most exciting fixtures of the draw.

Meanwhile, giant-killers Grimsby Town have been rewarded for their historic upset of Manchester United with an away trip to Championship side Sheffield Wednesday. The Mariners will once again look to upset the odds as their fairytale run continues.

🍿 The cupset of all cupsets!#EFL | #CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/Zr2kJmD6li
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 27, 2025

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The third-round matches will be played across two weeks, beginning on September 15 and 22, with games slotted around Champions League and Europa League group stage fixtures. With Premier League heavyweights entering the competition, the Carabao Cup’s third round promises high-quality football.

Carabao Cup Third-Round Draw

Port Vale v Arsenal

Swansea v Nottingham Forest

Lincoln City v Chelsea

Tottenham v Doncaster

Brentford v Aston Villa

Huddersfield Town v Manchester City

Liverpool v Southampton

Newcastle v Bradford City

Sheffield Wednesday v Grimsby Town

Wolves v Everton

Crystal Palace v Millwall

Burnley v Cardiff City

Wrexham v Reading

Wigan v Wycombe

Barnsley v Brighton

Fulham v Cambridge

🏆 #CarabaoCup Round Three looks tasty!#EFL pic.twitter.com/vISlsBCkJF
— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) August 27, 2025

Carabao Cup

Abhinav Goel

soccer

I am a soccer writer at The PlayOffs, covering everything from match analysis to transfer buzz and tactical deep dives. Ever since I was a kid, soccer has been more than just a sport to me—it’s been an obsession. Playing and watching the game from a young age fueled my passion, eventually leading me into the world of sports media and betting. Now, I get to analyze the sport I love and bring the latest updates to fans worldwide.