The Carabao Cup third round roared into life on Tuesday night, with Chelsea putting six past Leeds, a 16-year-old announcing himself at Portman Road, and Tottenham’s miserable season continuing at Anfield.
Here is what happened, plus everything you need for tonight’s ties.
Chelsea 6-3 Leeds: a second-half avalanche
The headline scoreline of the Carabao Cup third round came at Stamford Bridge. Chelsea scored four times in a 12-minute second-half spell to turn the tie into a rout, eventually winning 6-3 as Leeds collapsed.
Nine goals in a cup tie is remarkable in isolation. What makes it more interesting is Xabi Alonso’s response — he said afterwards that his team are nowhere near the finished product. Given Chelsea have now scored heavily in nearly every fixture this season, including the 4-3 win over Brighton, that is either a warning to the rest of the league or a manager managing expectations. Possibly both.
It follows their narrow defeat at the Emirates, which we broke down in our Arsenal vs Chelsea talking points piece.
Max Dowman lights up the Carabao Cup third round
Arsenal won 4-2 at Ipswich, and the story was a 16-year-old. Max Dowman scored twice, the first inside seven minutes, in a display that will only intensify the hype around him.
Mikel Arteta has made no secret that this competition sits below the league and Champions League in his priorities, which makes it the ideal stage for a teenager to prove he belongs. Arsenal, who received a bye to this round because of their European commitments, are through with minimal fuss.
Ipswich had earned their place by beating a struggling Leicester side in the previous round through a Marcelino Nunez brace, and can take some credit for scoring twice.
Liverpool 3-1 Tottenham: Spurs’ problems deepen
Liverpool eased past Tottenham thanks to goals from Alexis Mac Allister and Cody Gakpo — both of whose futures looked uncertain over the summer — before Dominik Szoboszlai wrapped it up with a screamer.
Conor Gallagher’s back-post header briefly gave Spurs hope, but the wider picture is grim. Roberto De Zerbi left Richarlison out of the travelling squad entirely, prompting the striker to post a crying emoji in response on social media. For a club that spent around £320m in the summer and has struggled badly for goals, that is not the kind of internal noise you want.
Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined Spurs on loan from Chelsea on deadline day as covered in our transfer deadline day wrap, is among those now tasked with fixing that.
Elsewhere in the Carabao Cup third round
Peterborough knocked out Barnsley on penalties in the night’s tightest tie, while Fulham and Brentford both progressed comfortably.
Worth noting too: Nottingham Forest are already out, eliminated by Leeds in the second round — the only Premier League casualty before this stage. Tottenham had reached round three by thrashing Charlton 5-1, a game in which £75m signing Savio scored on his debut.
Tonight’s fixtures
Four more ties tonight, all live on Sky Sports:
Manchester United v Brighton — Old Trafford, 20:00 BST. Also free to air on ITV1, with coverage from 19:30. This is the pick of the round. Michael Carrick’s side are reeling from Sunday’s 1-0 derby defeat to ten-man Manchester City at Old Trafford, while Brighton arrive as the Premier League’s top scorers with 13 goals in four matches, fresh from a 5-0 thrashing of Coventry. United did beat them 3-0 back in May, so there is precedent for a response.
Everton v Wolves, Fleetwood Town v Sheffield United and Coventry City v Aston Villa complete tonight’s programme.
The fourth-round draw takes place immediately after the Old Trafford game, live on Sky. Those ties will be played in the week commencing 26 October.
Still to come
Manchester City close out the Carabao Cup third round on Thursday, hosting Championship side Norwich City at 19:30. City are the holders, having beaten Arsenal 2-0 in last season’s final — a detail that adds a little spice to any potential rematch later in the competition.
What it all means
Three things stand out from the Carabao Cup third round so far. Chelsea’s attacking output is genuinely alarming for opponents, even allowing for the fact Leeds made it easy. Arsenal have unearthed a teenager worth watching. And Tottenham’s season is unravelling in a way that goes beyond results.
The competition also offers something valuable to managers still bedding in new signings after a hectic window — several of the squads we covered in our Premier League opening weekend roundup look materially different now, and minutes matter.
For Carrick in particular, tonight is less about the trophy than the mood. Losing at home to Brighton days after a derby defeat would make an already difficult week considerably worse.
For full coverage and highlights of every tie, Sky Sports has the schedule and broadcast details, while ESPN’s live blog captured Tuesday’s action as it unfolded.
