That’s all from me. Thanks for reading, and for your emails. Congratulations to all those in the hat for the quarter-final. Here are a reminder of the match report from today’s matches. Cheers!
You have to say that the draw favours the so-called ‘bigger’ teams. Arsenal, Manchester City and defending champions Newcastle all have home draws, and while Chelsea are away from home, they face the only Championship game left in the draw: Cardiff City.
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full
Arsenal v Crystal Palace
Cardiff City v Chelsea
Manchester City v Brentford
Newcastle United v Fulham
The games will take place in the week commencing Monday 15 December.
Updated
Newcastle United v Fulham
That’s a great draw for the defending champions. Eddie Howe went on record to say he wanted a home draw, and he has got one against one of the weaker sides left in the draw. Fulham scraped past Wycombe Wanderers on Tuesday.
Manchester City v Brentford
Not what Keith Andrews would have wanted.
Cardiff City v Chelsea
The Championship side get a home draw against the Blues of south-west London.
Here we go!
Arsenal v Crystal Palace. Eze faces his old side!
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw
Jamie Redknapp and Jobi McAnuff will pull the names out of the hat. A reminder of the eight teams, who I suspect might taking this competition a bit more seriously now that we are just two ties away from Wembley.
Arsenal
Manchester City
Crystal Palace
Chelsea
Newcastle United
Cardiff City
Fulham
Brentford
Arne Slot, Liverpool manager, speaks to the cameras:
It’s not of Liverpool’s standards to lose six out of seven. It increases the pressure a bit, but the pressure was already very high. We only had two days’ rest. Everyone will have their opinion about it, but with 15-16 first-team players available, I made my choices.
Slot has come out fighting but I think it would have gone down better with Liverpool fans if he had admitted a mistake in team selection tonight. The Reds face Aston Villa on Saturday and … REAL MADRID in the Champions League next Tuesday. Gulp.
Carabao Cup fourth-round match reports
Newcastle’s two goalscorers, Fabian Schär and Nick Woltemade, speak to the Sky Sports cameras. Spurs complained about Newcastle’s first goal, with Djed Spence out of position after the Tottenham defender was tying his boot laces. Newcastle took the corner to take the lead, with Spence not even in the penalty area to defend the cross.
Fabian Schär:
We controlled the game. I think we fully deserved the win. I’m not sure if there’s a rule if you have to wait for someone to do the laces. We didn’t even notice he was down.
Nick Woltemade:
I think I play different to the other strikers they had here. I don’t go often deep, I just want the ball to my feet. This team is so easy to play with. Even though I have a new language, I speak German with Fabian [Schar] and with Malick [Thiaw], I feel so welcome here.
Carabao Cup quarter-final line-up confirmed
As mentioned, we will have the quarter-final draw, which is due to take place at 10.30pm GMT. So about 30 minutes from now.
These are the eight teams in the hat, in no particular order:
Arsenal
Manchester City
Crystal Palace
Chelsea
Newcastle United
Cardiff City
Fulham
Brentford
Updated
Half-time: Newcastle United 2-0 Tottenham
The defending champions are through!
We’ll have live updates of the quarter-final draw shortly. It follows this live action, so just a few minutes away.
Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham
90+2 min: What a frustrating evening for Spurs, their fourth successive defeat at St James’ Park. Tottenham were fairly toothless, although Aaron Ramsdale made an excellent save in the second half.
An email from Chris Paraskevas: “Love the fact that Nick Woltemade has the permanent cool of a Dude Where’s My Car? character, even when celebtating, and especially when he zones out and stares into space on the bench. Reports are filtering Arne Slot and Liverpool made an approach for him at half-time, given the non-performances of The Other Bloke.”
Full-time: Liverpool 0-3 Crystal Palace
Yes, Liverpool might have rested a few players but Slot seems to have completely ignored that his side’s confidence appears to have been further eroded by this defeat, which will only increase the pressure on the Dutchman. It was a weak XI, with no significant options on the bench. It is the sort of result where the manager should take the full responsibility in the post-match interview. Yéremy Pino got the third goal for Palace, shortly after Liverpool’s Amara Nallo had been shown a straight red card for a last-man challenge.
Full autopsy can be found here, by Scott Murray in our MBM.
Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham
85 min: Newcastle are cruising at St James’ Park, with Spurs enjoying plenty of the ball but not looking particularly dangerous or creative. Joelinton scythes down Kudus with a dreadful tackle/brilliant challenge to stop a Spurs counter attack and both players come to blows. That’s about as exciting as it has got in recent minutes. Yellow cards for both Joelinton and Kudus.
Full-time: Swansea City 1-3 Manchester City
After one of the goals of the night from Franco gave Swansea an early lead, Manchester City held their nerve and edged themselves back into the game with goals from Doku, Marmoush and Cherki. Their quality eventually told.
Full-time: Wolves 3-4 Chelsea
A sensational second half comes to an end, as 10-man Chelsea hang on for the victory! Credit to Wolves and Vítor Pereira, the home side so nearly got back into the game from 3-0 down.
GOAL! Swansea City 1-3 Manchester City (Cherki 90+4)
Some tired legs in the Swansea defence can’t stop Cherki from dancing through a couple of challenges, before the Frenchman buries a neat, disguised finish inside the far corner.
Updated
Full-time: Arsenal 2-0 Brighton
The Gunners are through to the quarter-finals! Their eighth win on the bounce in all competitions. Goals from Nwaneri and Saka did for Brighton.
GOAL! Wolves 3-4 Chelsea (Wolfe 90+1)
What a game this is! Wolves are not dead yet, and score one of the ugliest goals of the season to claw themselves back to within a goal. Strand Larsen wins a flick on, Munetsi wins another duel and Wolfe tackles it into the net at the far post, the ball looping over Jorgensen and just over the line. Cucurella can’t keep it out, and now Chelsea have a nervy few minutes to face at Molineux!
Updated
GOAL! Wolves 2-4 Chelsea (Gittens 89)
The answer is no, as out of nothing, Gittens pings in a miraculous shot in off the post. WHAT AN EFFING GOAL THAT IS. He had no right to score from there, but caught out Sa with a first-time effort, the ball flying into the top corner!
Updated
RED CARD FOR CHELSEA'S LIAM DELAP AT WOLVES!
Now, then.
Shortly after coming on, Delap was booked for a push on Mosquera and the Chelsea striker gets his second booking for a late challenge on Agbadou. Delap didn’t have his eyes on the ball and caught the Wolves defender with a shoulder barge/elbow well after the ball was gone. It wasn’t a straight red, just a second booking, but that is a disastrous return to action for Delap after his injury. A reminder that this is Delap’s first appearance since August!
Can Wolves capitalise and nab an equaliser?!
Updated
Wolves 2-3 Chelsea
84 min: Wolves are going increasingly direct, with Munetsi replacing Lopez, and are peppering the Chelsea box with long balls and crosses.
Ten minutes to go at Anfield, and there’s been a red card. But for who, Kammy?!
GOAL! Swansea City 1-2 Manchester City (Marmoush 78)
Manchester City come from behind to lead, with Cherki pass finding Marmoush on the edge of Swansea’s box. The Egyptian rolls his man using his body expertly, before pinging a rocket of a shot into the roof of the net from an acute angle!
Updated
GOAL! Arsenal 2-0 Brighton (Saka 76)
Saka has only been on a few minutes but the starboy has got his goal! Harriman-Annous was slipped in on goal but denied by Steele, with Saka first to the rebound.
Updated
GOAL! Wolves 2-3 Chelsea (Wolfe 73)
Wolves so nearly scored through Jorgen Strand Larsen just moments earlier, but now they get their second with Wolfe pouncing on a loose ball after a long throw, slamming a low shot past Jorgensen. Chelsea are coming under real pressure now!
Updated
Arsenal 1-0 Brighton
69 min: Brighton have a huge chance to equalise! A quick counter attack culminates in a cutback to Ayari, whose goalbound shot is well blocked by Hincapie. The Ecuadorian did well to tuck his arms in and avoid a handball. Good play from Brighton and good defending from Hincapie.
Arsenal respond with a few substitutions, as they try to protect their lead. Dowman off for Saka, White off for Timber, Gabriel Magalhães off for Hincapie.
Charles Antaki with an email: “All these changes make it hard to see much cohesion in the Arsenal play – it’s all too easy to have in mind the usual first XI, which is something of a Rolls-Royce compared to the makeshift Wacky Races number which is rattling along here. I can imagine Arteta is sorely tempted to bring on a couple of stalwarts to glue things together.”
GOAL! Newcastle 2-0 Tottenham (Woltemade 50)
A nightmare for Kinsky, the stand-in Spurs keeper, as he comes for a cross but gets nowhere near the ball! Woltemade, all 6ft6in of him, has an easy task to simply nod a cross into the empty net!
Updated
Wolves 1-3 Chelsea
63 min: Credit to Wolves and Vítor Pereira, who must have given his side an almighty rollicking at half time. The home side have been excellent in this second half, even if they started it 3-0 down.
Peeeeeeep! Newcastle v Tottenham back underway
The second half begins in our late 8pm GMT kick-off.
Wolves 1-3 Chelsea
60 min: Wolves are threatening to make a game of this, so nearly grabbing a second goal, a Mosquera header just glancing wide from a set-piece.
Enzo Maresca is growing increasingly tetchy on the sidelines and decides that enough is enough with three strong substitutions. Gusto, Lavia and Estêvão off for Cucurella, Fernandez and Liam Delap, the latter making his first appearance since August!
GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Brighton (Nwaneri 57)
A brilliant, fluent goal, in complete contrast to Arsenal’s attacking efforts tonight! Merino, the Gunners captain for the evening, slips in Lewis-Skelly with a deft backheel. The left-back latches onto the ball, cuts the ball back to Nwaneri, who sweeps a left-footed finish into the corner from 15 yards out! Steele got a fingertip to it, but couldn’t keep it out of the far corner!
“That goal felt like pure, unadulterated Wengerball,” emails Kári Tulinius. “That it was scored by a young academy graduate just adds to the delightful retro feel.”
Updated
Wolves 1-3 Chelsea
53 min: Handbags at Molineux! Hwang crunches Lavia in the tackle, and Adarabioyo takes exception to the challenge, confronting the South Korean. There is a bit of hustle, a bit of bustle and the Wolves man gets a yellow card.
Arsenal 0-0 Brighton
51 min: Arsenal are yet to have a shot on target and have an xG of 0.24, if you’re into that sort of thing. The changes haven’t worked for Arteta, so it’s a good thing that he has the following options on the bench: Saka, Gabriel, Raya, Timber, Gyokeres, Calafiori, Trossard,
Zubimendi, Rice.
That’s more than can be said for Liverpool, trailing 2-0 at home to Palace. Slot’s youthful bench have just nine first-team appearances between them. Eeeeesh.
GOAL! Wolves 1-3 Chelsea (Arokodare 48)
Arokodare spurned a good chance at the end of the first half, nodding a free header wide, but he makes no mistake at the start of the second half, guiding a lovely finish into the far corner after Wolves had won the ball with a high press. Credit to Hwang for winning the ball back and forcing Chelsea into a mistake.
Updated
Peeeeeeeeeeep!
The second half begins for each of our 7.45pm GMT kick-offs.
A reminder of the scores:
Arsenal 0-0 Brighton
Swansea 1-1 Manchester City
Wolves 0-3 Chelsea
And at Anfield, Liverpool 0-2 Crystal Palace
Half-time: Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham
The home side go into the break with the advantage after Fabian Schar’s header. Interesting that Spurs’ captain tonight is Pedro Porro, in Micky van de Ven’s absence. The Dutchman is on the bench.
Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham
43 min: Newcastle push forward and claim for a penalty, with Sarr clattering into Elanga on the byline with the ball long gone, but referee Chris Kavanagh waves play on.
Half-time reading:
Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham
37 min: In our late (8pm GMT) kick-off, Tottenham are slowly coming back into the game. They have over 70% possession in the last 10 minutes, and Richarlison went close to equalising for Spurs but just failed to get on the end of a Bergvall cross.
Half-time scores in the 7.45pm GMT kick-offs
You might notice that Palace have doubled their lead at Anfield. Join Scott Murray for the latest.
Arsenal 0-0 Brighton
45 min: After a strong start from Brighton, it has been a fairly quiet half at the Emirates. It is worth noting that this is a big game for Ben White, back in the Arsenal XI tonight. Just his third start of the season.
GOAL! Wolves 0-3 Chelsea (Estêvão 41)
Dear me. A huge mix-up between Sa and Lopez allows Andrey Santos to nick the ball, the ball falls to Estêvão on the edge of Wolves’ box and with no defender in sight, the young Brazilian impudently dinks the ball over the keeper. A delicious finish but that was suicidal football from Wolves.
Updated
There has been a goal at Anfield, with Crystal Palace taking the lead over Liverpool through Ismaïla Sarr. I’ll let Scott Murray tell you about that one.
GOAL! Newcastle 1-0 Tottenham (Schar 23)
As simple as you like! From a corner, Schar has a free run at a header and buries his effort past Kinsky! Tottenham were defending zonally, but nobody took the initiative and Schar stole in.
Updated
GOAL! Swansea City 1-1 Manchester City (Doku 39)
Pep Guardiola’s side claw themselves back into the game with a deflected strike! Doku wriggles clear down the left – if there is one thing Doku does well, it is wriggling – and the Belgian gets to the byline before cutting back on his stronger right foot. The ball fizzes through a crowd of players, nicking off Burgess (I think) and into the net. No chance for Fisher.
Wolves 0-2 Chelsea
37 min: The home side have steadied the ship, which is something at least. Doherty was forced off with an injury, replaced by Rodrigo Gomes, but that substitution has been a blessing in disguise for Wolves, with Doherty being roasted by Gittens down that right-hand side. They are lacking fluency but Wolves are beginning to mount attacks with a few hopeful crosses.
Arsenal 0-0 Brighton
34 min: Forward from left-back, Lewis-Skelly skins Coppola on Arsenal’s left wing, the Brighton defender blatantly dragging the England international to the turf. A shooting opportunity for Eze, then, but the former Palace man pings his effort straight into the wall.
Swansea City 1-0 Manchester City
30 min: Manchester City are lucky to only be 1-0 down! Khusanov gifts the ball to Widell with a dreadful pass – what was the young Uzbek defender thinking? – and the Swansea man drives into the area, forcing Trafford into a magnificent save! Widell’s shot was heading towards the bottom corner, but Trafford’s fingertip just diverted it wide!
Newcastle 0-0 Tottenham
11 min: The home side go close! Woltemade shows some typically dainty feet on the edge of Spurs’ area and feeds Barnes in space on the left. The winger has plenty of time but takes the shot first time, dragging it into the near side netting.
Swansea City 1-0 Manchester City
26 min: Man City have had 70% possession but are yet to have an attempt on target. The longer this match goes on, the more Swansea will dig in. The 2013 winners will badly want to progress, especially with a potential tie against Cardiff in the quarter-finals.
Arsenal 0-0 Brighton
22 min: It appears that Eze is playing as a false nine tonight for Arsenal. We’ll see how long that lasts – Gyökeres is on the bench, a former Brighton player of course.
Wolves 0-2 Chelsea
18 min: The Blues should really be 3-0 up! Nearly a carbon copy of the second goal, as Gittens darts down the left, his deflected cross finding George in the middle – where is the marking?! – and the Chelsea youngster stabs a finish just past the far post! It was an awkward height but George really should have buried that, regardless.
Peeeeeeeep!
Our sole 8pm GMT kick-off – Newcastle v Tottenham – is also underway.
GOAL! Wolves 0-2 Chelsea (George 15)
As Football Manager would say, Wolves are sinking without trace! Gittens tears down the left wing, burning past Doherty with ease to reach the byline and the Englishman cuts a low cross to George in the middle, who has a simple tap in from five yards out. This could end up being a cricket score.
Updated
GOAL! Swansea City 1-0 Manchester City (Franco 12)
The Championship side are ahead! Swansea put Premier League opposition (Nottingham Forest) to the sword in the last round and now the Welsh side are ahead here! Trafford had no chance in the City goal as Franco shaped a peach of a curler from the edge of the area right into the top corner, the Portuguese midfielder kissing his shot off the inside the post. Postage stamp stuff!
Updated
Arsenal 0-0 Brighton
8 min: The visitors should be in front! They have had the best of the opening exchanges and from an Arsenal corner, Brighton surge forward on a dangerous counter attack. Baleba streams forward down the left and finds a beautiful pass to Tzimas, who is one-on-one with Arrizabalaga … but the Greek slips and skews his finish wide! What a chance for Brighton!
GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Chelsea (Andrey Santos 5)
Wolves give the ball away in midfield and Chelsea pounce, feeding the ball to Andrey Santos on the edge of the home box, and the Brazilian rifles a low shot into the corner, just out of the reach of José Sa’s left hand!
Updated
Peeeeeeeeep!
The four 7.45pm GMT kick-offs are underway!
Arsenal v Brighton
Swansea City v Manchester City
Wolves v Chelsea …
… and Liverpool v Crystal Palace, although you can follow the latter game with Scott Murray in our dedicated MBM.
This is what Mikel Arteta had to say about Max Dowman in the lead up to Arsenal’s match against Brighton. The 15-year-old signed scholarship terms with Arsenal last week, with a professional contract due to be finalised for his 17th birthday. He joined as a five‑year‑old and the hope is that he will stay for the long term.
[Dowman staying is] what we all want. I think what he wants as well. After that it is more for [the sporting director] Andrea [Berta] and the club. But the feeling that I have is that genuinely he loves it here. He is a huge Arsenal supporter and his family are really happy with the way things are developing around him as well. Hopefully for many years he will be with us.
If we looked at his passport every day we would never play him, simple as that. So it is finding a balance, an understanding, especially the load, the things that are changing in his life, and making sure he can cope with that. So far, he has done that.
In the front line, that is where we have more difficulties. Gabby Jesus out, Kai [Havertz] out, [Gabriel] Martinelli and [Noni] Madueke out. We have to be more careful as we don’t have many options.”
Updated
Here are some relevant preview pieces for you to enjoy.
Team news: Wolves v Chelsea
Wolves: Jose Sa, Doherty, Mosquera, Agbadou, Toti Gomes, Wolfe, Tchatchoua, Joao Gomes, Lopez, Hwang, Arokodare.
Subs: Bentley, Hugo Bueno, Munetsi, Larsen, Rodrigo Gomes, Chirewa, Bellegarde, Mane, Krejci.
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Gusto, Acheampong, Adarabioyo, Hato, Lavia, Santos, Estevao, Buonanotte, Gittens, George.
Subs: Sanchez, Fofana, Cucurella, James, Caicedo, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Joao Pedro, Delap.
This is the fixture with the most changes. Few will expect Wolves to trouble Chelsea with that line-up.
Team news: Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Newcastle: Ramsdale, Krafth, Thiaw, Schar, Burn, Willock, Tonali, Ramsey, Elanga, Woltemade, Barnes.
Subs: Pope, Trippier, Botman, Joelinton, Gordon, Osula, Jacob Murphy, Guimaraes, Miley.
Tottenham Hotspur: Kinsky, Porro, Danso, Sarr, Spence, Bentancur, Joao Palhinha, Johnson, Bergvall, Simons, Richarlison.
Subs: Austin, Tel, Kudus, van de Ven, Muani, Scarlett, Olusesi, Rowswell, Gunter.
Yes, there are some key omissions, but it’s fair to say that both sides are going for it!
Updated
Team news: Swansea City v Manchester City
Swansea: Fisher, Key, Casey, Burgess, Samuels-Smith, Tymon, Inoussa, Goncalo Franco, Galbraith, Widell, Idah.
Subs: Farman, Fulton, Cabango, Vipotnik, Eom, Cullen, Benson, Santos, Ronald.
Manchester City: Trafford, Lewis, Khusanov, Ake, Ait Nouri, Gonzalez, Mukasa, Bobb, Cherki, Doku, Marmoush.
Subs: Bettinelli, Donnarumma, Stones, Gvardiol, Savio, Matheus Luiz, O’Reilly, Phillips, Foden.
The Wilfried Bony Derby! Manchester City ring the changes, but make no mistake, this is an elite, international XI, possibly with the exception of Divine Mukasa, whose sole senior appearance came in the last round.
Team news: Arsenal v Brighton
Arsenal: Arrizabalaga, White, Mosquera, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Norgaard, Nwaneri, Dowman, Harriman-Annous, Eze.
Subs: Saka, Gabriel, Raya, Timber, Gyokeres, Calafiori, Trossard, Zubimendi, Rice.
Brighton: Steele, Kadioglu, Coppola, van Hecke, De Cuyper, Baleba, Boscagli, Rutter, Kostoulas, Gomez, Tzimas.
Subs: Dunk, Minteh, Watson, Welbeck, Ayari, Wieffer, Simmonds, Ramming, Knight.
At 15 years and 302, Max Dowman becomes the youngest ever person to start for Arsenal. Andre Harriman-Annous, who at 17 is almost middle-aged in comparison, makes his first ever appearance for the Gunners’ senior team. And it’s a start!
By contrast, this is a very experienced Brighton team. Diego Gomez, who scored four goals in a 6-0 win over Barnsley in the last round, gets the nod as the No 10 this evening.
Updated
Preamble
There are only a few teams that can probably justify not fielding their best XI for these Carabao Cup fourth-round matches, but for most, there are no real excuses why each side shouldn’t be going full throttle to reach Wembley.
We saw last season with Newcastle United just what a League Cup triumph can do to a football club and its fanbase, just imagine what a successful defence would mean to the Geordies, or what might mean to the mid-table stalwarts of Brighton (no major honours ever), Crystal Palace (one major honour ever), or the Championship’s Swansea City (one major honour). With relegation heavily unlikely for all these sides, and with only minor European qualification (or a play-off place) to play for, there is no reason why these sides shouldn’t invest in this competition (especially as Europa League qualification comes with the silverware). Win tonight, and they are in the quarter-finals, and nearly within touching distance of Wembley. Woof.
Even for Mikel Arteta, trophyless for the last five seasons, a taste of Carabao would be sweet, although few expect the title-chasing Gunners to field their first XI (in fairness, their second XI is jam packed full of internationals) against Brighton.
Liverpool will be wary of another damaging domestic defeat. Palace are a formidable away team, and there might be fewer changes to Arne Slot’s side than expected as he looks to guarantee safe passage and another PR crisis.
Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester City and Wolves (no major honours in 45 years) are probably the only sides tonight that are nailed on to rest players. In fairness to the latter, Wolves do have a bit of a relegation scrap on their hands, and a crucial trip to Fulham this weekend. Vítor Pereira is likely more concerned that and about keeping his job for another week, than a Carabao Cup final in February.
It’s a grand mix of intriguing ties as the teams look to join Brentford, Fulham and Cardiff in the last eight. Following Wednesday’s ties (below), I will also bring you live updates from the quarter-final draw, so please do stick around after the final whistles.
A reminder that Scott Murray is doing a dedicated minute-by-minute report of Liverpool v Palace, so follow him here for that game. I will post updates when I can, but will focus my most of my attention of the other four matches.
