Carabao Cup draw LIVE!
The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup has been made as 32 teams discovered their assignments for the next stage of the competition. The Premier League clubs involved in European action this season all entered the fray, though, Crystal Palace aside, were kept apart amid the significant revamps made to both the Champions League and Europa League by UEFA.
None of Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest or Aston Villa were paired together in round three, with those clubs involved in a pre-draw exercise earlier on Wednesday night that determined who would be playing at home or away. Tuesday night’s winners and the victors of Wednesday night’s remaining second-round fixtures entered proceedings as normal for the main part of the draw, which took place after Grimsby’s stunning penalty shootout victory over Manchester United.
The northern and southern sections of the draw no longer apply in round three, with no geographical restrictions on any ties at this stage. Follow live coverage below of the draw for the third round of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup!
Carabao Cup draw latest news
- Third round draw in full
Arsenal will travel to Port Vale as Chelsea take a trip to Lincoln in the Carabao Cup third round.
An eye-catching London derby will see Crystal Palace host Millwall, while Tottenham welcome Doncaster to town and Liverpool face Southampton.
Manchester United are not in the draw after a dramatic 12-11 penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby, which saw Ruben Amorim’s side go 2-0 down and force spot-kicks with a last-gasp equaliser.
Grimsby’s reward is a trip to beleaguered Sheffield Wednesday.
Elsewhere, holders Newcastle host Bradford and Brentford take on Aston Villa in an all-Premier League tie.
Carabao Cup third round draw in full
Wednesday 27 August 2025 22:53 , Alex YoungPort Vale vs Arsenal
Swansea City vs Nottingham Forest
Lincoln City vs Chelsea
Tottenham vs Doncaster
Brentford vs Aston Villa
Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City
Liverpool vs Southampton
Newcastle vs Bradford
Sheffield Wednesday vs Grimsby
Wolves vs Everton
Crystal Palace vs Millwall
Burnley vs Cardiff
Wrexham vs Reading
Wigan vs Wycombe
Barnsley vs Brighton
Fuham vs Cambridge
Fuham vs Cambridge
Barnsley vs Brighton
Wigan vs Wycombe
Wrexham vs Reading
Crystal Palace vs Millwall
Sheffield Wednesday vs Grimsby
Wolves vs Everton
Newcastle vs Bradford
Liverpool vs Southampton
Huddersfield Town vs Manchester City
Brentford vs Aston Villa
Tottenham vs Doncaster
Lincoln City vs Chelsea
Swansea City vs Nottingham Forest
Port Vale vs Arsenal
Here we go!
A reminder that the teams that are qualified for the Champions League or Europa League cannot face each other in the Carabao Cup third round.
Why? UEFA.
Not long until the draw now.
Ball numbers
Wednesday 27 August 2025 22:21 , Alex YoungA reminder of those ball numbers after Manchester United are knocked out.
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Barnsley
- Bradford City
- Brentford
- Burnley
- Cambridge United
- Cardiff City
- Chelsea
- Crystal Palace
- Doncaster Rovers
- Huddersfield Town
- Lincoln City
- Liverpool
- Man City
- Millwall
- Newcastle
- Nottingham Forest
- Port Vale
- Reading
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Southampton
- Swansea City
- Tottenham
- Wigan
- Wolves
- Wrexham
- Wycombe Wanderers
- Everton
- Fulham
- Grimsby Town
- Brighton
Manchester United knocked out!
Wednesday 27 August 2025 22:19 , Alex YoungManchester United are OUT! Grimsby win a marathon penalty shootout 12-11 after Mbeumo hit the bar.
Stunning result, staggeringly bad from Manchester United.
Scratch that, a Harry Maguire header in the 89th minute looks set to force penalties!
Fulham and Brighton are through, and Everton are 1-0 up at home to Mansfield.
As it stands, Grimsby are joining them.
Over in Grimsby, Manchester United have pulled one back, but still need one goal in the final 12 minutes to force a penalty shootout.
You can follow that second-round clash here.
Pre-draw results
Wednesday 27 August 2025 21:30 , Alex YoungAs mentioned earlier, Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, Tottenham and holders Newcastle were all involved in a ‘pre-draw’ process earlier on this evening to determine who would be playing home or away in round three ahead of the main proceedings later on.
It’s all a bit confusing, but in summary:
- First three Champions League or Europa League teams drawn will play away.
- Fourth team drawn will play at home.
- Fifth and sixth teams drawn will play away.
- Seventh and eighth teams drawn will play at home.
Make sense? Good.
Carabao Cup third round dates
Wednesday 27 August 2025 21:10 , Alex YoungJust like last season, the Carabao Cup third-round fixtures will be spread across two weeks due to Champions League and Europa League clashes.
The first set games will be played across the week commencing September 15, 2025, with the rest across the week commencing September 22, 2025.
Ball numbers
Wednesday 27 August 2025 20:50 , Alex YoungHere are the all-important numbers ahead of the draw, with a few ties still to be settled tonight.
- Arsenal
- Aston Villa
- Barnsley
- Bradford City
- Brentford
- Burnley
- Cambridge United
- Cardiff City
- Chelsea
- Crystal Palace
- Doncaster Rovers
- Huddersfield Town
- Lincoln City
- Liverpool
- Man City
- Millwall
- Newcastle
- Nottingham Forest
- Port Vale
- Reading
- Sheffield Wednesday
- Southampton
- Swansea City
- Tottenham
- Wigan
- Wolves
- Wrexham
- Wycombe Wanderers
- Everton or Mansfield Town
- Fulham or Bristol City
- Grimsby Town or Manchester United
- Oxford United or Brighton
How to watch Carabao Cup draw
Wednesday 27 August 2025 20:37 , Alex YoungTV channel: Tonight’s Carabao Cup third round draw will be shown live on both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football in the UK.
Live stream: Subscribers will also be able to watch on the Sky Go app.
Welcome
Wednesday 27 August 2025 20:29 , Alex YoungGood evening and welcome to Standard Sport’s live coverage of the draw for the third round of the 2025/26 Carabao Cup.
The Premier League teams involved in European football this term all enter the competition at this stage, though are being kept apart due to their continental commitments.
All of those clubs were involved in a pre-draw process earlier on tonight to discover who would be playing home or away in round three... more on that in a moment.
There are 32 teams in total involved in tonight’s proceedings,
The draw should be coming up at around 10.15pm BST, following the conclusion of Grimsby vs Manchester United. That time is subject to change.
Stay tuned for all the latest news, updates and the draw as it happens.
