And with that, my race is run. We’ll be back for a whole lot more tomorrow night. Bye!
Here’s Paul Doyle’s report from the Pirelli Stadium:
Leicester advanced to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals despite being spooked by Burton. Brendan Rodgers’ men seemed set to dish out another emphatic beating after goals by Kelechi Iheanacho and Youri Tielemans put them 2-0 up after 20 minutes. But rather than lie down like Southampton, the League One side rebelled, halving the deficit thanks to Liam Boyce and forcing Danny Ward to make several fine saves. James Maddison came off the bench to settle the tie in the 89th minute.
Much more here:
Extraordinary scenes at Oxford tonight: “We could actually hear the crowd at the Oxford United stadium cheering,” reports Mark Piesing. “We have never heard any sound from the stadium before.”
Paul Wilson was at Goodison Park:
Goals from Mason Holgate and Richarlison spared Marco Silva’s blushes against his former club and sent Everton into the last eight of the Carabao Cup, circumstances that will probably prevent the beleaguered manager being sacked in the morning, whatever the Watford fans present might have wished.
Everton wore down their opponents in the end, though it was not the convincing performance Silva was seeking to impress his current employer or his old one. While Everton were on top by the time Holgate came up for a corner and stuck around to score the opening goal, they will have to play a lot better against Spurs at the weekend if they are to avoid a sixth league defeat in seven games. The Carabao Cup may not come to Silva’s rescue should that happen, for a side who take over an hour to score against Watford have no business dreaming of Wembley with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City still at large.
Much more here:
The quarter-final draw will be held this Thursday, live on Zoe Ball’s Breakfast Show on Radio 2, for some reason, at 8.45am.
“I moved to Oxford for uni a couple of years ago,” boasts Alex Yeandle, “but am originally from Colchester. Oxford were promoted from League Two to League One the same season Colchester were relegated from League One to Two, the same season I started uni, meaning I could never watch an Oxford-Colchester derby! Maybe now they’ve both made it to the quarters I’ll finally get my chance!!”
Updated
Meanwhile in Spain, Lionel Messi has scored another sensational free kick, scored a phenomenal goal from open play (that first touch!) and provided an exquisite assist for Arturo Vidal as Barcelona lead Valladolid 5-1.
The match reports are already rolling in. Here’s Jamie Jackson at the Etihad:
Manchester City took their unbeaten Carabao Cup run to 1,098 days in a near-stroll of a victory over a still-smarting Southampton. This was the visitors’ first game since Leicester trounced them 9-0 and it showed. Southampton did, at least, lose by only two goals and achieve against Pep Guardiola’s men what they failed to do against the Foxes – score – but until City slackened off towards the end they were too tentative.
Much more here:
Oxford United beat Sunderland on penalties!
The keeper goes the right way and makes an easy save! Sunderland are out!
Marc McNulty to stay in it - SAVED by EASTWOOD and #OUFC are through to the quarter finals!!!!!!
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) October 29, 2019
Mousinho scores, and Oxford lead 4-2. Crucial moments for Sunderland, who send McNulty up next ...
Will Grigg misses from the spot! He sends his effort sailing over the bar and after three penalties each, Oxford lead 3-2!
Meanwhile, the tie between Oxford and Sunderland will be decided on penalties. They have so far taken two each, and scored the lot.
Everton beat Watford 2-0!
The final whistle goes at Goodison Park, and Everton have secured what looks from here a most deserved victory!
FT. Job done! ✅
— Everton (@Everton) October 29, 2019
Into the #CarabaoCup quarter-finals we go! 💪 pic.twitter.com/IVplzirwCX
Leicester make the final eight!
All of the first three Carabao Cup games to end, end 3-1. Leicester ease past Burton Albion and a textbook potential banana skin.
GOAL! Everton 2-0 Watford (Richarlison, 90+2 mins)
Watford push forwards in search of an equaliser, and end up conceding a second. Richarlison is played through a ragged rearguard, and finishes in style!
Updated
Colchester are in the quarter-finals!
Colchester United come out on top in the all-League Two tie at Crawley, and they are in the final eight!
INCREDIBLE! FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1974, COLCHESTER ARE INTO THE QUARTER FINALS OF THE LEAGUE CUP! #ColU
— Colchester United FC (@ColU_Official) October 29, 2019
Manchester City are in the quarter-finals!
The final whistle goes at the Etihad, where City have beaten Southampton slightly less comfortably than it appeared they would a little earlier in the evening.
Sunderland’s Luke O’Nien has just been tripped in the box, but somehow the referee doesn’t give a potentially decisive penalty! Meanwhile at the Pirelli Stadium Demarai Gray is played through, takes the ball round the outrushing keeper, but his left-foot, side-footed shot is feeble and a defender clears.
GOAL! Burton 1-3 Leicester (Maddison, 89 mins)
Gray has a hand in another goal, and Leicester wrap up the tie! The winger bursts down the right, gets to the byline and pulls back to Maddison, only recently off the bench, whose first-time shot goes in at the far post.
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Burton have a chance to equalise, but Sarkic appears to panic as the goalkeeper hares out towards him, and blasts over the bar.
GOAL! Crawley 1-3 Colchester (Gambin, 79 mins)!
A cross from the right, and Luke Gambin controls brilliantly, turns and slams the ball into the roof of the net!
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GOAL! Oxford 1-1 Sunderland (McNulty, 78 mins)
An equaliser for Sunderland! It’s a bit messy: a corner is flicked on, bounces off a defender’s back and finds McNulty, who converts from close range!
Updated
Leicester have a goal disallowed, Barnes converting Gray’s low centre but being ruled narrowly offside.
GOAL! Manchester City 3-1 Southampton (Stephens, 75 mins)!
They’ve only gone and scored! It’s a corner on the right which is deliciously flighted to the far post, where Jack Stephens thumps in a header!
Updated
GOAL! Everton 1-0 Watford (Holgate, 72 mins)!
Everton hit the back of the net! Walcott gets the ball on the left of the area and crosses to Holgate, who is completely unmarked five yards out and can hardly miss!
Updated
Southampton have had a shot on target! And three shots in total! A massive turnaround in their fortunes at the Etihad.
Everton hit the woodwork again! This time it’s Lucas Digne, with a 25-yard free-kick that clips the top of the wall, and then the top of the bar on its way over. How long can Watford survive this onslaught?
Now Everton hit the woodwork! The ball falls to Iwobi just inside the area, and he lashes it against the meat of the bar!
I read this caption and thought the picture would be of Andre Gray farting. Apologies for being infantile. Anyway, Everton just nearly scored again. This time, Aidy Mariappa cleared off the line!
🚀 @AndreGray7 lets one fly!#CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/nSft8jWjTn
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) October 29, 2019
Something happens at Goodison Park! Everton have a free-kick on the left, which is sent arrowing onto Michael Keane’s forehead, but he nods the ball straight at Gomes!
Burton nearly equalise! From a corner, the ball is headed towards the far corner, and it was looping in until a defender got in the way, and then it wasn’t. At the other end, Albrighton’s low shot is well saved!
Latest tallies from the Etihad:
Manchester City
Shots: 15
Shots on target: 9
Corners: 5
Goals: 3
Southampton
Shots: 0
Shots on target: 0
Corners: 0
Goals: 0
GOAL! Man City 3-0 Southampton (Aguero, 56 mins)!
Mahrez’s 30-yarder hits a defender, loops up and drops onto Aguero’s foot six yards out! He hardly makes any contact, but then he doesn’t really need to, particularly with the Southampton defence dozing.
Updated
GOAL! Burton 1-2 Leicester (Boyce, 52 mins)
Game on! Boyce spears a low shot goalwards from the edge of the area, and Ward in the Leicester goal is so surprised at this turn of events that he haplessly helps it in!
GOAL! Crawley 1-2 Colchester (Luyambula own goal, 53 mins)!
A nice free-kick from Cohen Bramall hits the bar, bounces into the goalkeeper’s back and goes in!
Updated
Our five matches are back under way. On Sky, they are suggesting that only losing to Manchester City by two or three goals might serve to “build confidence”. City come close to scoring a third, but Bernardo Silva doesn’t anticipate Mahrez’s through-ball, which was really quite excellent.
The Everton match sounds good.
Thoughts: 45 minutes of your life you won’t get back. Moise Kean can go and wait for a cheeseburger in the supper bar on Goodison Road given how pointless it’s been for him on the wing and I’ve seen more life in the cemetery than in the rest of them. Woeful. #EFC
— Dave Downie (@daviddownie17) October 29, 2019
Peeeeeep! It’s half-time in our five Carabao Cup matches. A quick scoreline reminder:
Burton Albion 0-2 Leicester
Crawley 1-1 Colchester
Everton 0-0 Watford
Manchester City 2-0 Southampton
Oxford Uited 1-0 Sunderland
Manchester City have had 10 shots, seven on target, and won four corners. Southampton have had no shots and won no corners.
Two injuries to report at Goodison Park: Watford have been forced to take off Domingos Quina and bring on Evertonn’s summer target Abdoulaye Doucoure, and Everton have been forced to take off Yerry Mina and bring on Michael Keane.
GOAL! Man City 2-0 Southampton (Aguero, 38 mins)
A fine cross from Kyle Walker on the right, and a tap-in for Aguero in the centre!
Updated
A lovely run from Oxford’s Shandon Baptiste ends in the area with a humiliating left-footed air-shot.
GOAL! Oxford United 1-0 Sunderland (Hall, 25 mins)!
Sunderland hit the post and Oxford break at speed and in numbers. It looks to have come to nothing when Fosu-Henry’s pass inside manages to evade both of his nearby team-mates but Hall arrives late to smash it into the corner of the net from the edge of the area!
Updated
GOAL! Crawley 1-1 Colchester (Norris, 22 mins)
That lead did not last long. Norris equalises with a header that the keeper really should have got a hand to.
GOAL! Man City 1-0 Southampton (Otamendi, 20 mins)!
Finally City get a reward for their domination! A corner is played short, Bernardo Silva chips in a cross from the corner of the area and Otamendi heads in from five yards! City have let it slip a bit of late, with latest statistics having them down at 83% possession.
Updated
GOAL! Crawley 1-0 Colchester (Bulman, 20 mins)!
That’s an absolute snorter! Bulman runs towards the area, nobody closes him down, so he lashes a rising shot into the far corner from 20 yards or so!
Updated
GOAL! Burton 0-2 Leicester (Tielemans, 20 mins)!
Burton give the ball away in midfield, and again Gray’s pass releases a player on the wing - Praet this time, on the right - whose low centre is converted by Tielemans!
Updated
“This ROI supporter would like to know where the heck Michael Obafemi is,” writes JR. “Please don’t tell me he’s injured again.Or would that be better than being healthy and not being selected? He seems like he’s injured an awful lot for a seemingly healthy young fella.” Earlier today the Southampton tyro was named in Ireland’s expanded squad for next month’s Euro 2020 qualifier against Denmark, which suggests his fitness is not an issue.
After 11 minutes Manchester City have had 89% of possession against Southampton, and two shots on target. Eighty-nine percent! The game remains goalless, though.
Sunderland win a corner, and when the ball is knocked down Lynch and Eastwood both race to it. The Sunderland No3 gets there first, and is then completely clattered by the Oxford goalkeeper. It’s not a terrible penalty shout, but I think the ball was kicked into Eastwood, which might just have saved him.
GOAL! Burton Albion 0-1 Leicester City (Iheanacho, 7 mins)!
We have our first goal! A lovely pass from Gray to Tielemans shreds Burton’s defence, and his low centre is turned in by Iheanacho!
Updated
Southampton have not had to wait long for a reminder of last Friday’s miseries:
“We want 10” the immediate chant from Man City fans
— Simon Peach (@SimonPeach) October 29, 2019
BONG! The clock strikes 7.45pm, kick off has been kicked off, and we are under way!
In other news, here’s a thing I’ve only just realised that is vaguely related to Everton v Watford: they are two of five Premier League teams whose entire name (including any Cities, Uniteds or Roverses but not the FC bit) is seven letters long or shorter. In the Championship there are two (Fulham and Reading), in League One none (since the demise of Bury) and in League Two one (Walsall). In other words - and I think this is a reasonable way of interpreting the data - the shorter a club’s name the more likely they are to do well.
“I’m not a Southampton fan,” writes Peter Oh, “but I have my fingers crossed that Ralph Hasenhüttl will show that this past weekend’s capitulation against Leicester was a false nine.” Very good.
The clocks have gone back, the nights are drawing in and we’re heading into snood-and-hat territory.
Finally, here are the teams from Oxford where both teams make five changes:
Oxford Utd: Eastwood, Long, Dickie, Moore, Ruffels, Henry, Gorrin, Baptiste, Hall, Taylor, Fosu. Subs: Stevens, Forde, Mousinho, Sykes, Mackie, Agyei, Jones.
Sunderland: Jon McLaughlin, Lynch, Willis, Flanagan, Conor McLaughlin, Dobson, Leadbitter, Power, Hume, McGeady, McNulty. Subs: McGeouch, O’Nien, Grigg, Mbunga-Kimpioka, Taylor, Connelly, Patterson.
Referee: Stephen Martin.
Colchester are the only unchanged side tonight. How many unchanged teams have been named in the entire tournament? Not many, I’d wager.
Crawley Town: Luyambula, Sesay, Tunnicliffe, Dallison, Doherty, Bulman, Allarakhia, Ferguson, Beryly Lubala, Grego-Cox, Enigbokan-Bloomfield. Subs: Morris, Young, Palmer, Nadesan, Nathaniel-George, Sendles-White, Camara.
Colchester: Gerken, Jackson, Eastman, Prosser, Bramall, Stevenson, Comley, Senior, Adubofour-Poku, Nouble, Norris. Subs: Lapslie, Sowunmi, Jevani Brown, Harriott, Clampin, Gambin, Ross.
Referee: Tony Harrington.
Teams from the Pirelli Stadium, where Burton make two changes and Leicester make nine:
Burton Albion: O’Hara, Brayford, O’Toole, Wallace, Hutchinson, Edwards, Quinn, Fraser, Sarkic, Boyce, Broadhead. Subs: Daniel, Buxton, Templeton, Sbarra, Anderson, Dyer, Garratt.
Leicester: Ward, Justin, Morgan, Evans, Fuchs, Choudhury, Albrighton, Praet, Tielemans, Gray, Iheanacho. Subs: Schmeichel, Soyuncu, Vardy, Maddison, Barnes, Ricardo Pereira, Ndidi.
Referee: Darren England.
Here are the teams from the Etihad, where 18-year-old Tommy Doyle makes his senior debut in what will from Southampton’s perspective look like a disappointingly strong Manchester City side. Still, Pep Guardiola makes nine changes; Southampton make six.
Man City: Bravo, Walker, Otamendi, Garcia, Jose Angelino, Bernardo Silva, Doyle, Foden, Mahrez, Aguero, Gabriel Jesus. Subs: Stones, De Bruyne, Silva, Joao Cancelo, Carson, Bernabe, Poveda-Ocampo.
Southampton: McCarthy, Valery, Stephens, Bednarek, Danso, Ward-Prowse, Romeu, Hojbjerg, Armstrong, Long, Boufal. Subs: Yoshida, Vestergaard, Ings, Adams, Redmond, Gunn, Vokins.
Referee: Jonathan Moss.
How we line-up against the Saints! 💪
— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 29, 2019
XI | Bravo, Walker, Otamendi, Garcia, Angeliño, Doyle, Foden, Mahrez, Bernardo, Jesus, Agüero (C)
SUBS | Carson, Stones, De Bruyne, Silva, Cancelo, Bernabe, Poveda
⚽️ @HaysWorldwide
🔵 #ManCity pic.twitter.com/649GgvNwM2
Here's the #SaintsFC team for tonight's #CarabaoCup tie with #ManCity: pic.twitter.com/i1WsHCvaFm
— Southampton FC (@SouthamptonFC) October 29, 2019
Updated
Team news is rolling in. Here, to get the ball rolling, is news from Goodison Park, where Everton make five changes and Watford eight. Given Watford’s current dearth of strikers it is interesting to see the 19-year-old Sam Dalby, who has been prolific so far this season for the Under-23 side (and stood out when I saw him in pre-season, albeit against non-league opposition), on the bench.
⚠️ TEAM NEWS! ⚠️
— Everton (@Everton) October 29, 2019
5️⃣ changes
↩️ Coleman, Mina & Delph return
⚽️ DCL & Kean start#CarabaoCup pic.twitter.com/8WimSykp9S
📣 TEAM NEWS 📣
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) October 29, 2019
Quique has made eight changes for tonight’s #CarabaoCup clash 🔢
Welcome to the squad, Sam Dalby 👏 pic.twitter.com/uTKVRHWCnr
Hello world!
So the Carabao Cup’s fourth round dawns, with five fixtures being played tonight and a further three tomorrow. On a purely numerical basis, this is the week’s big night of cup action, even if tomorrow’s three games (Liverpool v Arsenal, Chelsea v Manchester United and Aston Villa v Wolverhampton, since you ask) all have just a little bit more stardust twinkling upon them than any of tonight’s five. Still, we must all play the hands we are dealt, and these are our aces this evening (all 7.45pm BMT kick-offs):
Burton Albion v Leicester City
Burton’s Nigel Clough thinks/hopes that this competition might not be Leicester’s toppermost priority. “It is a competition that they could win, but they are challenging for the top four as well so there will be different thoughts going through his head,” he said of his opposite number, Brendan Rodgers. Leicester’s Danny Ward is expecting a tough old night. “It will be another tough game, they will be right at it,” he says. “I’ve played there before, it’s a small, intimidating ground and they will make it difficult for us, but we know what job we’ve got to go there and do and hopefully we’ll produce another good performance.”
Crawley Town v Colchester United
Crawley have not won a game since they last played Colchester on 12 October. “I think we will react, I believe in the squad and in what we are doing,” the manager, Gabriele Cioffi, says. “Sometimes a fall is healthy and I think it happened in the right moment.” Meanwhile the Colchester midfieler Ben Stevenson is feeling optimistic. “We are hoping that we can put on a show,” he says. “We are all really looking forward to it for the travelling fans and looking to get through.”
Everton v Watford
Everton have to cope with the knock-on effects of the weekend defeat at Brighton, in which they sustained damage to their morale and Bernard sustained a knee ligament injury. “The next game is a different competition and if we have a goal, an ambition to go until the end, to the final, we have to win,” says Marco Silva. Meanwhile Quique Sanchez Flores says success in the cup will not impact on Watford’s miserable league form. “What we want is a win,” he says. “To win is always important, but what we realise is when we won in Swansea, it didn’t affect what happened in the league because we didn’t win the next one. It’s different competitions, different line-ups, different goals. So to win tomorrow is important again but it’s nothing concerned about what is happening in the league. It is a completely different scenario.”
Manchester City v Southampton
Pep Guardiola insists that Southampton are not completely rubbish despite their 0-9 home thrashing by Leicester last Friday. “They are incredible professionals,” said the Spaniard. “The manager will be sad for a moment, for one night, but after that they have to move forward. They will try to do their best.” Indeed Ilkay Gundogan says tonight’s game “is not going to be easy, especially for their last result”. Meanwhile Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg insist the Saints are determined to improve. “We never want to be in this position again or anywhere near it. We have to get back up and make sure this never happens again,” he says. “We can put quotes out, apologise and say something, but the only thing that’s the real deal now is actions. Actions that are nowhere near what they were against Leicester. We can never show our faces like this again.”
Oxford United v Sunderland
Oxford must do without the full-back Chris Cadden and midfielder Cameron Brannagan, who both picked up injuries during Saturday’s 3-0 League One win over Rochdale. Sunderland also lost at the weekend, 1-0 at Shrewsbury. “This is a different challenge against an in-form team, who are scoring goals,” says their assistant manager, Steve Parkin. “This is a great opportunity for our lads to progress in a fantastic competition.”
So, that’s what’s on our menu. Let’s do this!
