Carabao Cup fourth-round draw LIVE – Chelsea, Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool learn next opponents

Last season, Jurgen Klopp described Diogo Jota as the best finisher at Anfield. If Arne Slot is yet to bestow such a compliment – and, more modest in his rhetoric, his praise of anyone so far has tended to be measured – he has installed the Portuguese as his first-choice No 9, a role he only had intermittently under the German. If Slot looked justified after the biggest win of his brief reign, this was a night when Klopp felt vindicated, too.

Jota’s first double since January displayed his predatory instincts, elusive movement and capacity to make scoring look simple. As Liverpool came from behind to beat West Ham United, the catalyst was the one member of Slot’s first-choice team to start. Jota may have felt the outsider in a second-string side but he served as their rescuer after Jarell Quansah, continuing his inauspicious start to life under Slot, accidentally put the Hammers ahead.

But Liverpool turned a deficit into a 3-1 win against AC Milan last week. Their powers of recovery were apparent again as Mohamed Salah, with one, and Cody Gakpo, with the second brace of the night, ensured history repeated itself. Last season, West Ham lost 5-1 at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.

Below is the full draw for the next round of the Carabao Cup!

Ties will take place in the week commencing 28 October, with games split between the Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

AFC Wimbledon/Newcastle v Chelsea

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace

Preston North End v Arsenal

Manchester United v Leicester City

Southampton v Stoke

Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

Brighton v Liverpool

Last season, Jurgen Klopp described Diogo Jota as the best finisher at Anfield. If Arne Slot is yet to bestow such a compliment – and, more modest in his rhetoric, his praise of anyone so far has tended to be measured – he has installed the Portuguese as his first-choice No 9, a role he only had intermittently under the German. If Slot looked justified after the biggest win of his brief reign, this was a night when Klopp felt vindicated, too.

Jota’s first double since January displayed his predatory instincts, elusive movement and capacity to make scoring look simple. As Liverpool came from behind to beat West Ham United, the catalyst was the one member of Slot’s first-choice team to start. Jota may have felt the outsider in a second-string side but he served as their rescuer after Jarell Quansah, continuing his inauspicious start to life under Slot, accidentally put the Hammers ahead.

But Liverpool turned a deficit into a 3-1 win against AC Milan last week. Their powers of recovery were apparent again as Mohamed Salah, with one, and Cody Gakpo, with the second brace of the night, ensured history repeated itself. Last season, West Ham lost 5-1 at Anfield in the Carabao Cup.

Leicester City boss Steve Cooper is “even more committed” to succeed following negative fan chants during the penalty shoot-out victory at League TwoWalsall in the Carabao Cup.

The Foxes made 10 changes and had to rely on goalkeeper Danny Wardsaving spot-kicks from Taylor Allen, David Okagbue and Liam Gordon in the shoot-out to advance to the fourth round.

Charlie Lakin and Albert Adomah missed big chances for Walsall in the 90 minutes as the hosts held their own.

Enzo Maresca made 11 changes to his Chelsea line-up for the visit of Barrow in the Carabao Cup third round, but a fine start to the Italian’s Stamford Bridge tenure was never at risk of being derailed as Christopher Nkunku’s hat-trick secured a 5-0 romp over the League Two side.

The Blues were three goals up and out of sight inside half an hour with Joao Felix the ring leader in an overwhelming first-half attacking display, the forward who played 44 times last season for Barcelona making featherlight work of a team who were in the National League as recently as four years ago.

The Portugal international had a crucial hand in his side’s third goal, his free-kick striking the post and going in off Barrow goalkeeper Paul Farman, that after Nkunku had scored twice in the first 18 minutes.

Emi Buendia hailed a special night after scoring his first goal since March 2023 as Aston Villa reached the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 win at Wycombe.

Winger Buendia, who missed the whole of last season through injury, headed the opener before Jhon Duran tucked away a penalty to see off League One Wanderers, who hit a late consolation through Richard Kone.

“It is a really special night, to come back to play again for this club,” the Argentinian, who captained Villa, told Sky Sports.

If a midfielder has dominated the discourse surrounding Manchester City, it is not Matheus Nunes. While they await bulletins on the state of Rodri’s knee, the Portuguese’s first City goal ranks as a subplot of their week. Rodri has an ubiquity but Nunes has become the £53m forgotten man, the sort of figure who may only be glimpsed in the starting 11 on Carabao Cup nights.

As he belatedly opened his City account, however, his goal proved decisive when a second-string side were given a late fright by Watford.

His reward may be a return to the relative obscurity of the bench. Nunes has only played 20 minutes in the Premier and Champions League so far this season. Ilkay Gundogan’s return has relegated him further down the pecking order, making him more of an afterthought.

Below is the full draw for the next round of the Carabao Cup!

Ties will take place in the week commencing 28 October, with games split between the Tuesday and Wednesday of that week.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City

AFC Wimbledon/Newcastle v Chelsea

Aston Villa v Crystal Palace

Preston North End v Arsenal

Manchester United v Leicester City

Southampton v Stoke

Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday

Brighton v Liverpool

Ethan Nwaneri scored twice on a historic night for Arsenal after 16-year-old goalkeeper Jack Porter became the club’s youngest ever player to start a match in their 5-1 win against Bolton.

Porter, a replacement for the injured David Raya, stole the spotlight ahead of the third-round Carabao Cup fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

But it was the highly-rated Nwaneri whose name was up in lights when he scored a brace either side of the interval on a night to remember for the Enfield 17-year-old.

The most successful manager in the League Cup’s history produced a damning admission. Manchester City will not waste their energy on the next round. Not, it should be said, out of choice. Pep Guardiola has won the League Cup four times, putting him in the company of Brian Clough, Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, due to an attitude that has reflects an insatiable desire to win, but also his determination to take it seriously.

Their four consecutive League Cup wins suggested it was a trophy worth winning, with a willingness to hoover up the lesser prizes has reduced the opportunities for anyone else to claim any silverware. Guardiola could rotate, but usually with the sense he would find a strong enough side to advance.

And now there has been a shift in approach. “The next round, I announce to you now, I play the second team,” Guardiola said. “We are not going to waste energy on this competition, for sure.”