Carabao Cup Third Round Draw: Fixtures and Matchups as Premier League Clubs Join

2026-27 Carabao Cup Third Round Draw Set for August 26

The draw for the third round of the 2026-27 Carabao Cup took place on Wednesday, August 26. This stage marks the entry of the remaining Premier League teams, including big names like Arsenal, Manchester City, and Manchester United.

Almost all top-tier clubs have progressed to this round, with Nottingham Forest being the only Premier League side knocked out so far, losing to Leeds United. Below is the full list of fixtures for the third round, now that all teams are involved in this knockout phase.

Draw Details and Format

The draw occurred after the last second-round match between Preston North End and Everton. Unlike earlier rounds, the draw is no longer divided into northern and southern sections, meaning any team can face any other.

A preliminary draw was done prior to the Preston vs. Everton game to decide which European competition participants would play home or away. This was arranged to prevent those teams from clashing early and avoid scheduling conflicts.

Third Round Matchups

• Crystal Palace (PL) vs. Middlesbrough (CH)
• Manchester United (PL) vs. Brighton (PL)
• Manchester City (PL) vs. Norwich City (CH)
• Sunderland (PL) vs. Hull City (PL)
• Ipswich Town (PL) vs. Arsenal (PL)
• Coventry City (PL) vs. Aston Villa (PL)
• Bournemouth (PL) vs. Lincoln City
• Liverpool (PL) vs. Tottenham (PL)
• Chelsea/Luton Town vs. Leeds United (PL)
• Millwall (CH) vs. Newcastle (PL)
• Fleetwood Town (L2) vs. Sheffield United (CH)
• Everton (PL) vs. Wolves (CH)
• Leyton Orient (L1) vs. Bradford City (L1)
• Reading (L1) vs. Brentford (PL)
• Peterborough United vs. Barnsley (L1)
• West Ham (CH) vs. Fulham/AFC Wimbledon

Ball Numbers Assigned to Teams

• Bournemouth
• Arsenal
• Aston Villa
• Crystal Palace
• Manchester City
• Manchester United
• Liverpool
• Sunderland
• Barnsley
• Brentford
• Brighton
• Coventry
• Fleetwood Town
• Hull City
• Ipswich Town
• Leeds United
• Leyton Orient
• Lincoln City
• Middlesbrough
• Millwall
• Norwich City
• Peterborough
• Reading
• Sheffield United
• West Ham
• Wolves
• Bradford City / Burnley
• Newcastle / West Brom
• Tottenham / Charlton Athletic
• Preston North End / Everton
• Chelsea / Luton Town
• Fulham / AFC Wimbledon

Schedule for Third Round Matches

Fixtures are scheduled for the weeks starting September 7 and September 14. Exact kickoff times have not been finalized yet.

• Tuesday, September 8: Times to be determined
• Wednesday, September 9: Times to be determined
• Thursday, September 10: Times to be determined
• Tuesday, September 15: Times to be determined
• Wednesday, September 16: Times to be determined
• Thursday, September 17: Times to be determined