Carabao Cup draw explained: Arsenal and Tottenham avoid clash, Chelsea miss new format

The Carabao Cup has introduced a new twist for the third round draw, with Arsenal and Tottenham among the teams that must remain apart due to the demands of European football. The expansion of the Champions League and Europa League has led to an increase in the number of matches, which in turn has affected the scheduling and format of this domestic competition.

New format separates Arsenal and Tottenham

In a decision that will affect several top clubs, Arsenal and Tottenham will be separated in the Carabao Cup third round draw. This decision is due to the expanded European fixtures, which now include two additional games in both the Champions League and Europa League. Arsenal, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United will have their Carabao Cup third round matches postponed to avoid clashing with their European commitments.

The week starting September 16 is particularly busy, as Arsenal, Villa, Liverpool and Manchester City compete in the Champions League. The following week, Manchester United and Tottenham begin their Europa League campaigns. To reduce the accumulation of dates, the Carabao Cup organisers have introduced a condition for the third round draw that ensures that the clubs participating in these European tournaments do not face each other.

Interestingly, although Chelsea are also competing in Europe this season, they are excluded from the new format. The Blues will take part in the UEFA Conference League, a competition that does not begin until October. This means Chelsea’s Carabao Cup matches will not have to be postponed and the club will not be placed in the protected group in the third round draw.

Chelsea will therefore be in Bowl 2 along with the 25 winners of this week’s second-round matches. In contrast, the six Premier League teams participating in the Champions League and Europa League this season – Arsenal, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa – will be in Bowl 1.

How the Carabao Cup draw works

The draw for the third round of the Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday evening following Nottingham Forest’s match against Newcastle United. A preliminary draw will be held before the main draw to determine the home and away positions of the six clubs in Bowl 1. This process ensures that fixtures are consistent with the clubs’ European commitments.

Once the preliminary draw is complete, the main draw follows. The first six games are drawn alternately between a club from Bowl 1 and a team from Bowl 2. After these first six games, the remaining ten games are drawn from Bowl 2 only. This year, the draw is no longer divided into northern and southern sections, adding further unpredictability to the competition.

The changes to the Carabao Cup draw highlight the growing influence of European football on domestic competitions. For clubs such as Arsenal and Tottenham, managing the demands of both domestic and European matches is vital. Chelsea, on the other hand, although still in Europe, will be taking a slightly different route due to their participation in the Conference League. As the competition progresses, it will be interesting to see how these scheduling changes affect the teams’ performance in both the Carabao Cup and their respective European campaigns.