Liverpool will host Tottenham in the third round of the Carabao Cup. The fixtures bring European contenders into the competition during the weeks of September 7 and September 14, 2026, while Everton advanced with a victory over Preston.
Liverpool and Tottenham Clash in Pick of the Third-Round Draw
The Carabao Cup third-round draw delivered a marquee matchup as Liverpool take on Tottenham at Anfield. The fixture carries extra narrative weight following the summer transfer window, with Scotland captain Andy Robertson set for Liverpool return after joining Spurs on a free transfer following nine years on Merseyside.
The 32-year-old is now set for an emotional return to Liverpool in September when Andoni Iraola’s side host Roberto De Zerbi’s new-look side in the pick of the third-round draw.
Tottenham enter the fixture under Roberto De Zerbi following a busy recruitment period that included completing an £85m signing of Savio from Manchester City on Tuesday to bring a lengthy pursuit to a satisfactory conclusion. The 22-year-old quickly made himself a hit with fans in a 5-1 thrashing of Charlton in the Carabao Cup.
Savio was introduced in the 71st minute and got off the mark for his new club with 82 minutes on the clock with a fizzing low effort into the bottom corner before a side-footed shot three minutes later was deflected in by Ben Davies to round off Tottenham’s scoring.
“Yes, it is a perfect day for him,” De Zerbi said of Savio. “I think his biggest step and biggest improvement is to increase the number of goals because as qualities, I think he is one of the best wingers, but the best wingers score many goals.”
Roberto De Zerbi
De Zerbi added that the goal on 10 or 12 goals was set for the winger because the squad needed sufficient scoring depth from wide positions after suffering too much last season when the number of goals was not enough to compete for nothing more than that 17th position.
Premier League Giants Enter as Tournament Rules Separate European Clubs
Nine Premier League clubs involved in European competition—Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Brighton, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Sunderland—enter the tournament at the third-round stage, according to Sky Sports. To avoid clashes with the opening rounds of the Champions League and Europa League, matches will be played across the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September. Because these nine clubs qualified for European league phases, the draw will be carried out differently to keep them apart in the pre-draw phase.
According to the club’s published statement, an initial draw determines whether each Champions League and Europa League club plays at home or away before the main draw pairs them against remaining opponents from a separate bowl. Each side will be drawn against a club from a separate bowl containing the remaining teams. Therefore, Arsenal will not have the chance to gain revenge on Man City for defeat in last season’s final until the fourth round at the earliest – provided both teams progress. Arsenal are aiming to reach back-to-back Carabao Cup finals, though they could face Chelsea or Tottenham in the Carabao Cup third round as neither of their London rivals have qualified for Europe this season.
Everton Cruises Past Preston as David Moyes Assesses Squad Demands
Elsewhere in the second round, Thierno Barry leads confident Everton to reflect David Moyes’ Carabao Cup mission. A hat-trick for Thierno Barry and a first in blue for Brennan Johnston gave David Moyes plenty to smile about as his side cruised into the third round with a victory over Preston at Deepdale, securing a third-round tie against Wolves.
Richard Jolly covered the action at Deepdale, while Moyes explained the areas he thinks his team can improve in the short term after the match.
“I think we’ve got a lot of work to do and I still feel that for us to be a side which is competitive I still feel that we’ve got a lot of work to do. Hopefully we’re able to try and do some of it.”
David Moyes, Everton manager
Full Third-Round Fixture Lineup
The complete third-round pairings span fixtures across the weeks commencing September 7 and September 14, 2026, avoiding scheduling clashes with opening European group matches.
Crystal Palace vs Middlesbrough
Manchester United vs Brighton
Manchester City vs Norwich
Fleetwood vs Sheffield United
West Ham vs Fulham or AFC Wimbledon
Sunderland vs Hull
Ipswich vs Arsenal
Coventry vs Aston Villa
Bournemouth vs Lincoln
Liverpool vs Tottenham
Chelsea or Luton vs Leeds
Millwall vs Newcastle
Everton vs Wolves
Leyton Orient vs Bradford
Reading vs Brentford
Peterborough vs Barnsley
The final two second-round places will be decided on Thursday when Chelsea host Luton (19:30 BST) and Fulham take on AFC Wimbledon (20:00 BST). The winner of Chelsea’s game with Luton will host Leeds in round three, while Fulham or Wimbledon will face West Ham. Leeds could potentially face Chelsea, should the London club beat Luton on Thursday. Fleetwood, the only fourth-tier side left in the competition, host Sheffield United. Manchester City are the current holders after beating Arsenal 2-0 in last season’s Carabao Cup final. The competition will continue throughout the season, with round two taking place in the week commencing August 24, round three in w/c September 7 and w/c September 14, round four in w/c October 26, round five in w/c December 14, the semi-final first leg in w/c January 11, the semi-final second leg in w/c February 1, and the final on Sunday March 21.
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