In the Carabao Cup, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur will be kept apart during the third-round draw this week, an arrangement made necessary due to the expanded schedules of the Champions League and Europa League this season. This adjustment is particularly relevant because the increased number of European fixtures has impacted the scheduling of domestic cup competitions.
The Carabao Cup third-round fixtures are set to occur during the weeks commencing September 16 and September 23, which coincide with European matches. Consequently, to avoid any scheduling conflicts, special conditions will be enforced during the draw. Specifically, the Carabao Cup draw will ensure that teams involved in the Champions League and Europa League will not be drawn to face each other. This is a significant alteration from past practices and reflects the growing complexity of coordinating domestic and European schedules.
The changes in the European competition formats have necessitated these adjustments. Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Manchester City are all scheduled to participate in the Champions League during the week beginning September 16. Meanwhile, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur will commence their Europa League campaigns the following week. In light of these overlaps, the Carabao Cup draw must carefully account for these fixtures to prevent any scheduling clashes.
In practical terms, this means that Arsenal and Tottenham, along with Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City, and Manchester United, will not be drawn to face each other in the Carabao Cup third round. This new format aims to provide clarity and reduce potential conflicts by ensuring that teams with overlapping European fixtures are kept apart in the cup draw.
Chelsea, despite their involvement in European competitions, will not be affected by these changes. Chelsea’s participation in the UEFA Europa Conference League will not commence until October, following their match against Servette on Thursday. As such, Chelsea will be included in a separate bowl for the third-round draw, which will contain the 25 winners from the second round of the Carabao Cup. The six Premier League teams competing in the Champions League and Europa League this season will be placed in a different bowl to accommodate the scheduling changes.
The Carabao Cup third-round draw will be conducted with two separate bowls. Bowl 1 will contain the six Premier League clubs involved in European competitions, while Bowl 2 will consist of the 25 winners from the second round. To ensure a balanced draw, a preliminary process will take place before the main draw. This preliminary draw will determine the home and away positions for the six teams in Bowl 1 for the first six ties.
Following the completion of this pre-draw, the main draw will take place. This will occur after the Nottingham Forest versus Newcastle match at the City Ground on Wednesday and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. In the main draw, the first six ties will be drawn by alternating between teams from Bowl 1 and Bowl 2. After these six ties are determined, the remaining ten ties will be drawn solely from Bowl 2.
This format adjustment for the Carabao Cup third round is a response to the increasingly congested football calendar and aims to streamline the scheduling process to accommodate both domestic and international fixtures. The move underscores the need for flexibility in scheduling and reflects the broader impact of expanded European competitions on domestic cup tournaments.
