Carabao Cup second-round draw features Chelsea against Luton, Tottenham to host Charlton
Carabao Cup Second Round Fixtures
The draw for the Carabao Cup second round has been announced, setting up several notable fixtures. Among them, Chelsea, five-time winners of the competition, will host League One Luton at Stamford Bridge. Meanwhile, Tottenham is scheduled to play Championship side Charlton at home.
In other matches, Newcastle will face West Brom, and Fulham is set to play AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage. Brentford will travel for an away match against Birmingham City. Ipswich is drawn against League One Leicester, and West Ham will visit fellow Championship team Southampton.
The draw was divided into northern and southern sections. The only all-Premier League tie in this round will see four-time winners Nottingham Forest take on Leeds. All second-round matches are scheduled to occur in the midweek of the week commencing Monday, 24 August. The nine English clubs participating in European competitions this season will join the Carabao Cup in the third round.
Fixture Complications for London Clubs
A scheduling conflict has emerged involving Fulham and Chelsea due to a Premier League broadcast selection. Sky Sports chose to broadcast the Fulham versus Chelsea league match on Monday, 24 August. As neither team is involved in European competitions, they both enter the Carabao Cup in the second round, creating the potential for two games in the same midweek period.
Typically, EFL Cup ties would be moved to the Thursday to allow for 72 hours of rest, which would then impact the subsequent Premier League weekend schedule. Fulham‘s match at Sunderland was moved to the Sunday, and Chelsea versus Brighton was also selected for Sunday broadcast.
However, both Fulham and Chelsea were drawn to play their Carabao Cup ties at home, and regulations typically prevent two teams from playing at home on the same day. This situation may require a concession from the police or a creative solution from the EFL. This also has a ripple effect for eight EFL clubs.
The opponents of Fulham and Chelsea, Wimbledon and Luton respectively, have League One fixtures scheduled for the Saturday following the cup ties. If either or both Carabao Cup matches are moved to Thursday, their Saturday League One games would typically shift to Sunday.
An additional complication arises with a full schedule of League One games set for the following Tuesday. This could potentially affect four more matches, which might need to be rescheduled to Wednesday. This scenario could lead to teams playing two games within 48 hours or supporters experiencing displaced games after making travel arrangements.
Brentford’s Second Round Opponent
Brentford has been drawn to play Championship side Birmingham City away from home in the second round of the Carabao Cup. The match will take place at St Andrew’s during the week commencing Monday, 24 August. A specific date for the tie is expected to be announced soon.
This cup fixture is positioned between Brentford‘s 2026/27 Premier League opener against Tottenham Hotspur at Gtech Community Stadium and an away match against Leeds United at Eland Road. Birmingham City advanced to this round after defeating fellow second-tier team Swansea City by a score of 1-0.
Brentford, along with ten other top-flight teams not competing in European competitions this season, enters the tournament at this stage. The club reached the quarter-final stage of the Carabao Cup in the previous two campaigns.
The full northern section draw includes matches such as Stoke versus Hull, Blackburn against Sheffield United, and Preston hosting Everton. The southern section draw features games like Stevenage versus Reading, Cardiff against Norwich, and Watford playing Peterborough, all scheduled for the week commencing Monday, 24 August.
Source: bbc.co.uk
Nathan Crowley is the Sports News Writer at NewsUK, covering rugby union, golf and boxing with six years of reporting experience. He moved from regional newspapers into digital sport. He holds a degree in Journalism from Cardiff University and completed an NCTJ diploma. Based in Cardiff, he plays amateur rugby and follows the Six Nations closely. “Speed and accuracy are not a trade-off in sport news.”
