The new season is upon us and everybody's favourite trophy is up for grabs again: the Carabao Cup.
It's the one that no one cares about, until your team reaches the final that is. Regardless of its status, it is still a piece of silverware, and one that only the truly elite sides can afford to shirk.
Round one provided some shocks - Grimsby Town beat Southampton, Wrexham knocked out Wigan Athletic and Stevenage made it past Watford - but round two is where the big boys start to enter, and this year both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been drawn into the competition earlier than usual.
Why are Chelsea and Tottenham in the Carabao Cup second round?
Chelsea and Tottenham will have to negotiate second round Carabao Cup matches while the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City enter the round at the next stage.
This is because both Chelsea and Tottenham failed to qualify for European football last season with 12th and eighth place Premier League finishes respectively.
As a result, both Chelsea and Spurs will have to play an extra match in the competition, albeit they will be able to rest when other sides are competing in Europe.
Teams entering Carabao Cup at third round instead |
|---|
Manchester City |
Arsenal |
Manchester United |
Newcastle United |
Liverpool |
Brighton & Hove Albion |
Aston Villa |
West Ham United |
Chelsea and Tottenham's Carabao Cup history
Chelsea have won the English Football League Cup four times in their history, most recently against Tottenham in 2014/15. The Blues beat their rivals 2-0 to secure the trophy, with goals from John Terry and Diego Costa separating the sides.
Meanwhile, Spurs have won the trophy three times since its inception in 1960, most recently in the 2007/08 season where they, you guessed it, beat Chelsea. An extra time goal from Jonathan Woodgate proved the difference for the Lilywhites, with that trophy lift being the club's most recent.
Last five Carabao Cup campaigns for Chelsea and Tottenham
Year | Chelsea | Tottenham |
|---|---|---|
2022/23 | R3 | R3 |
2021/22 | Runners-up | Semi-final |
2020/21 | R4 | Runners-up |
2019/20 | R4 | R3 |
2018/19 | Runners-up | Semi-final |
Who will Chelsea and Tottenham play in the second round?
Chelsea face the easier draw with a home clash against League Two AFC Wimbledon, while Tottenham face a tricky trip to Premier League Fulham.
Both sides will feel confident of making it into the third round, and both Mauricio Pochettino and Ange Postecoglou will be eyeing a potential first trophy with their new sides.
Second round draw in full
Second round tie |
|---|
Tranmere Rovers vs Leicester City |
Salford City vs Leeds United |
Harrogate Town vs Blackburn Rovers |
Stoke City vs Rotherham |
Wrexham vs Bradford |
Doncaster Rovers vs Everton |
Bolton Wanderers vs Middlesbrough |
Port Vale vs Crewe Alexandra |
Nottingham Forest vs Burnley |
Sheffield Wednesday vs Mansfield Town |
Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Blackpool |
Sheffield United vs Lincoln City |
Bristol City vs QPR or Norwich |
Plymouth Argyle vs Crystal Palace |
Reading vs Ipswich Town |
Portsmouth vs Peterborough United |
Luton Town vs Gillingham |
Swansea City vs Bournemouth |
Fulham vs Tottenham |
Exeter City vs Stevenage |
Wycombe Wanderers vs Sutton United |
Birmingham City vs Cardiff City |
Newport County vs Brentford |
Chelsea vs AFC Wimbledon |
