Key events
74 min: Barnsley 0-4 Brighton SInce you asked so kindly, no, Diego Gomez’s four goals aren’t a League Cup record. That record, as any child of the eighties knows, is held by Frankie Bunn.
Latest scores
GOAL! Wrexham 2-0 Reading (Smith 70) It looks like Wrexham are heading for the last 16; Sam Smith has put them 2-0 up against Reading.
It’s worth remembering that Wrexham should really have gone out in the first round, when they were 3-1 down at home to Hull going into injury time. Ollie Palmer scored twice and they won on penalties.
Brighton’s Gomez scores four at Oakwell
GOALS! Wigan 0-2 Wycombe (McNeilly 62); Barnsley 0-4 Brighton (Gomez 68)
That’s not a typo: Diego Gomez has scored his F-O-U-R-T-H goal of the night at Oakwell. On this occasion he ran onto a deft first-time pass from Danny Welbeck and slid the ball under the keeper.
GOAL! Fulham 1-0 Cambridge (Smith Rowe 66) Emile Smith Rowe has broken the deadlock at Craven Cottage.
At Sincil Bank, meanwhile, Lewis Montsma walloped that free-kick into orbit.
66 min: Lincoln 1-2 Chelsea Lincoln are not going quietly. Draper is fouled 25 yards from goal by Santos, which gives htem another chest to test the vulnerable Jorgensen…
Goals plural! Burnley 1-2 Cardiff (Flemming 61); Wrexham 1-0 Reading (Broadhead 57)
Meanwhile, at Sincil Bank, Draper misses a good chance to equalise after a horrible fumble from Jorgensen. He’s had a tough night.
54 min: Lincoln 1-2 Chelsea Lincoln threaten again when Draper’s close-range header is desperately cleared by a combination of Chalobah and Hato.
The latest scores
GOAL! Lincoln 1-2 Chelsea (Buonanotte 50)
The fairytale has gone up in smoke. Facundo Buonanotte receives a clever pass from George just inside the area and walks straight through a couple of woolly challenges to score. It’s his first goal for Chelsea.
GOAL! Lincoln 1-1 Chelsea (George 48)
Who needs substitutes? The teenager Tyrique George has equalised for Chelsea with a brilliant goal. A loose ball bounced towards him, maybe 25 yards out, and he arrowed a half-volley into the net via the far post. Inspector Gianluigi Gadget-Donnarumma wouldn’t have saved that.
46 min: Lincoln 1-0 Chelsea No substitutions for Chelsea. Yet.
And new champion of the world…
“In the style of Scotland claiming to be world champions after beating England in 1967, I checked to see who the current world club champions are,” writes Niall Mullen. “Turns out it’s Sholing FC who beat Chelsea on the 26 July and have yet to lose since. They are 1-0 up at half time against the might Uxbridge so no sign that they are going to relinquish their crown just yet.”
That’s my winter sorted. You can keep your Premier League, your Ashes and even your Fools and Horses Christmas Special.
Half time: Liverpool 1-0 Southampton
See below.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Southampton (Isak 43)
Alexander Isak gets his first Liverpool goal! Less than 60 seconds after Adam Armstrong hit the bar at the other end, Isak put Liverpool ahead. The keeper Alex McCarthy played a poor pass that was intercepted by Chiesa on the right side of the area. He screwed the ball back to Isak, who clipped a simple finish over McCarthy.
Terrific play from Chiesa, first to read McCarthy’s pass and then to pick out Isak, but Southampton should be in front, not behind. Armstrong’s chance wasn’t the only one; Caspar Jander headed the rebound just wide with Mamardashvili out of the game.
Half-time scores
It’s half time in the seven 7.45pm games. The big news is that Lincoln lead Chelsea 1-0, a scoreline that flatters them not one jot. Enzo Maresca will probably have to turn to a bench that includes Estevao, Pedro Neto, Reece James, Marc Cucurella and Moises Caicedo.
45 min: Barnsley 0-3 Brighton “Here’s footage of that Gomez hat-trick goal,” says Niall Mullen.
30 min: Liverpool 0-0 Southampton I’ve been following Lincoln rather than this game but it sounds like Southampton are doing very well and keeping Liverpool at arm’s length.
GOAL! Burnley 0-2 Cardiff (Robinson 36) Callum Robinson has doubled Cardiff’s lead at Turf Moor, where another Premier League team could be about to bite the Carabao dust.
Rob Street has given Lincoln the lead – and it doesn’t flatter them. Fernandez played a risky pass across the face of the penalty area towards Chalobah, who dithered and was beaten to the ball by Ivan Varfolomeev. He headed it through to Street, who slid the ball calmly past Jorgensen. Lincoln are beating the world champions.
Lincoln are beating the world champions!!!
GOAL! Lincoln 1-0 Chelsea (Street 42)
Blimey.
40 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Jamie Gittens cuts inside from the left and smacks a shot into the side netting. Not a bad effort but the angle was very tight.
39 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea “Do you have any idea why the Lincoln supporters are booing Garnacho?” asks Kári Tulinius. “The commentators have acknowledged it, but not explained why.”
You mean you don’t remember the incident? (Erm, there’s no obvious reason. I guess he’s the most high-profile/flamboyant player in the Chelsea team; there’s probably also a perception that he’s partial to a dive.
GOAL! Barnsley 0-3 Brighton (Gomez 33)
Diego Gomez has scored a 25-minute hat-trick to secure Brighton’s place in the last 16. And he completed it in style, lashing a bouncing ball past Murphy Cooper from 30 yards. Why wouldn’t you?
GOALS! Burnley 0-1 Cardiff (Colwill 30); Wigan 0-1 Wycombe (Boyd-Munce 32) Meanwhile, at Oakwell…
Lincoln shot cleared off the line
32 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Another corner and more problems for Chelsea. Jorgensen made a mess of a fairly routine punch, and Draper’s goalbound shot was inadvertently blocked by his teammate Bradley!
GOAL! Wolves 1-0 Everton (Munetsi 29)
Marshall Munetsi has put Wolves ahead in the night’s only all Premier League tie.
29 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea A right-wing corner is headed just wide by Sonny Bradley, a pretty good effort from 10 yards. Lincoln are trroubling Chelsea at set pieces.
Carabao Cup latest scores
25 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Still no sign of Chelsea imposing their superior ability on the game. Alejandro Garnacho is being booed every time he gets the ball and has visited the canvas a few times.
GOAL! Barnsley 0-2 Brighton (Gomez 21)
Two for Brighton, two for Diego Gomez. His second goal was a screamer, sweet-spotted into the roof of the net from 20 yards. Another assist for Tom Watson too, although in truth this was all Gomez’s work.
19 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Gittens misses Chelsea’s first chance, half-volleying Fernandez’s pass over the bar from a tight angle. It was a tough ball to take – not quite a half-volley, in fact, as it bounced a yard or so in front of him.
1 min: Liverpool 0-0 Southampton They’re underway at Anfield now.
“Looking at that Southampton team,” says Matt Dony, “it’s hard to see who Liverpool might end up buying next. (This joke comes to you from 2017. I’m off to listen to Galway Girl.)”
14 min: Barnsley 0-1 Brighton Diego Gomez’s goal was pretty straightforward, slid into the net from Tom Watson’s low cross.
12 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Lincoln continue to dominate a slightly unnerved Chelsea side. Freddie Draper appeals for a penalty after colliding with Malo Gusto; nothing doing and there’s no VAR in this game.
GOAL! Barnsley 0-1 Brighton (Gomez 9)
The first goal of the night has been scored by Brighton’s Diego Gomez, and there’s nothing else to say because I haven’t seen the goal yet.
Liverpool v Southampton (8pm)
Before the match at Anfield, Liverpool will pay tribute to Matt Beard, the former coach of their women’s team who has died at the tragically young age of 47.
6 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Lincoln have started superbly and are working the Chelsea defence with a series of long throws. It was the first of those throws that ultimately led to Montsma’s chance.
4 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Fofana is on his feet and being tested for concussion. It looks like he’s going to continue.
2 min: Lincoln 0-0 Chelsea Lincoln comes so close to a dream start, with Lewis Montsma rattling a shot off inside the post after barely 70 seconds. Moments later Jorgensen punches the ball clear and flattens his teammate Fofana in his follow through; he’s face down on the turf.
Kick off
Peep peep! The seven 7.45pm games are under way.
“Everton have won some trophies in their history but the League Cup isn’t one of them,” writes Matt Burtz. “After a win at Molineux pre-international break I’m optimistic they can do it again. At the very least we’ll see what Thierno Barry can do in the starting lineup. (Do I immediately think of Gareth Barry when I see the name ‘Barry’? Yes, yes I do. Gareth scored five goals for Everton and I can’t recall any of them, BTW.)”
They haven’t won the League Cup but it was the catalyst for the greatest period in Everton’s history, as our friend Gary Naylor explained on a recent episode of Nessun Dorma.
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Wigan v Wycombe team news
Wigan Tickle, Weir, Aimson, Fox, Cooper, Borges Rodrigues, Wright, Adeeko, Hungbo, Costelloe, Asamoah.
Subs: Savin, Luke Robinson, Rogers, Smith, Trevitt, Brenan, McManaman, Murray, Mullin.
Wycombe Norris, Huggins, Back, Hagelskjaer, Casey, Abbott, Boyd-Munce, Westergaard, Tilley, Fink, McNeilly.
Subs: Moore, Allen, Gregory, Skura, Leahy, Bartolo, Savage, Onyedinma, Lowry.
Referee Ed Duckworth.
Fulham v Cambridge team news
Fulham Lecomte, Castagne, Diop, Cuenca, Robinson, Reed, Cairney, Traore, Smith Rowe, Kevin, Jimenez.
Subs: Leno, Tete, Bassey, Berge, King, Wilson, Chukwueze, Rodrigo Muniz, Kusi-Asare.
Cambridge Eastwood, Bennett, Jobe, Ibsen Rossi, Bradshaw, Mayor, McLoughlin, Mpanzu, Smith, Brophy, Lavery.
Subs: Hughes, Purrington, Ball, Watts, Kachunga, KaiKai, Knight, Kouassi, Gibbons.
Referee Ruebyn Ricardo.
Liverpool v Southampton team news
Arne Slot changes the entire XI that started the Merseyside derby. Alexander Isak starts; Giorgi Mamardashvili, the best goalkeeper at Euro 2024, and Giovanni Leoni make their Liverpool debuts.
Liverpool Mamardashvili, Frimpong, Gomez, Leoni, Robertson, Jones, Endo, Chiesa, Nyoni, Ngumoha, Isak.
Subs: Woodman, Kerkez, Bradley, Ekitike, Williams, Danns, Pilling, Gordon, Morrison.
Southampton McCarthy, Jelert, Edwards, Wood-Gordon, Quarshie, Manning, Downes, Jander, Scienza, Archer, Armstrong.
Subs: Long, Harwood-Bellis, Charles, Matsuki, Fraser, Fellows, Robinson, Stewart, Downs.
Referee Thomas Bramall (Sheffield)
Burnley v Cardiff team news
Burnley Weiss, Tuanzebe, Worrall, Humphreys, Sonne, Ugochukwu, Mejbri, Lucas Pires, Edwards, Broja, Flemming.
Subs: Hladky, Ndayishimiye, Banel, Barnes, Pimlott, Clark, Pouani, Campbell, Brierley.
Cardiff Trott, Ng, Chambers, Fish, Bagan, Wintle, Joel Colwill, Ashford, Rubin Colwill, Davies, Robinson.
Subs: Turner, Osho, Giles, Mafico, Turnbull, Kellyman, Nyakuhwa, Willock, Salech.
Referee David Webb.
Wrexham v Reading team news
Wrexham Burton, Brunt, Scarr, Doyle, Barnett, Lee, Matty James, Thomason, McClean, Broadhead, Smith.
Subs: Okonkwo, Coady, Cleworth, Kabore, Longman, Dobson, O’Brien, Hardie, Moore.
Reading Stevens, Abrefa, Stickland, Jacob, Garcia, Doyle, Elliott, Savage, Kyerewaa, O’Mahony, Ehibhatiomhan.
Subs: Pereira, Fraser, Wing, Rushesha, Lane, Ryan, Duah, Ahmed, Patton.
Referee Simon Mather
Lincoln v Chelsea team news
Enzo Maresca makes eight changes to the side that started at Old Trafford on Saturday. Alejandro Garnacho makes his full debut for Chelsea.
Lincoln Jeacock, Darikwa, Montsma, Bradley, Hamer, McGrandles, Towler, Varfolomeyev, Street, House, Draper.
Subs: Obikwu, Okoronkwo, Ring, Thorn, Collins, Bayliss, Hackett, Reach, Wickens.
Chelsea Jorgensen, Gusto, Fofana, Chalobah, Hato, Fernandez, Santos, Bynoe-Gittens, Buonanotte, Garnacho, George.
Subs: Slonina, Cucurella, James, Caicedo, Pedro Neto, Estevao, Walsh, Harrison, Mheuka.
Referee Matthew Donohue.
Wolves v Everton team news
Wolves Johnstone, Bellegarde, Santiago Bueno, Krejci, Doherty, Hwang, Andre Trindade, Hugo Bueno, Larsen, Munetsi, Arias.
Subs: Bentley, Wolfe, Joao Gomes, Agbadou, Arokodare, Rodrigo Gomes, Toti Gomes, Hoever, Lopez.
Everton Travers, O’Brien, Tarkowski, Keane, Alcaraz, Coleman, Garner, Dibling, McNeil, Iroegbunam, Barry.
Subs: King, Patterson, Beto, Grealish, Aznou, Gueye, Dewsbury-Hall, Ndiaye, Mykolenko.
Referee Craig Pawson.
Barnsley v Brighton team news
Barnsley Cooper, Durand de Gevigney, Shepherd, Ogbeta, Farrugia, Rooney, Connell, Cleary, Russell, Yoganathan, Keillor-Dunn.
Subs: Flavell, Phillips, Watson, Barratt, Bland, Graham, Earl, Woodcock, Farrell.
Brighton Steele, Veltman, Coppola, Boscagli, Kadioglu, Baleba, Milner, Watson, Welbeck, Gomez, Tzimas.
Subs: McGill, Dunk, van Hecke, Rutter, Kostoulas, Mitoma, Ayari, Tasker, Howell.
Referee Tom Reeves
Ben Fisher on Lincoln v Chelsea
It is the makings of a pub‑quiz question: what do third‑tier Lincoln City have in common with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt? The answer is rooted in their forward-thinking approach, with the League One side one of a few clubs in the world to have a dedicated innovation arm tasked with maximising potential. There are always ideas bubbling away at the surface, one centring on using plant‑based energy gels, another on adjusting dressing-room lighting to heighten performance.
Preamble
The Carabao Cup starts here! What do you mean seven Premier League teams, including Aston Villa and Manchester United, are already out of the competition? Fair point. But it’s not the point, so pipe down.
The point is that Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and the holders Newcastle – who between them have won 10 of the last 12 League Cups – are among the clubs joining the competition this week.
Chelsea and Liverpool are first up with matches against Lincoln and Southampton respectively. We’re all friends here, so can acknowledge that tonight’s fixture list is not the most mouthwatering in Guardian clockwatch history. But cup nights usually throw up some quality watercooler fodder, so stay us with unguaranteed excitement.
These are tonight’s fixtures; all are 7.45pm kick-offs unless otherwise jolly well stated.
