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Only eight teams remain in the fight for the Carabao Cup, and a slate of intriguing quarterfinal fixtures is on the horizon.
The early stages of the competition already provided plenty of drama, with Manchester United’s stunning collapse against Brighton & Hove Albion headlining an action-packed third round. But that was just an appetizer for what was to come in the fourth round.
Reigning Premier League champions Arsenal were upended in a penalty shootout by League Two side Fleetwood Town, who pulled off the biggest modern upset in Carabao Cup history. Defending cup holders Manchester City then needed a late comeback and penalties to get past Brighton.
Spot kicks continued writing the story over at Anfield, where Liverpool and Chelsea traded blows through eight rounds until Wesley Fofana’s horrendously skied effort handed the Reds a place in the last eight.
The stakes will only get higher in the quarterfinals, where both favorable and daunting paths loom large for the remaining clubs fighting for a place at Wembley Stadium in March.
2026–27 Carabao Cup Quarterfinal Draw
Enzo Maresca and Manchester City will love their odds of a semifinal berth. | Dave Howarth/CameraSport/Getty Images
- Fleetwood Town vs. Everton/Newcastle United
- Manchester City vs. Bradford CIty
- Crystal Palace vs. Sunderland
- Liverpool vs. Bournemouth
When Are the Carabao Cup Quaterfinals?
Only eight teams remain in the fight for the Carabao Cup. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images
The Carabao Cup quarterfinals are set to unfold during the week of Dec. 14. It’s an unforgiving schedule for the qualified clubs; they now must balance an additional midweek fixture just before the hectic holiday calendar.
Liverpool, City, Bournemouth, Sunderland and Crystal Palace, who are all competing in Europe, will have to play a minimum of eight matches across all competitions in December—and that’s not counting the New Year’s madness waiting once the calendar flips to 2027.
Squad depth and smart rotations will be key for those clubs to survive such a jam-packed run of fixtures. It would be the worst possible time for injuries to mount, considering the Carabao Cup is likely the biggest chance some of the remaining clubs have of lifting silverware this season.
The quarterfinals will once again be knockout clashes before the semifinals unfold across two legs.
Every Team Eliminated in Carabao Cup Fourth Round
Bruno Guimarães missed a penalty that eliminated Arsenal in the fourth round. | Carl Recine/Getty Images
Tuesday, Oct. 27
- Peterborough United (Lost 2–0 to Bradford City)
- Arsenal (Lost 5–3 on penalties to Fleetwood Town)
Wednesday, Oct. 28
- Brighton & Hove Albion (Lost 4–3 on penalties to City)
- Aston Villa (Lost 3–0 to Bournemouth)
- Fulham (Lost 1–0 to Crystal Palace)
- Brentford (Lost 3–2 to Sunderland)
- Chelsea (Lost 6–5 on penalties to Liverpool)
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