2025/26 Carabao Cup: 12 Clubs Seal Fourth-Round Spots [Ball Numbers Confirmed]

The Carabao Cup served up plenty of drama on Tuesday night, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Brighton among the sides booking their places in the fourth round.

At Anfield, Liverpool edged past Southampton in a hard-fought 2-1 win. New signing Alexander Isak marked his debut with a first-half strike before the Saints levelled to silence the home crowd. But substitute Hugo Ekitike rose to the occasion, coming off the bench to fire in the decisive goal and keep Arne Slot’s side in the hunt for silverware.

Chelsea, meanwhile, were given a huge scare by League One outfit Lincoln City. The visitors looked capable of forcing an upset before the Blues fought back to secure a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge. Brighton enjoyed the most comfortable night of all, sweeping aside Barnsley 6-0 in a ruthless attacking display.

Elsewhere, Cardiff stunned Premier League side Burnley with a 2-1 win, while Fulham narrowly overcame Cambridge United 1-0. Wrexham continued their fairytale rise, beating Reading 2-0, Wycombe Wanderers saw off Wigan by the same scoreline, and Wolves proved too strong for Everton in a 2-0 victory at Molineux.

Those results mean 12 clubs have now sealed their spots in the fourth round: Liverpool, Chelsea, Brighton, Cardiff, Fulham, Wrexham, Wycombe, Wolves, Brentford, Grimsby Town, Crystal Palace and Swansea City.

Attention now turns to Wednesday, when Arsenal meet Port Vale in the final third-round tie. The draw for the next stage will take place immediately after that match, with kick-off set for 10:15pm BST, although extra time or penalties at Vale Park could cause a delay.

The confirmed ball numbers include:

1. Grimsby Town
2. Brentford
3. Crystal Palace
4. Swansea City
5. Barnsley or Brighton
6. Burnley or Cardiff
7. Fulham or Cambridge United
8. Lincoln City or Chelsea
9. Wigan or Wycombe Wanderers
10. Wolves or Everton
11. Wrexham or Reading
12. Liverpool or Southampton
13. Huddersfield or Man City
14. Tottenham or Doncaster
15. Newcastle or Bradford City
16. Port Vale or Arsenal