Carabao Cup third round statspack

The Carabao Cup third round is spread over two midweeks this seasons, with nine ties taking place this week, including seven featuring Premier League clubs, so here's 3+ facts and stats about all of these matches.

Manchester United vs Barnsley: Tuesday 20:00

Barnsley are winless in eight visits to Old Trafford, a streak that features a 7-0 thrashing in 1997, their most-recent victory at the Theatre of Dreams coming on Christmas Day 1923.

The Red Devils have lost three of their last 11 League Cup ties against lower league opposition, two of which have been via penalty shootouts, while they haven't been dumped out the competition by a team from the third-tier since an embarrassing 4-0 defeat in Milton Keynes a decade ago.

Since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013, Man United have crashed out in round three, or earlier, on three seperate occasions in 11 campaigns, having only done so seven times during his 27 years in charge.

Victory for the Tykes would see them reach the fourth round for the first time since 2009/10, beaten by Man United at Oakwell back then, which is the last time the duo went head-to-head in any competition.

Coventry City vs Tottenham Hotspur: Wednesday 20:00

This is a repeat of the 1987 FA Cup Final, which saw Coventry prevail 3-2 after extra time at Wembley, capturing the club's only major silverware in their 141-year history.

In more recent times, Spurs have won each of their last four encounters, scoring 11 goals and conceding none across these meetings, albeit the most-recent was back in January 2013.

Prior to this season, the Sky Blues had lost four successive Carabao Cup ties, but are now on the cusp of reaching the fourth round for the first time in 17 years.

Meantime, Tottenham have fallen at the first hurdle on the EFL Cup in both of the last two seasons, so are in danger of crashing out in round three, or earlier, in three consecutive campaigns for the first time since 1980.

Brighton & Hove Albion vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: Wednesday 19:45

This will be the 44th time these two clubs have met, but only their second-ever League Cup encounter, with Wolves 3-2 winners at the Goldstone Ground in the same round 55 years ago.

Wolves did knock Brighton out of the FA Cup earlier this year, but have won only one of their last seven visits to Sussex, a streak that features a 6-0 hammering in 2023, which remains the club's heaviest away top-flight defeat since 1963.

Amazingly, the Seagulls have only ever gone beyond round four in this competition once in their entire history, beaten quarter-finalists back in 1979.

Wolverhampton Wanderers meantime have exited the competition in round three, or earlier, in 22 of the last 28 campaigns.

Everton vs Southampton: Tuesday 19:45

These two clubs will meet for the 110th time, but this is only the third occasion they've been drawn together in the League Cup, with Southampton victorious both times previously, 2-1 winners at the The Dell in 1971, before a penalty shootout triumph at this stage of the competition six years ago.

The Saints did prevail when they most-recently visited the blue side of Merseyside in January 2023, their first victory at Goodison (excluding shootouts) since 1997, failing in 18 attempts in-between, so are now targeting back-to-back away victories over Everton for the first time in five decades.

The Toffees have crashed out of the League Cup at this stage on ten seperate occasions since 2005 while, after swatting aside Doncaster last month, they're aiming to win multiple home EFL Cup ties within the same season for only the second time in 13 years, also achieving this behind-closed-doors in 2020.

Southampton meantime are unbeaten in ten round three ties, dating back to 2008.

Queens Park Rangers vs Crystal Palace: Tuesday 19:45

This will be the 100th clash between these two London rivals, first meeting in 1920, although it'll be their first encounter since 2015, the longest the duo have gone without facing each-other since a 13-year barren period between '68 and '81.

Only once before have the pair been drawn together in the League Cup, with QPR running out 6-2 winners all the way back in 1961.

Crystal Palace are winless in four visits to Loftus Road, albeit three of these have been draws.

Victory for Queens Park Rangers would see them through to round four, achieving this for only the second time since 2008, while the Eagles are seeking to get beyond this stage for the first time in six seasons.

Brentford vs Leyton Orient: Tuesday 19:45

Located a mere 14.4 miles apart on opposite sides of London, these two capital city clubs have previously met 55 times, most-recently doing so over a decade ago, with Brentford finishing second in League One back then, one place above Orient who missed out on promotion due to defat in that year's play-off final.

In the EFL Cup meantime, this'll be just their second-ever encounter, with Leyton Orient 2-1 winners at Griffin Park all the way back in 1973.

The Os are aiming to reach the fourth round of this competition for the first time since 1962/63 but, to achieve this, they'll need to beat top-flight opposition in the League Cup for the first time since a famous victory at Villa Park a decade ago.

Brentford meantime have only reach the fourth round of this tournament on three occasions since 1982, doing so in 2010, 2020 and 2021.

Preston North End vs Fulham: Tuesday 19:45

These two clubs have, to date, met on 70 occasions, but have never previously been drawn together in the EFL Cup.

Fulham have failed to win either of their last two outings at Deepdale, despite claiming victory in four of their five previous outings in Preston.

Having featured in the semi-finals of this competition for the very first time last seasons, the Cottagers are aiming to reach round four in successive seasons for the first time since 2014.

Preston meantime have only gone beyond round three thrice since 2002.