Overview
- Second‑round matches concluded on Wednesday with Everton beating Preston 4-0 thanks to Thierno Barry’s hat‑trick and Tottenham routing Charlton 5-1 as new signing Savio scored on his debut.
- The third‑round draw paired European entrants with winners from round two and produced marquee ties including Liverpool v Tottenham and Everton v Wolves.
- Organisers scheduled third‑round games across the weeks beginning September 7 and September 14 to avoid Champions League and Europa League fixtures and limit calendar clashes.
- Lower‑league shocks and rotation shaped results, with Bradford eliminating Burnley on penalties and managers using the cup to rest players or give fringe squad members minutes.
- The competition format has nine Premier League clubs entering at round three and early rounds were regionalised, which explains why the draw now brings top clubs together and increases juggling of squad resources.