Nottingham Forest will host Leeds United in the standout fixture of the Carabao Cup second round, the only meeting between two Premier League clubs in this stage of the competition. The pairing was confirmed as part of Monday night's draw, which brought together the 11 top-flight sides not involved in European football this season with clubs who progressed through the opening round.
Four-time winners Forest, who reached the Europa League semi-finals last season, will welcome Leeds to the City Ground in a tie generating plenty of interest among fans of both clubs.
Elsewhere, Chelsea were given a home draw against League One outfit Luton Town. The five-time champions, now under new manager Xabi Alonso, will be looking to begin their pursuit of a first Carabao Cup triumph since 2015 with a routine passage into the next round.
Tottenham Hotspur also secured a favourable draw at home, taking on Championship side Charlton Athletic. Both Chelsea and Spurs are entering the competition earlier than usual after missing out on European qualification last term, finishing tenth and 17th respectively in the Premier League.
Among the other notable ties, David Moyes will make a sentimental return to Deepdale as his Everton side travel to Preston North End — the club where he began both his playing and managerial career. Newcastle United, under new head coach Matthias Jaissle, have been drawn at home against West Bromwich Albion, while newly relegated West Ham United, who beat Portsmouth 3-1 in the first round, will face fellow Championship side Southampton at St Mary's.
Brentford face a tricky trip to Birmingham City, and Fulham will host League One side AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage in what promises to be an intriguing London derby. Ipswich Town are set to welcome Leicester City, and newly promoted Coventry City will face the winner of the Devon derby between Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City, after Plymouth progressed with a dramatic 2-0 stoppage-time win courtesy of goals from Alex Hartridge and Bim Pepple.
All second-round matches are scheduled to be played during the week commencing 24 August. The nine Premier League clubs competing in European competitions this season — including holders Manchester City and last season's beaten finalists Arsenal — will enter the competition in the third round, with those fixtures split across the weeks commencing 7 September and 14 September, the latter coinciding with the start of the Champions League group stage.
The draw has also created scheduling complications for broadcasters and lower-league clubs alike. Sky Sports had already selected Fulham versus Chelsea for live Premier League coverage on Monday, 24 August, meaning both clubs were set to play two matches that week. With neither side involved in Europe, their Carabao Cup ties were also drawn at home, creating a fixture clash since clubs are not typically permitted to host matches on the same day. This is expected to require intervention from police authorities or fixture organisers to resolve.
The knock-on effect could also disrupt EFL fixtures involving Luton and AFC Wimbledon, both of whom have League One commitments on the Saturday following their cup ties, as well as several other lower-league matches scheduled for the following Tuesday. Depending on how the Carabao Cup fixtures are eventually slotted in, clubs including Wigan, Mansfield, Burton, MK Dons, Stockport and Reading could see their fixtures rearranged at short notice.
The 2026-27 Carabao Cup final will be held at Wembley Stadium on 21 March.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport, The Independent, The Guardian, and The Standard.