As the EFL Cup returns this week, football writer Ben Bloom previews the Premier League clubs’ fixtures and assesses their opponents.
There are 11 Premier League clubs among the 16 remaining teams in the EFL Cup, including the winners of last season’s competition, Newcastle United.
Here is everything you need to know about the seven fourth-round ties featuring at least one top-flight team:
Grimsby Town v Brentford
Tuesday 28 October, 19:45 GMT
This season always seemed likely to be tricky for new Brentford manager Keith Andrews after the departure of so many key players, but his side head into this EFL Cup tie off the back of a stunning 3-2 win over reigning Premier League champions Liverpool, which put them 11th in the table.
Saturday’s triumph ensured they followed up victory over West Ham United with another dominant performance, as goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago earned a deserved three points.
Brentford will expect to extend their winning streak to three games against Grimsby Town, who sit sixth in League Two, albeit just two points off top spot. But Andrews will need no reminding of Grimsby’s giant-killing prowess, after the fourth-tier club knocked Manchester United out in the EFL Cup second round.
The Bees lost Yehor Yarmoliuk due to injury early in the Liverpool match, while Andrews could well opt to rotate out a number of regular starters.
Wycombe Wanderers v Fulham
Tuesday 28 October, 19:45 GMT
October has been a month of contrasting fortunes for these two clubs, with Wycombe unbeaten in all five of their games and Fulham extending their losing streak to four matches.
Marco Silva’s side began the campaign in fine shape, losing just one of their opening seven fixtures across all competitions. But things have taken a recent turn for the worse in an admittedly tough run that has brought defeats against Aston Villa, AFC Bournemouth, Arsenal and Newcastle United.
This is a prime opportunity for Fulham to return to winning ways, against League One opposition.
A dreadful start to the campaign saw Wycombe make an early managerial change, with new boss Michael Duff overseeing much improvement in recent weeks.
They still lie only 17th in the table, but will bid to complete a double over Fulham, having beaten the Premier League club’s Under-21s in the EFL Trophy earlier this month.
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wednesday 29 October, 19:45 GMT
Life is jolly good for Arsenal right now. Sitting top of the Premier League table, they are unbeaten in 10 games across all competitions, with seven consecutive wins and five successive clean sheets.
In their most recent triumph, Eberechi Eze scored his first league goal for the Gunners, as they defeated his former club Crystal Palace 1-0.
The club’s much-improved strength in depth will likely be put to the test here though, and Mikel Arteta will doubtless call upon his squad players after William Saliba, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Gabriel Martinelli all picked up knocks of differing severity against Palace.
With no European football this season, Brighton can go as strong as they like. They made history as the first club ever to win successive EFL Cup games by six goals or more when beating Oxford United 6-0 and then replicating that scoreline to see off Barnsley. Four of those goals in the last round were scored by Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gomez.
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Wednesday 29 October, 19:45 GMT
Things looked rather different for these two clubs when they last met in the Premier League a little over a month ago.
At that stage, reigning Premier League champions Liverpool had begun the season unbeaten in seven games, while FA Cup winners Palace had not experienced defeat in 17 matches.
In triumphing at Selhurst Park, Palace set a club-record unbeaten run and secured successive wins over Arne Slot’s side, having also beaten them in the Community Shield.
Liverpool have not won a Premier League game since, instead losing four in a row for the first time since February 2021, succumbing to Brentford on Saturday for their latest defeat.
However, things have also gone awry for Palace, who have not won any of their last four matches, tasting defeat in three of them.
Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones departed the pitch early in Saturday’s loss at Brentford, joining Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch as doubts.
Swansea City v Manchester City
Wednesday 29 October, 19:45 GMT
Mercifully for Swansea, the chances of them coming up against Erling Haaland here seem slim.
The Norwegian has scored 15 times in 12 Manchester City games this season, but drew a blank in their weekend defeat at Villa Park where he collided awkwardly with the post.
He will likely be given time to rest as Man City bid to return to winning ways following the end of their nine-game unbeaten run.
They face an inconsistent Swansea side, who have won four, lost four and drawn four in the Championship this season, and are yet to achieve the same result in back-to-back league games.
The second-tier team dumped out Nottingham Forest in the last round of the EFL Cup though, after two remarkable injury-time goals.
Man City have won the last two meetings between these two clubs, both in the FA Cup – including a dramatic 2019 quarter-final when they came back from 2-0 down after 68 minutes to win 3-2 on their way to a domestic treble.
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea
Wednesday 29 October, 19:45 GMT
Just when things were going well for Chelsea, their four-game winning run in all competitions ended on Saturday when they became the latest team to suffer at the hands of Sunderland’s surprisingly brilliant start to the campaign.
Enzo Maresca has endured a near-permanent headache with injuries this season – Cole Palmer topping a list of senior absentees – and the manager revealed after the Sunderland defeat that Joao Pedro, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are all battling injuries that inhibit their ability to train.
Expect plenty of personnel changes, while Liam Delap could return to the matchday squad after overcoming a hamstring problem.
Wolves are in desperate need of joy, having become only the third top-flight team ever to go successive seasons without a league win in their opening nine games.
They came close when suffering a late 3-2 defeat against Burnley on Sunday though, and proved they can beat Premier League opposition when overcoming Everton in the last round of the EFL Cup.
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Wednesday 29 October, 20:00 GMT
In the second last-16 showdown between trophy winners from last season, EFL Cup holders Newcastle take on UEFA Europa League champions Tottenham Hotspur.
The fact this tie takes place at St James’ Park should, perversely, help Spurs, who have excelled on the road this season, in contrast to their dismal home form. The visitors eased past Everton at Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday to go third in the table.
With both clubs juggling UEFA Champions League football, expect much rotation from the weekend’s starting XIs.
Newcastle required a 90th-minute winner to see off Fulham and are now looking to make a fourth successive EFL Cup quarter-final appearance.
Sven Botman may well be rested after leaving the field prematurely on Saturday when he sustained a hefty blow, but Lewis Hall could return after recovering from a hamstring problem.
Newcastle have won five of the last six meetings between the two clubs.
The only fourth-round tie not to feature a Premier League team is an all-Welsh affair, with Championship club Wrexham hosting the current leaders of League One, Cardiff City.
EFL Cup fourth-round fixtures in full
Tuesday 28 October
Grimsby Town v Brentford
Wycombe Wanderers v Fulham
Wrexham v Cardiff City
Wednesday 29 October
Arsenal v Brighton & Hove Albion
Liverpool v Crystal Palace
Swansea City v Manchester City
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
