It has been revealed why there is no extra-time in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Arsenal will play Crystal Palace, Newcastle United will face Brentford and Southampton will host Liverpool before Tottenham Hotspur lock horns with Manchester United the following evening.
While the trophy may not be the most sought-after piece of silverware in the cabinet, the competition offers qualification to the UEFA Conference League play-off round. That said, if the winning club qualifies for either the Champions League or the Europa League via their standing in the Premier League, the European ticket will handed over – on merit – to a team in the English top-flight.
Nevertheless, for the first time in 14 years, all eight quarter-finalists are Premier League teams – and, they're just a stone's throw away from the final at Wembley Stadium. But, before they visit the capital, they must play a two-legged semi-final – home and away.
And that remains the case this season despite ongoing calls from players to reduce the number of games in the calendar. Eager to find a middle ground in 2018/19, the EFL decided to ditch extra time for all rounds except the final.
Therefore, any quarter-final tie which ends in a draw after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shootout. With no away goal rule in the semi-finals, this rule also applies if aggregate scores are level at the end of the second leg.
So, extra time AND penalties can be played in the final if needed. This term, the Carabao Cup semi-finals are set to be played during the week commencing January 6 (first leg) and February 3 (second leg), with the final scheduled to be take place on March 16.
The draw for that round will take place after Tottenham lock horns with United on Thursday night. The corresponding ball numbers, which will be drawn by Jamie Redknapp and Izzy Christiansen on Sky Sports, will be confirmed prior to the match.
For fans in the United Kingdom, the Carabao Cup quarter-final ties are available to watch on Sky Sports and Sky Sports+ and on streaming service NOW.
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Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta, Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Jesus with the Arsenal Therapy Dog Win during the Arsenal Men's team group shoot at London Colney on September 18, 2023
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