And then there were eight: The 2025/26 Carabao Cup competition is reaching its closing stages
Arsenal Football Newsletter
Arsenal Football Newsletter
Arsenal will face Crystal Palace in a London derby in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, while Chelsea travel to League One side Cardiff.
The Premier League-leading Gunners will host the FA Cup holders again in December, having defeated Brighton 2-0 in the last 16 on Wednesday night courtesy of second-half goals from Ethan Nwaneri and Bukayo Saka - recording an eighth successive win across all competitions and sixth straight clean sheet.
Palace, meanwhile, got back to winning ways with their third victory of the season already over crisis-stricken Liverpool, who were brushed aside 3-0 at Anfield in their sixth defeat in the last seven matches following 10 changes made by the under-fire Arne Slot.
It will be a repeat of the top-flight fixture held at the Emirates Stadium last weekend, when Eberechi Eze’s acrobatic first-half goal proved to be enough to see off his former club 1-0.
Chelsea have drawn the only EFL team left in the competition in third-tier promotion hopefuls Cardiff, who edged past Championship opponents Wrexham away from home in an all-Welsh affair on Tuesday night.
The Blues booked their own quarter-final spot 24 hours later, holding on to beat free-falling Wolves 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller at Molineux despite the late dismissal of striker Liam Delap on his return from injury. Chelsea last played Cardiff in the Premier League in 2019.
Manchester City have been drawn against Brentford, while holders Newcastle are at home to Fulham.
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw in full
Arsenal vs Crystal Palace
Cardiff vs Chelsea
Manchester City vs Brentford
Newcastle vs Fulham