Why two Carabao Cup games are being played weeks before the start of the season
Competitive football in England is returning earlier than many had expected, with two Carabao Cup fixtures taking place weeks before the start of the Premier League campaign.
Clubs on these shores have been getting stuck into pre-season ahead of the return of the new season, which begins again on Friday 1 August with Luton Town's clash with AFC Wimbledon.
The first Premier League fixture sees Premier League champions Liverpool host Bournemouth on 15 August, but fans may be surprised to learn the Carabao Cup kicks off on Tuesday evening.
Barnet and Newport County meet in an all League Two clash in the all-new preliminary round at The Hive Stadium, with the winner progressing to round one of the competition.
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Why are Carabao Cup games being played early?
Because of the array of English sides competing in European football this term and the fact that those teams receive a bye to the third round, the number of teams in round one and round two needed to be reduced.
The decision was therefore made to bring in a preliminary round which includes the two sides promoted from the National League in Barnet and Oldham Athletic and the teams who finished 21st and 22nd in League Two - Accrington and Newport.
With Barnet facing Newport on Tuesday, Oldham's return to the Football League sees them travel to Accrington on 5 August - just days after their trip to MK Dons.
Both games will be available on Sky Sports+ prior to the first and second rounds, which take place on the weeks commencing August 11 and August 25.
After Manchester United enter in the third round, the bulk of the big guns will join the party in the third round, which will be played over the weeks commencing September 15 and September 22.
Arsenal, Aston Villa, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur are all poised to play their first cup game in the third round.
The semi-finals will once again be two-legged at the start of 2026, with the final on March 22 at Wembley Stadium.
Newcastle are the holders after ending their 55-year trophy drought with a 2-1 win over Liverpool last term and collecting £100,000 in prize money.
Topics: Carabao Cup
Josh Lawless