Carabao Cup quarter-final draw simulator as Liverpool handed brutal road to the final
The draw for the remaining rounds of the 2026/27 Carabao Cup has been simulated, and it's not good news for Liverpool fans.
On Wednesday night, the Carabao Cup quarter-final matches will be revealed with the draw taking place following Liverpool's exciting clash with Chelsea at Anfield.
By the time the draw takes place, seven of the eight clubs set to feature in the quarter-finals will have been decided, with Newcastle United set to face Everton on Thursday evening.
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So, ahead of the official draw, SPORTbible's supercomputer has simulated what the remainder of the Carabao Cup could look like, and it's handed Liverpool a nightmare road to the final.
Carabao Cup quarter-final draw simulated
So far, two sides have booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, with Bradford City the first to qualify after securing a 2-0 win over fellow League One side Peterborough United on Tuesday night.
In perhaps the biggest shock of the season, Fleetwood Town also progressed after knocking out Premier League title holders Arsenal following a penalty shootout at Highbury Stadium.
Ultimately, a missed penalty from summer signing Bruno Guimaraes cost the Premier League winners their spot in the quarter-finals, leaving Fleetwood, who are 18th in League Two, eagerly awaiting their next opponent.
In the simulated draw, Fleetwood Town were handed another Premier League clash, as they face an away day to either Villa Park or the Vitality Stadium depending on the result of Wednesday night's clash between Bournemouth and Aston Villa.
Bradford City have also been given an away day against a Premier League side in the simulation, as they face the winner of Fulham and Crystal Palace's meeting at Craven Cottage.
Reigning Carabao Cup holders Manchester City will face either Sunderland or Brentford, should they have enough to get past a high-flying Brighton side on Wednesday.
Meanwhile the simulator left the best for last as the winners of Liverpool v Chelsea face an away day against Everton or Newcastle United in the quarter-finals.
For Liverpool, beating Chelsea on Wednesday already appears to be a challenging task, so to follow that up with a potential Merseyside derby would be far from welcome.
Even if Everton were to lose their fourth round fixture, a hostile reception from Newcastle fans at St James' Park, given the recent transfer business between the two clubs, would be a tough draw for Liverpool.
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Carabao Cup quarter-final draw simulated in full:
- Bournemouth / Aston Villa vs Fleetwood Town
- Sunderland / Brentford vs Manchester City / Brighton
- Fulham / Crystal Palace vs Bradford City
- Everton / Newcastle United vs Liverpool / Chelsea
Quarter-Final ties will take place during the week commencing 14 December.
Carabao Cup road to the final simulated
Following the quarter-final draw, the supercomputer has looked ahead to the semi-final draw, set to take place in December, to simulate what the remainder of the Carabao Cup could look like.
After predicting that Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Fulham would make it to the semi-finals, it simulated how the four teams would matchup in the penultimate round.
In the simulated draw, Aston Villa were drawn to face Liverpool, with the first leg to be played at home.
The other semi-final fixture drawn would see Manchester City host Fulham in the first leg before travelling to Craven Cottage.
Of course, such a draw would set up a likely final of old rivals Liverpool and Manchester City, which would be their first meeting in the Carabao Cup final for 11 years.
Although such a draw would mean it was far from certain that Liverpool would make it to the final, with a run of Chelsea, Everton/Newcastle United, Bournemouth/Aston Villa/ Fleetwood Town and then a final against Man City hardly an easy run to win Andoni Iraola's first trophy.
Topics: Carabao Cup, EFL Cup, Football News, Liverpool, Man City
Ben McCrum