It’s fast approaching crunch time in the Carabao Cup and while it doesn’t start the season high on the list of priorities for many clubs - or fanbases - once we reach the quarter-finals, it’s difficult not to feel that opportunity is knocking, especially for those who have not won a major trophy in far too long.
After all, victory in two more rounds means a Wembley date and a cup final for the supporters to enjoy, with the prospect of a historic occasion for some.
In the last eight this year are reigning champions Liverpool, who face Southampton, while Arsenal host Crystal Palace and Newcastle United - still without a trophy since 1955 - will play Brentford. Those games all take place on Wednesday 18 December. Then, on Thursday, Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester United, two clubs associated with inconsistency and underperformance this year in particular, but both with good historical track records in this competition, appearing in 19 finals between them.
This season is the first time in 14 years that all eight quarter-finalists are Premier League teams - and it’s worth noting again that these sides are two rounds from the final, not two games.
That’s because the League Cup semi-finals have always been played over two legs, since its inception in 1960/61.
It remains the case once more this term, despite ongoing calls to have it reduced to a single fixture to ease congestion that clubs face and overuse of individual players.
However, the load has been reduced from this competition in particular over the years: replays for earlier rounds finishing as draws were scrapped in the 1990s while as recently as 2018/19, the EFL opted to get rid of extra time for all rounds except the final.
That means any quarter-final matches which finish in a draw after 90 minutes will go straight to a penalty shootout, and the same is true for the semis: if the aggregate scores are level at the end of the second leg, it’s onto spot-kicks there too. Away goals are no longer used in the last four either.
Only the final can therefore go the distance of extra time and penalties if needed, as was the case in 2022 when Liverpool beat Chelsea 11-10 in a shootout after a goalless draw at Wembley.
This season, the semi-finals are scheduled to take place on 6 January 2025 for the first leg and 3 February 2025 for the second, with the draw for that round taking place after the Spurs vs Man United fixture. The final takes place at Wembley as usual, on 16 March 2025.
Before that though, hopeful teams have two more big tests to get through.
