The Carabao Cup delivered a night of attacking football and late drama on Tuesday as five third-round ties produced 24 goals and sent Arsenal, Liverpool, Fulham, Brentford and Peterborough United into the fourth round.
The evening belonged particularly to Max Dowman, Arsenal’s 16-year-old attacking prodigy, who scored twice in a 4-2 victory over Ipswich Town. At Anfield, Liverpool overcame Tottenham Hotspur 3-1, while Fulham edged West Ham United in a five-goal London derby. Brentford saw off Reading 2-1, and Peterborough survived an extraordinary penalty shootout against Barnsley after a 3-3 draw.
Arsenal’s teenage star steals the spotlight
At Portman Road, Arsenal produced perhaps the clearest statement of the night, defeating Ipswich Town 4-2 despite making extensive changes to their starting XI.
The headline was 16-year-old Max Dowman. Making his first appearance of the season, Dowman opened the scoring after only seven minutes before restoring Arsenal’s three-goal advantage shortly after half-time. Noni Madueke and Mikel Merino supplied the other Arsenal goals.
Dowman’s first goal was particularly impressive. He won possession, drove towards the Ipswich defence, exchanged passes with Eberechi Eze and then created the space to finish confidently. His second arrived two minutes into the second half, further underlining his influence on a match in which Arsenal’s youthful side largely controlled proceedings.
Ipswich eventually found a response through Anis Mehmeti in the 62nd minute, while former Arsenal striker Chuba Akpom added a second in stoppage time. By then, however, Arsenal had established too large a cushion.
The result also placed Dowman in notable historical company: according to Reuters, he became only the second 16-year-old in Premier League history to score twice in a single match, matching a feat achieved by Wayne Rooney in 2002.
For Mikel Arteta, the significance extended beyond the scoreline. Arsenal were able to rotate heavily while still producing a performance built around academy and squad depth, suggesting that the competition is providing meaningful opportunities for the club’s emerging players.
Szoboszlai’s thunderbolt settles Anfield contest
The evening’s heavyweight tie took place at Anfield, where Liverpool defeated Tottenham Hotspur 3-1.
Alexis Mac Allister gave Liverpool the lead in the 21st minute, before Cody Gakpo doubled the advantage nine minutes into the second half. Tottenham fought back when Conor Gallagher scored in the 69th minute, setting up a tense closing period.
Liverpool, though, had the final word.
Dominik Szoboszlai produced a spectacular long-range finish in stoppage time to remove any lingering doubt and send Liverpool into the fourth round.
The victory was notable for the amount of rotation involved. Liverpool were able to give opportunities to players seeking minutes while maintaining enough quality to overcome a Tottenham side also making changes.
For Tottenham, the defeat ends their Carabao Cup campaign at the third-round stage. There was at least one positive moment: Gallagher’s goal ended Spurs’ prolonged wait for a goal against top-flight opposition, according to Sky Sports.
Liverpool, meanwhile, continue their pursuit of another League Cup triumph.
Fulham edge West Ham in five-goal London derby
The most entertaining contest of the night may have been at the London Stadium, where Fulham defeated West Ham United 3-2.
Fulham made the stronger start. Rodrigo Muniz headed the visitors ahead in the 13th minute, but West Ham responded almost immediately through Morato.
César Palacios restored Fulham’s advantage in the 37th minute, only for West Ham to equalise again just before half-time when Pablo converted a rebound for his first goal for the club.
The decisive moment came in the second half.
Fulham introduced Oscar Bobb, and the substitute proved to be the difference. After Josh King won possession near the West Ham penalty area, Bobb carried the ball into the box before calmly finishing to make it 3-2 in the 78th minute.
West Ham pushed for another equaliser late on. Jarrod Bowen created an opportunity for Taty Castellanos, but Timothy Castagne cleared the effort off the line, preserving Fulham’s lead.
It was a dramatic contest in which Fulham twice surrendered an advantage before finally finding the goal that carried them through.
Brentford withstand Reading challenge
At the Select Car Leasing Stadium, Brentford defeated League One side Reading 2-1.
The Premier League visitors needed only three minutes to take the lead, with Callum Wilson finding the net. Fabio Carvalho then doubled Brentford’s advantage in first-half stoppage time, putting the Bees in a strong position at the interval.
Reading refused to disappear from the contest.
Paudie O’Connor pulled one back in the 72nd minute, giving the home side hope of forcing the tie into a dramatic finish. Brentford, however, held on to secure their place in the fourth round.
The result reflected the familiar challenge of cup football for Premier League clubs: rotation can open the door for lower-league opponents, but Brentford ultimately had enough quality and composure to protect their advantage.
Peterborough survive six-goal thriller
If any match embodied the unpredictability of the Carabao Cup, it was Peterborough United against Barnsley.
The two League One sides drew 3-3 before Peterborough won the penalty shootout 7-6, reaching the fourth round for the first time since 2009.
Barnsley struck after just 61 seconds through Cameron McGeehan, but Peterborough turned the match around through Harry Leonard and Danny Ormerod.
Reyes Cleary restored parity shortly before half-time, then put Barnsley back in front with his second goal in the 74th minute.
With Barnsley seemingly on course for victory, Ormerod intervened again. His 88th-minute header levelled the match at 3-3 and sent the contest to penalties.
The shootout was almost flawless. After a succession of successful kicks, Barnsley’s Luke Alker saw his effort saved by Peterborough goalkeeper Alex Bass. Harrison Jones then converted the decisive penalty to send Peterborough through.
It was a fitting ending to a match in which neither side was willing to surrender.
Five ties, five different stories
Tuesday’s Carabao Cup action illustrated the breadth of the competition.
Arsenal’s 4-2 win demonstrated the potential of youth and squad depth. Liverpool’s 3-1 victory showed how experienced quality can decide a close knockout match. Fulham’s 3-2 success highlighted the value of substitutes and late-game impact. Brentford navigated a difficult away assignment against lower-league opposition, while Peterborough produced the night’s most dramatic survival act.
A night that belonged to the young and the fearless
There was a common thread running through Tuesday night’s matches: the Carabao Cup once again provided a stage for players outside the usual spotlight.
Dowman was the clearest example. At just 16, he was not merely given a cameo; he started, scored twice and helped Arsenal negotiate a potentially awkward away tie. His performance was one of the night’s defining stories.
Elsewhere, Liverpool’s rotated squad demonstrated its depth, Oscar Bobb changed the complexion of Fulham’s tie after coming off the bench, and Peterborough’s players held their nerve deep into a shootout.
With more third-round ties still to come, the fourth-round picture is taking shape. The remaining fixtures include Everton-Wolves, Fleetwood-Sheffield United, Manchester United-Brighton, Coventry-Aston Villa and Manchester City-Norwich, before the fourth-round draw is made.
For now, though, Tuesday belonged to the clubs that found a way through and above all to a 16-year-old Arsenal player whose two goals ensured that his name would be one of the biggest talking points of the Carabao Cup’s latest chapter.
