Carabao Cup Second Round Draw 2026/27: Chelsea Face Luton, Tottenham Host Charlton

KUALA LUMPUR, AUGUST 2026 — The Carabao Cup second-round draw has been confirmed, setting up several eye-catching encounters as Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and eight other Premier League teams enter the 2026/27 competition.

Chelsea have been handed a home tie against League One side Luton Town at Stamford Bridge. The fixture will mark Xabi Alonso’s first Carabao Cup match in charge of the Blues, as Chelsea begin their pursuit of the first major domestic trophy available this season.

Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, will host Charlton Athletic in a London derby. The encounter will be the clubs’ first competitive meeting since 2011, adding another layer of interest to the second-round schedule.

Defending 2025 Carabao Cup champions Newcastle United have been drawn at home against West Bromwich Albion, while Nottingham Forest will meet fellow Premier League side Leeds United in one of the standout all-top-flight fixtures of the round.

Everton face an away trip to Preston North End, while Birmingham City, co-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, will welcome Premier League club Brentford. The second round therefore offers a mixture of Premier League clashes, local rivalries and opportunities for lower-league clubs to eliminate top-flight opposition.

The draw was held on Monday, August 10, with the ceremony initially scheduled for approximately 7:20pm UK time during Sky Sports Football’s build-up to Plymouth Argyle’s first-round meeting with Exeter City. talkSPORT also provided coverage across its radio, website and app platforms.

Premier League Clubs Enter Carabao Cup

A total of 11 Premier League clubs entered the competition at the second-round stage because they are not involved in European competition during the 2026/27 campaign. They include Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Everton, Brentford, Fulham and newly promoted Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City.

Premier League clubs competing in Europe, including Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United, will enter the Carabao Cup in the third round instead.

The second-round draw continued to use the competition’s Northern and Southern sections, designed to reduce travel requirements during the early stages of the tournament. The regional format will no longer apply once the competition reaches the third round.

Key Carabao Cup Second-Round Fixtures

Among the headline ties confirmed in the draw are:

• Chelsea vs Luton Town
• Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic
• Newcastle United vs West Bromwich Albion
• Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United
• Preston North End vs Everton
• Birmingham City vs Brentford

The second-round matches are scheduled to be played during the week commencing August 24, 2026, according to the English Football League.

The competition will once again provide an early test for Premier League clubs hoping to secure silverware, while lower-division teams will be targeting memorable upsets against some of English football’s biggest names.

With Chelsea and Tottenham both entering earlier than clubs involved in European competitions, attention will be firmly focused on whether the two London giants can successfully navigate their opening Carabao Cup assignments and build momentum toward the later stages.