Carabao Cup second round draw pairs Everton with Preston and Chelsea to …

Carabao Cup second round draw pairs Everton with Preston and Chelsea to face Luton

The Carabao Cup second round draw has taken place, with several intriguing matches set to take place later this month. Everton will face Preston North End at Deepdale, while Chelsea will host League One side Luton Town at Stamford Bridge. The ties will be played during the week commencing Monday, August 24. Everton's match against Preston will be a repeat of a pre-season friendly played between the two teams in the summer of 2024. Preston secured their place in the second round with a penalty shootout win over Huddersfield Town following a 1-1 draw. The match was played at Goodison Park due to extensive pitch maintenance at Deepdale. Chelsea, who have entered the competition earlier than usual due to not having any European commitments, will be looking to avoid a major cup upset against Luton Town. The Blues have a good record in the Carabao Cup, having reached the final in the 2023/24 campaign, where they were beaten by Liverpool. Tottenham Hotspur, who also entered the competition earlier than usual, have been drawn at home to Championship side Charlton. The match will be played at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and will be a London derby. West Ham United, who were relegated from the Premier League last season, will face Southampton at St Mary's in an all-Championship meeting. In the Northern section, the headline fixture sees Nottingham Forest host Leeds United at the City Ground. Newcastle United will face West Bromwich Albion at home, while Middlesbrough will travel to Doncaster Rovers. The exact dates of the matches are to be confirmed, but they will take place on either Tuesday, August 25 or Wednesday, August 26. The second round draw was hosted by Sky Sports' David Prutton, with Jamie Mackie and Jobi McAnuff pulling the teams out of the hat. The draw was screened live on Sky Sports Football as part of the build-up to the match between Plymouth and Exeter. The Carabao Cup is a competition that has seen several upsets in recent years, and this season's second round draw has thrown up several intriguing matches. With the majority of Premier League clubs entering the competition at this stage, there are several matches that could potentially see lower-league teams cause an upset. The remaining Premier League teams competing in Europe this season, including holders Manchester City and last year's beaten finalists Arsenal, will enter the competition in the third round. The second round matches will be played during a busy period for the teams involved, with several Premier League matches taking place around the same time. Other notable matches in the second round draw include Fulham hosting AFC Wimbledon at Craven Cottage and Birmingham facing Brentford. The winner of the match between Exeter City and Plymouth Argyle will face Coventry City in the second round. The Carabao Cup second round draw has set up several exciting matches that will take place later this month. With several teams having a good chance of winning the competition, it will be interesting to see how the matches unfold and which teams will progress to the next round.