The Carabao Cup first round takes place this weekend, with 70 clubs in action across four days. The competition has made an early start, with the first round scheduled before the EFL season begins.
Early Results and Preliminary Round
League Two side Walsall stunned Championship Bristol City 1-0 away on Thursday night, thanks to Aaron Pressley's second-half goal at Ashton Gate. The preliminary round saw Crawley defeat York 2-0 and Rochdale beat Tranmere 2-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw.
Format and Participating Teams
This season's first round is a weekend affair, unlike the usual midweek schedule. Premier League teams traditionally enter in round two, but those in European competition join in round three. Three teams relegated from the Premier League last season – West Ham, Wolves, and Burnley – are among the clubs in first-round action.
How to Watch Every Game
All first-round matches are available to watch live in the UK. ITV has free-to-air coverage of Friday night's match between Middlesbrough and Wrexham, also shown on STV, Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Wolves vs Port Vale and Wycombe vs Stevenage are on Sky Sports+, which also carries every 3pm BST kick-off on Saturday, including West Ham vs Portsmouth, plus Cambridge vs Barnet, Millwall vs QPR, Cheltenham vs Charlton, and Rotherham vs West Brom.
Colchester vs Southampton at 5:30pm BST on Saturday is live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football, and Sky Sports Ultra HDR, as is Mansfield vs Sheffield United at 4pm on Sunday and Monday night's 8pm Devon derby between Plymouth and Exeter, which follows the second round draw.
