Why are Chelsea and Tottenham in the second round draw?

The new season is upon us and everybody’s favourite trophy is up for grabs again: the Carabao Cup.

It’s the one that no one cares about, until your team reaches the final that is. Regardless of its status, it is still a piece of silverware, and one that only the truly elite sides can afford to shirk.

Round one provided some shocks – Grimsby Town beat Southampton, Wrexham knocked out Wigan Athletic and Stevenage made it past Watford – but round two is where the big boys start to enter, and this year both Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur have been drawn into the competition earlier than usual.

Chelsea and Tottenham will have to negotiate second round Carabao Cup matches while the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City enter the round at the next stage.

This is because both Chelsea and Tottenham failed to qualify for European football last season with 12th and eighth place Premier League finishes respectively.

As a result, both Chelsea and Spurs will have to play an extra match in the competition, albeit they will be able to rest when other sides are competing in Europe.

Chelsea have won the English Football League Cup four times in their history, most recently against Tottenham in 2014/15. The Blues beat their rivals 2-0 to secure the trophy, with goals from John Terry and Diego Costa separating the sides.

Meanwhile, Spurs have won the trophy three times since its inception in 1960, most recently in the 2007/08 season where they, you guessed it, beat Chelsea. An extra time goal from Jonathan Woodgate proved the difference for the Lilywhites, with that trophy lift being the club’s most recent.

Last five Carabao Cup campaigns for Chelsea and Tottenham

Chelsea face the easier draw with a home clash against League Two AFC Wimbledon, while Tottenham face a tricky trip to Premier League Fulham.

Both sides will feel confident of making it into the third round, and both Mauricio Pochettino and Ange Postecoglou will be eyeing a potential first trophy with their new sides.

Second round draw in full

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