The Carabao Cup witnessed a night of thrilling comebacks and surprising upsets as Wolves edged out West Ham 3-2, while Huddersfield Town triumphed over Sunderland in a penalty shootout.
At Molineux, Wolves rallied from behind to defeat West Ham in a match that saw Jorgen Strand Larsen emerge as the hero. West Ham's captain, Jarrod Bowen, later apologized to the fans for his reaction following the loss. Wolves took the lead in the first half when Rodrigo Gomes scored after Hwang Hee-chan's penalty rebounded off the post. However, West Ham responded with headers from Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta to take a 2-1 lead. With just 17 minutes remaining, Wolves manager Vitor Pereira made strategic substitutions, bringing on Strand Larsen, whose two goals in quick succession turned the game around. Strand Larsen's goals, in the 82nd and 84th minutes, secured Wolves' place in the next round. The draw for the third round will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football following the conclusion of Grimsby vs Man Utd. The ties are scheduled for the weeks commencing September 15 and September 22.
Meanwhile, at the Stadium of Light, Huddersfield Town, a League One side, eliminated Premier League Sunderland on penalties. The game ended 1-1, with Chelsea loanee Leo Castledine scoring a stunning volley for Huddersfield in the 7th minute. Sunderland equalized later in the match. After extra time failed to produce a winner, Huddersfield emerged victorious 6-5 in the penalty shootout after Milan Aleksic missed his attempt. Huddersfield Town Manager Lee Grant made 10 changes to the starting lineup for the match against Sunderland, with only defender Murray Wallace remaining from the weekend's win over Stevenage. Lynden Gooch, returning to his former side, captained the team.
Newcastle United are the defending Carabao Cup champions, having won the trophy in 2025. The Carabao Cup final for the 2025-2026 season is scheduled for March 22, 2026, at Wembley Stadium. Liverpool holds the record for the most Carabao Cup titles, with 10 victories. The early rounds of the Carabao Cup often see managers giving opportunities to fringe players and young talents.
