Carabao Cup fixtures will open the 2020/21 EFL season. The first four rounds of the competition will be played in September.
September 5 is the date marked for first-round fixtures in the competition, but this could change if international fixtures pose a scheduling problem.
Sky Sports News will play host to the first-round draw, which takes place on 18 August. As was the case last season, the draw will be unseeded, and is to be divided into Northern and Southern sections.
Carabao Cup Will Start EFL Season
Two-Legged Semi-Finals Scrapped
Following the first-round fixtures, rounds two, three and four are to be played as consecutive midweek matches from 15 and 16 September.
This is a significant date in the diaries of Premier League clubs. Top flight teams enter the competition in round two or three, depending on their league positions in the 2019/20 season.
In a change from last-season’s format, two-legged semi-finals will be scrapped in the 2020/21 edition of the competition. Instead, single-match ties will determine which teams make the final. Whichever team comes out of the semi-final draw first will receive the advantage of hosting the tie at their ground.
This represents a similar format to the one used to conclude this season’s Champions League and Europa League tournaments. The difference is that this season’s European competitions are being played out in neutral venues.
Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City have enjoyed three consecutive Carabao Cup victories. Last season, the Cityzens saw off Aston Villa with a 2-1 victory in the final at Wembley.
Carabao Cup Schedule as of 13 August 2020
As is detailed on Sky Sports, the competition dates for next season’s competition are as follows:
5 September – Round one
15 and 16 September – Round two
22 and 23 September – Round three
29 and 30 September – Round four
22 and 23 December – Round five
5 and 6 January – Semi-finals
28 February – Final
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