EFL Cup third round review: What we learned

Seven Premier League teams were in midweek EFL Cup action competing for a place in the fourth round.

Once more top-flight managers took the opportunity to rotate their squads, so how much did we learn as the action unfolded?

Kid gloves for Gunners

Arsenal took on League One side Bolton Wanderers with a mixture of youth and experience looking for an attacking boost at one end of the pitch, but contending with a positional crisis at the other.

Mikel Arteta handed a debut to goalkeeper Jack Porter, who at 16 years and 72 days became the youngest starter in the club's history. This was due to injuries to David Raya and Tommy Setford, while summer signing Neto was cup-tied after featuring for AFC Bournemouth in August.

Match highlights

Arsenal scored five, with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri underlining his credentials to step in for the injured Martin Odegaard when Leicester City visit on Saturday by grabbing a brace, while Raheem Sterling also opened his account, but Porter was unable to take back to school this morning a clean sheet.

Arteta certainly feels Nwaneri is ready to make an impact in the Premier League. Speaking after Wednesday night's 5-1 success he said, "You can tell he’s playing without pressure, with confidence, with a way of making decisions that tells you that the boy is ready at this level."

See: Arsenal report

Liverpool add to Lopetegui's woes

Cup holders Liverpool also struck five on Wednesday, albeit at home to West Ham United, whose fans' hopes of bouncing back from the 3-0 home league defeat by Chelsea on Saturday would have been buoyed when Jarell Quansah put the ball into his own net.

But it went downhill from there for them, with Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo each getting a brace and Mohamed Salah coming off the bench to score as well.

Jota and Gakpo have given Arne Slot food for thought when he selects his team for Saturday's trip to Wolverhampton Wanderers, after he had benched both in the 3-0 win over Bournemouth last weekend.

Match highlights

Slot cited the caution in overplaying Jota, who missed 15 Premier League matches in 2023/24 due to injury.

”We are trying to manage his minutes in the best possible way,”  said the Liverpool head coach. ”We also try to prepare him in the week, but sometimes there are small margins and you can be unlucky.”

Things got worse for West Ham, with Edson Alvarez sent off for two bookings. But Julen Lopetegui was not disheartened. "We don't deserve this score because we did a lot of good things," he said, praising his team's first-half performance. 

See: Liverpool report | West Ham report

Guardiola keeps fans guessing 

Manchester City's 2-1 win over Championship side Watford offered no clues as to how Pep Guardiola will replace Rodri for Saturday's trip to Newcastle United and beyond, given that Mateo Kovacic and Ilkay Gundogan were unused substitutes and John Stones played at centre-back.

The holding role was occupied by teenager Nico O'Reilly, while another Academy product, James McAtee, played further forward with Matheus Nunes. The latter made his first full 90 minutes for the club count by scoring his first goal.

Match highlights

Guardiola admitted the EFL Cup remains a platform for Academy graduates; defender Kaden Braithwaite was the youngest player to start for City during his tenure at the age of 16 years and 229 days.

"It's perfect, that's why it's a good competition," said the City manager. "In the next round, I will play the second team. We never throw a competition, we play to go through. But I'm not going to risk the Premier League and the Champions League. We are not going to waste energy."

With a trip to Tottenham Hotspur in the next round, his reserves will be tested. 

See: City report

Buendia back in business

Emiliano Buendia celebrated his first senior start in 16 months by heading Aston Villa into the lead against Wycombe Wanderers.

Buendia had missed the entire 2023/24 campaign with a knee injury and was delighted to mark his return with a goal.

"It was a really special night," he told Sky Sports.

Match highlights

Having scored twice for Villa's Under-21s in the EFL Trophy this month, Buendia adds to the wealth of attacking threat that Villa head coach Unai Emery has at his disposal ahead of Sunday's trip to Ipswich Town. 

Super-sub Jhon Duran made a rare start and missed a one-on-one opportunity in the opening minute against League One Wycombe. But he made it four goals in five games by netting Villa's winner in their 2-1 victory at Adams Park with an 85th-minute penalty.

For Emery it was an historic 50th victory as Villa boss, in only 90 matches, three fewer than the mark set by Joe Mercer.  

See: Villa report

Foxes continue to struggle

The trip to League Two side Walsall did not give Leicester City a chance to find their groove after their winless start to the Premier League season. A goalless draw ensued, but the Foxes went through 3-0 on penalties thanks to deputy goalkeeper Danny Ward, who followed up his clean sheet with three saves in the shootout.

Ward saves three penalties

"We would have loved the performance to be more convincing than what it was," admitted Leicester boss Steve Cooper, who made 10 changes from the side who drew 1-1 with Everton. "It became a tough night, which was self-inflicted, particularly in the second half with some loose passes. We'll work hard to improve and hopefully we can make the supporters a little bit happier."

Easier said than done when a trip to Arsenal on Saturday is up next for Cooper's side.

More: Leicester report

Nkunku gives Maresca food for thought

Nicolas Jackson is not about to step aside after his dismantling of West Ham in the Premier League last weekend, but at least Christopher Nkunku's first Chelsea hat-trick reminded head coach Enzo Maresca of the attacking riches at his disposal.

A completely altered Chelsea XI put five past League Two leaders Barrow without reply at Stamford Bridge, where Joao Felix and right-back Malo Gusto registered their first assists of the season. Mykhailo Mudryk now has double that tally after teeing up Pedro Neto's first goal for the club.

Nkunku completes his hat-trick

"It’s a nice problem when you have two strikers who continue to score," said Maresca, acknowledging the need to choose between Jackson and Nkunku for Saturday's home match with Brighton & Hove Albion.

"It could be they play together," he added teasingly. "The problem is our defensive balance because we can think of playing with Nicolas, Christo, Joao, Cole [Palmer] and Noni [Madueke]. That's fantastic, but then who is defending? Me?"

More: Chelsea report

EFL Cup fourth round draw

Brentford v Sheffield Wednesday
Southampton v Stoke
Spurs v Man City
AFC Wimbledon/Newcastle v Chelsea
Man Utd v Leicester
Brighton v Liverpool
Preston North End v Arsenal
Aston Villa v Crystal Palace

These last-16 ties will be played in the week commencing 28 October, after Matchweek 9 in the Premier League.