Pierre Sage’s Side Clinch Fourth-Round Spot
Crystal Palace eased their way into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a thoroughly professional and convincing 3-0 victory over Championship outfit Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park. Pierre Sage opted to shuffle his pack heavily, making eight changes from the weekend side that edged past Fulham, handing maiden starts to summer arrivals Óscar Mingueza, Honest Ahanor, and Dario Osorio.
While a disjointed opening period highlighted the expected teething problems of a heavily rotated lineup, a clinical second-half masterclass put the tie to bed. Jørgen Strand Larsen broke the deadlock with a sharp header from Mingueza’s cross before doubling the advantage shortly after the interval with a powerful effort from Ben Chilwell’s delivery.
Substitute Daichi Kamada wrapped up an emphatic evening in south London, applying the finishing gloss with an exquisite, audacious chip over a stranded Sol Brynn from outside the area.
The Wait Goes On: When is the Fourth-Round Draw?
Having successfully navigated the hurdle at Selhurst Park, attention inevitably turns toward the next stage of the competition. However, due to the split-week scheduling necessitated by European commitments across the football calendar, Palace must exercise a degree of patience.
The draw for the Carabao Cup fourth round will take place live on Sky Sports next Wednesday, 16th September. Proceedings will commence immediately following the conclusion of the televised high-profile tie between Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion. With that fixture scheduled for an 20:00 BST kickoff, supporters can realistically expect the balls to be drawn at approximately 22:15 BST, providing penalties are avoided at Old Trafford.
The Schedule: When Will the Last 16 Ties Be Played?
For those already mapping out their autumn calendars, the fourth-round matches have been pencilled in for the week commencing Monday, 26th October.
It is also worth noting the competition’s specific rules regarding deadlock situations moving forward. Any fourth-round matches finishing level after normal time will bypass extra-time entirely and proceed straight to a penalty shootout. Traditional extra-time periods are reserved exclusively for the semi-final stage and the Wembley final later down the line.
Who Could Palace Face in the Last 16?
Unlike the regionalised or conditional restrictions that occasionally mire the opening rounds, the fourth-round draw operates as a pure open contest. There are no seedings or draw conditions required, meaning any remaining team can be paired against any other opponent left standing in the competition.
Ten third-round ties are still awaiting completion during the subsequent midweek block (commencing Monday, 14th September) due to the aforementioned European calendar overlaps.
Nevertheless, Palace are already guaranteed company in the hat alongside fellow Premier League progressors Bournemouth, Sunderland, and Newcastle United, alongside League One flagbearers Bradford City. Heavyweights such as Chelsea, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, holders Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Manchester City all enter the fray as their respective third-round fixtures play out next week.
