The third round of the Carabao Cup has been completed and while many expected results took place, there were some upsets that showed that the lower tier clubs held their own.
The major upset to come out of the round was Colchester’s 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Tottenham.
EFL League Two side Crawley Town also secured a penalty shootout win, defeating EFL Championship side Stoke City. The two could not be separated in regular play and Crawley were successful in the shootout, winning it 5-3.
A major upset took place at Kassam Stadium, with EFL League One club Oxford United thrashing West Ham 4-0. Oxford fired nine shots on target, compared to West Ham’s three and their firepower was too strong for the Hammers.
Fellow EFL League One side Sunderland defeated Premier League outfit Sheffield United 1-0, with Sunderland midfielder Max Power scoring the solitary goal of the match.
Burton Albion, who are currently 14th in EFL League One, defeated Premier League club Bournemouth 2-0 at Pirelli Stadium. Oliver Sarkic opened the scoring for Burton in the 14th minute, while Nathan Broadhead sealed the deal in the 72nd minute.
Manchester United were pushed by 17th placed EFL League One side Rochdale, although they managed to win 5-3 on penalties. Despite having 31 shots, compared to Rochdale’s five, the two could not be separated. However, United converted all their penalties and ensured that an upset did not occur.
While the higher ranked sides may not have fielded first-team squads, the lower-ranked clubs that did produce an upset brought joy to their fans and put their places into the next round of the competition.
