Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and holders Newcastle United all booked their places in the fourth round of the EFL Cup after comfortable wins on Wednesday night. The draw for the next round is set to follow the evening’s final fixture.
At Vale Park, Arsenal overcame a determined Port Vale side to secure a 2-0 victory. Eberechi Eze scored his first goal for the club before Leandro Trossard sealed the win with a late strike.
Despite spells of pressure from the League One side, Mikel Arteta’s men showed their quality in the closing stages to advance.
“Very special. I’ve been waiting to score for this club for a long time, and the first is very special. It’s a very difficult place to come. It’s important we got the first goal and we could move forward.” Eze said.
Elsewhere, Newcastle underlined their credentials as defending champions with a commanding 4-1 win over Bradford City.
Joelinton and William Osula both struck twice in a dominant display, ensuring Eddie Howe’s side remained firmly on course for another deep cup run.
Manchester City also progressed with a 2-0 victory away to Huddersfield Town. Phil Foden played a key role, providing an assist and scoring the opening goal.
Despite Huddersfield’s defensive resilience, Pep Guardiola’s side controlled the game and were rarely troubled.
Tottenham made light work of Doncaster Rovers, running out 3-0 winners in north London.
João Palhinha opened the scoring with a spectacular overhead kick, followed by an own goal from Aidan McGrath, before Brennan Johnson added a late third to complete the victory for Ange Postecoglou’s men.
The results mean 11 Premier League clubs, alongside three Welsh EFL sides, Cardiff City, Swansea City, and Wrexham — as well as Wycombe and Grimsby- will feature in the fourth-round draw.
With several heavyweight names still in contention, fans can look forward to some intriguing ties in the next stage of the competition.
