Tuesday night delivered classic cup drama as Brentford and Crystal Palace booked their spots in the English League Cup Round of 16. Both Premier League sides needed the tense lottery of a penalty shootout to overcome their opponents. It was a proper nail-biter for fans of both London clubs.
Brentford faced off against fellow top-flight team Aston Villa in a tight contest held in London. The Bees converted all four of their penalty kicks, showing steely nerves. Portuguese winger Fábio Carvalho was among those who found the back of the net. Aston Villa, a club with five League Cup titles in their history (1960/61, 1974/75, 1976/77, 1993/94, and 1995/96), only managed to score two out of their four attempts. This gave Brentford a 4-2 win in the shootout.
Before the penalties, the game itself was a deadlock. Aston Villa took the lead in the 43rd minute thanks to Harvey Elliott. But Brentford didn’t quit. Scottish defender Aaron Hickey pulled them level in the 57th minute. This matchup was one of just two third-round ties pitting Premier League clubs against each other, promising a tough fight from the start.
Over at Crystal Palace, the home side also had to dig deep to defeat Championship team Millwall. This all-London clash ended 1-1 in regular time, forcing another penalty shootout. Palace eventually triumphed 4-2 in the spot kicks. American defender Chris Richards scored the opening goal for Palace in the 72nd minute, thinking he might have won it. However, Ryan Leonard spoiled their celebrations, grabbing a late equalizer for Millwall in the 91st minute.
The League Cup’s 66th edition sees a fresh wave of teams join the fray in the third round. Crystal Palace and Aston Villa are among nine English clubs playing in European competitions for the 2025/26 season. These European hopefuls, along with current trophy holder Newcastle, entered the tournament at this stage, adding serious firepower to the competition.
This round features sixteen matches in total, starting today and running until September 24. The winners move on to the Round of 16, setting up an exciting mix of teams. After this round, the competition will feature fourteen Premier League clubs, three from the Championship, ten from the third tier, and two from the fourth tier. Grimsby Town, a team from the fourth tier, pulled off a fantastic upset, beating second-tier Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 away from home. They had already made headlines by knocking out Manchester United, managed by Ruben Amorim, in the previous round, also after a penalty shootout.