THE CARLING CUP only ever truly begins to motivate the neutral supporter when the third round arrives and England’s biggest sides begin to take to the pitches of their lower-league counterparts.
Unusually this year, the draw for the third round threw up a slew of all-Premiership ties, with twelve of the Premier League score facing off against each other.
Pick of the ties was the meeting of North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham (video highlights), with Wenger’s young guns facing off against their biggest rivals. It was the Gunners youth wh omade the early running, with teenager Henri Lansbury grabbing the first goal, though Ireland captain Robbie Keane equalise soon afterward.
Sent to extra time, Arsenal sent for the cavalry who got the job done through two penalties from Samir Nasri (the first for a soft foul from Bassong on Nasri himself, the second when Steven Caulker hauled down Marouane Chamakh in the box) and an effort from Andrey Arshavin to finish it at 4-1.
Everton had less luck as their tussle with lowly Brentford (video highlights) ended in a sticky time for the Toffees, who squandered an early lead won by right-back Seamus Coleman when Gary Alexander replied for the Bees. Indeed, Brentford could have ended it earlier but for Charlie MacDonald’s penalty miss.
After 120 minutes the sides were sent to the spot, and it was the Toffees who broke first with Jermaine Beckford having his effort saved, and Phil Jagielka hitting the post to seal Everton’s fate.
Elsewhere on the night there were wins for Birmingham, Burnley, Roy Keane’s Ipswich, Swansea, Leicester, Stoke and West Ham.
- Birmingham 3, MK Dons 1
- Brentford 1, Everton 1 (Brentford win 4-3 on penalties)
- Burnley 1, Bolton 0
- Millwall 1, Ipswich 2
- Peterborough 1, Swansea 3
- Portsmouth 1, Leicester 2
- Stoke 2, Fulham 0
- Sunderland 1, West Ham 2
- Tottenham 1, Arsenal 4
- Wolverhampton 4, Notts County 2
