Carabao Cup: Manchester City To Face Newcastle In Semi-Final, Chelsea Await Arsenal, Crystal Palace

Manchester City have been paired with holders Newcastle United in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup, following a late-night draw released by the English Football League on Wednesday.

The Carabao Cup draw, published on the EFL’s official website, came after a busy midweek of quarter-final action that confirmed City and Newcastle as two of the last four teams standing.

City sealed their passage with a composed 2-0 win over Brentford, while Newcastle left it late against Fulham, booking their spot thanks to a stoppage-time header from Lewis Miley.

Chelsea’s path to the semi-finals is already secure, but their next opponents are yet to be decided.

The Blues will face the winners of the quarter-final clash between Arsenal and Crystal Palace, scheduled for Tuesday, December 23 at the Emirates Stadium.

Earlier in the week, Chelsea edged past Cardiff City in a tense away tie, winning 3-1 to progress. The match carried extra intrigue as it saw the Blues come up against club legend Frank Lampard, now in charge of the Welsh side.

In a statement accompanying the draw, the EFL said: “Chelsea will learn their semi-final opponents following the Arsenal versus Crystal Palace encounter at the Emirates Stadium.

“The EFL said the first legs of the semi-final ties will be played in the week commencing January 12, 2026, while the second legs are scheduled for the week commencing February 2, 2026.”