Liverpool have been drawn against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, while lower-league sides Bradford City and Fleetwood Town will enjoy home advantage against Premier League opposition.

League One outfit Bradford City are set to welcome Manchester City, while League Two side Fleetwood Town will host either Everton or Newcastle United, depending on the outcome of their Thursday night encounter.

Fleetwood earned their place in the last eight after producing a major upset by eliminating Premier League champions Arsenal, setting up another potentially memorable occasion for the fourth-tier club.

Elsewhere, Crystal Palace will face Sunderland in an all-Premier League contest as the remaining teams battle for a place in the semi-finals.

Liverpool secured their quarter-final berth by overcoming Chelsea in a penalty shootout. The Reds will now take on Bournemouth, who booked their place with an impressive 3-0 victory over Aston Villa on Wednesday, October 28, 2026.

Manchester City also required penalties to progress, edging past Brighton and Hove Albion. Their next opponents, Bradford City, advanced after recording a 2-0 win over Peterborough United.

Crystal Palace progressed courtesy of Eddie Nketiah’s decisive strike in their victory away to Fulham, while Sunderland continued their impressive cup run by defeating Brentford 3-2.

The quarter-final fixtures are scheduled to take place during the week beginning December 14, 2026.

Carabao Cup quarter-final draw

• Fleetwood Town vs Everton/Newcastle United
• Manchester City vs Bradford City
• Crystal Palace vs Sunderland
• Liverpool vs Bournemouth

All four matches will be played during the week commencing December 14, 2026.

Chelsea heartbroken

Meanwhile, Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has urged his players to quickly put their Carabao Cup elimination behind them after suffering a penalty shootout defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, despite showing encouraging signs of progress.

The Blues exited the 2026/27 competition on Wednesday night, October 28, 2026, following a closely contested fourth-round encounter that ended 1-1 after regular time before Liverpool secured a 6-5 victory in the shootout.

Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo scored from the penalty spot during the match, but neither side could find a decisive breakthrough before the contest went to penalties.

Liverpool eventually prevailed in sudden death, bringing Chelsea’s cup campaign to an end in disappointing fashion.

Despite the result, Alonso believes his side delivered a promising performance and demonstrated the character required to compete against difficult opposition.

Moving on

“For sure, the outcome is not what we wanted,” Alonso said after the match. “It’s not what we expected before the game. Once you reach penalties, there’s going to be a sad side.”

The Spanish coach maintained that Chelsea’s overall display was encouraging, highlighting the team’s competitiveness and improved performance throughout the contest.