EFL Cup Recap: Lessons from Tuesday’s Ties

The fourth round of the EFL Cup kicked off on Tuesday evening, featuring two Premier League sides, Fulham and Brentford, both on their travels. Here’s how the pair fared as the action unfolded.

Grimsby Town 0–5 Brentford

Brentford brought Grimsby Town’s fairytale EFL Cup run to a dramatic halt with a dominant 5–0 victory at Blundell Park, securing their place in the quarter-finals.

Only two players — Dango Ouattara and Sepp van den Berg — retained their spots from Keith Andrews’ starting XI that began the 3–2 Premier League win over Liverpool at the weekend. Despite Grimsby’s giant-killing form, having already eliminated Manchester United and Sheffield Wednesday, the League Two side were no match for Brentford’s professionalism and precision, trademarks of Andrews’ developing tenure.

Midfielder Mathias Jensen, often a substitute in the Premier League this season, gave Andrews plenty to ponder. The Danish playmaker broke the deadlock midway through the first half, expertly curling a left-footed strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box.

Two players eager to impress were Reiss Nelson — starting for the first time since arriving on loan from Arsenal — and Keane Lewis-Potter, who had been used as a substitute in Brentford’s last three league fixtures.

Just four minutes after Jensen’s opener, Lewis-Potter doubled the Bees’ lead, nodding in Nelson’s smart delivery at the far post. Then, two minutes before half-time, Nelson added a goal of his own, bending a precise effort low into the net to complete a slick attacking move that left the Mariners reeling.

The onslaught continued after the interval. Fabio Carvalho was brought down by Evan Khouri inside the box but quickly got up to dispatch the resulting penalty nine minutes into the second half. With 15 minutes remaining, Nathan Collins made it 5–0, powering home Jensen’s corner after outmuscling two Grimsby defenders.

Reflecting on his first start for Brentford, Nelson told the club’s official X account: “I’m delighted. It was a bit slow for me coming here [from Arsenal] because I had a bit of an injury setback. I’ve been working in the background [though] and I’m delighted to start today for this great team, [with a] nice assist and a nice goal. It’s [about] moving forward from here now.”

The result marked another milestone for Andrews’ side, who showed both depth and drive as they advanced to the quarter-finals.

Wycombe Wanderers 1–1 Fulham (4–5 on penalties)

Fulham narrowly avoided a fifth straight defeat by scraping through to the EFL Cup’s last eight after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over League One side Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.

Goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte, making only his third appearance since joining from Montpellier in the summer, proved the hero. The Frenchman saved three of seven penalties faced in the shootout, with Issa Diop converting the decisive kick to seal a much-needed win.

Lecomte spoke to Fulham’s official X account after the match: “For sure, when we win a penalty shootout, for a goalkeeper it’s always nice. But I have to congratulate the whole team, the whole staff, because it was not an easy game and we did the job tonight. After [the results] we have had in the Premier League, I think this can help us to have a better feeling, a positive feeling for the next game at home [against Wolverhampton Wanderers].”

A trip to Adams Park looked like an opportunity for Marco Silva’s side to reset after recent Premier League frustrations, but unlike their west London neighbours Brentford, Fulham were forced to dig deep against stubborn opposition.

Silva made seven changes from the side beaten 3–1 by Newcastle United on Saturday. However, the Cottagers were stunned early when former Fulham forward Cauley Woodrow opened the scoring inside four minutes. Cutting inside from the left, the 30-year-old unleashed a fierce 20-yard drive into the near post, leaving Silva anxious on the touchline.

Fulham gradually settled and nearly equalised when Tom Cairney’s long-range effort drifted narrowly wide. The visitors dominated possession and were rewarded three minutes after the break when teenage forward Josh King flicked in Kevin’s corner at the near post to claim his first senior goal.

Despite their territorial dominance, Fulham struggled to break Wycombe’s resilience. With the hosts defending resolutely, Silva’s men pushed forward in search of a late winner but found no way through. In stoppage time, Kevin’s low effort was blocked on the line by Anders Hagelskjaer, sending the contest to penalties.

At 4–4 after the first five rounds, Ewan Henderson saw his effort saved by Lecomte, while Wycombe goalkeeper Will Norris kept out Ryan Sessegnon’s tame strike. Both teams then failed with their sixth kicks — Fred Onyedinma for Wycombe and Jonah Kusi-Asare for Fulham. Lecomte produced another vital stop, denying Donnell McNeilly to hand Diop the chance to seal victory. The French defender made no mistake, thundering his penalty into the top corner to confirm Fulham’s passage into the quarter-finals.

Although far from convincing, the win ended Fulham’s losing streak and offered a timely boost ahead of their next Premier League fixture.

Cardiff City 2–1 Wrexham

In Tuesday’s other EFL Cup fixture, Cardiff City triumphed 2–1 against Wrexham in a fiercely contested all-Welsh tie. The Bluebirds’ victory ensured they joined Brentford and Fulham in the draw for the last eight.

Today’s EFL Cup Fixtures

The remaining fourth-round matches take place on Wednesday, featuring several heavyweight clashes:

• Arsenal v Brighton
• Swansea v Manchester City
• Newcastle v Tottenham
• Liverpool - Crystal Palace
• Wolves v Chelsea

The quarter-final draw will follow the conclusion of Newcastle United’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur, with the ties scheduled to be played during the week commencing 15 December.