These are the matches to be played the week of October 25:
Newcastle v Arsenal
Birmingham City v Brentford
Wigan Athletic v Swansea City
Aston Villa v Burnley
Leicester City v West Brom
Manchester United v Wolves
West Ham v Stoke City
Ipswich Town v Northampton Town
These cup ties can be very tricky, especially since they are played mid-week. The matches played on either side can present a manager with difficult decisions.
Historically the Carling Cup XI chosen by Prem League sides features young players, with a scattering of experienced first-teamers. That isn't always a successful mix when the "lesser" sides like Northampton, Ipswich (managed by former United great Roy Keane), Leicester, Swansea, Brentford, and Burnley don't have the depth to play youth and so they run out their normal first-teamers. A win over a Prem League side is seen as a massive victory and could bring much-needed revenue if they advance further in the tournament. The smaller teams have smaller stadia, and if they're "lucky" enough to draw Manchester United at Old Trafford, they will share in the profits of a possible 75,000 attendees (even though some of the OT faithful would not bother if it were a lesser side).
With Chelsea, Man City, and Liverpool dumping out in the Third Round, the field is wide open.
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