Carabao Cup Round-Up: West Ham Recover, Burnley Survive and Jensen Produces Penalty Heroics | 8 August 2026

The Carabao Cup delivered exactly the sort of chaotic opening weekend that has made England’s League Cup such an enduring source of drama, with Premier League and Championship clubs tested, lower-league sides threatening upsets and seven ties on Saturday requiring penalty shoot-outs.

West Ham United recovered from an early scare to defeat Portsmouth 3–1 at the London Stadium, Burnley survived a major challenge from Notts County on penalties and Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen produced perhaps the individual performance of the day by saving all four Queens Park Rangers spot-kicks.

Norwich City were Saturday’s most convincing attacking winners among the afternoon games, beating MK Dons 4–1, while West Bromwich Albion later opened their campaign with an emphatic 4–1 victory at Rotherham United.

Southampton, Charlton Athletic, Luton Town, Birmingham City, Leicester City and Blackburn Rovers were also among the Championship sides progressing.

Not everybody escaped.

Derby County were beaten 2–1 by Lincoln City, Oxford United went down 2–0 at Leyton Orient and Swansea City were eliminated at home by Birmingham.

With 28 first-round ties completed on Saturday alone, the competition produced goals, red cards, last-minute equalisers and enough penalty drama to provide an immediate reminder that reputation offers little protection in the Carabao Cup.

West Ham 3–1 Portsmouth: Castellanos Double Powers Hammers Through

West Ham had one of the day’s highest-profile assignments as Portsmouth visited the London Stadium.

The afternoon initially threatened to become uncomfortable for the Hammers.

Adrian Segecic’s deflected effort put Portsmouth ahead and gave the visitors genuine hope of producing one of the weekend’s biggest results.

West Ham’s response, however, was excellent.

Taty Castellanos equalised shortly before half-time following good work from Mohamadou Kanté, producing an accomplished finish to restore parity.

Jarrod Bowen then completed the turnaround almost immediately.

The West Ham captain unleashed an excellent long-range effort into the top corner to give his side a 2–1 advantage before the interval.

Castellanos effectively finished the tie early in the second half.

Bowen supplied the cross from the right and the striker directed his header beyond the Portsmouth goalkeeper for his second of the afternoon.

West Ham eventually completed a controlled 3–1 victory after having fallen behind.

For a club attempting to rebuild momentum following relegation, the performance provided several encouraging signs.

Castellanos supplied the goals, Bowen delivered the leadership and West Ham showed enough composure to prevent an awkward opening spell from developing into a genuine cup crisis.

QPR 1–1 Millwall: Jensen Produces Remarkable Shoot-Out

If West Ham provided one of the afternoon’s more convincing recoveries, the most extraordinary individual display came at Loftus Road.

Queens Park Rangers and Millwall finished level at 1–1 after 90 minutes.

Luke Cundle had put Millwall ahead before QPR eventually equalised late on when Mark Sykes inadvertently diverted the ball into his own net.

That sent the London derby directly to penalties.

What followed was extraordinary.

Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen saved all four QPR penalties.

Not one of Rangers’ four attempts found the net.

Millwall required only two successful kicks of their own to win the shoot-out 2–0 and secure their place in the second round.

Penalty shoot-outs can often be defined by one decisive save.

Jensen produced four.

It was comfortably one of Saturday’s standout performances and immediately established the Millwall goalkeeper as one of the personalities of the opening round.

Burnley 1–1 Notts County: Clarets Escape on Penalties

Burnley were also forced to survive a shoot-out after being pushed all the way by Notts County at Turf Moor.

The League Two visitors produced one of the most impressive first-half moments of the afternoon when Callum Roberts struck from distance to put County 1–0 ahead.

Burnley responded almost immediately after the restart.

Zian Flemming was released through the centre and produced a delicate finish over the goalkeeper to make it 1–1.

Notts County refused to disappear.

They held Burnley through the remainder of regulation time and forced the tie to penalties.

The Clarets ultimately prevailed 4–3.

The decisive kick fell to Kyle Walker, a player with considerable personal history in the League Cup following his trophy-winning years at Manchester City.

Walker converted emphatically and ensured Burnley avoided an opening-round embarrassment.

For Notts County there was no victory, but there was plenty of encouragement in pushing recently relegated Premier League opposition to the final penalty.

Norwich City 4–1 MK Dons: Canaries Make Early Statement

Norwich City produced one of Saturday’s most convincing victories with a 4–1 success over MK Dons at Carrow Road.

The Canaries effectively took control before half-time.

They reached the interval three goals ahead and gave their League One opponents an enormous recovery task.

Benjamin Chrisene scored the third with a particularly impressive finish after creating space and finding the top corner.

MK Dons had an opportunity to alter the direction of the game when Nathaniel Méndez-Laing was presented with a penalty, but the chance was missed.

Ryan Wintle eventually reduced the deficit early in the second half.

Norwich nevertheless added a fourth and completed a commanding win.

For a club preparing for the Championship campaign, it represented a useful competitive workout and a confident start.

Rotherham 1–4 West Bromwich Albion: Baggies Start in Style

West Bromwich Albion provided one of the evening’s biggest victories, defeating Rotherham United 4–1 at the New York Stadium.

The match represented James Morrison’s first competitive fixture in charge of Albion.

His side ensured it became a memorable one.

West Brom entered the season seeking significant improvement after a difficult previous Championship campaign, and four away goals represented an encouraging beginning.

Rotherham, now operating in League Two after successive relegations, eventually found a late consolation through Fábio Tavares in the 87th minute.

By that stage, however, the tie had already been settled.

Albion progressed comfortably and Morrison could reflect on an authoritative opening performance before attention switches towards the Championship.

Colchester 0–2 Southampton: Saints Avoid Early Scare

Southampton also negotiated their opening-round assignment successfully with a 2–0 victory away to Colchester United.

The Saints entered the campaign among the Championship clubs carrying significant expectations and were heavy favourites against League Two opposition.

Cup football frequently punishes complacency, but Southampton avoided that trap.

They maintained control and secured a professional two-goal victory, allowing them to advance without needing the drama that surrounded several other Championship clubs.

For Southampton, whose primary objective remains returning to the Premier League, the result represented a useful competitive opening to the season.

Cheltenham 1–3 Charlton: Addicks Begin Positively

Charlton Athletic also enjoyed a strong opening evening, winning 3–1 away at Cheltenham Town.

Nathan Jones’ side entered the fixture having strengthened during the summer and used the cup tie as their first competitive test of the campaign.

Three away goals and progression represented a positive outcome.

Charlton now move into the Championship season with some early momentum after avoiding the opening-round elimination that affected several clubs at the same level.

Derby 1–2 Lincoln City: Imps Claim One of the Day’s Best Results

One of Saturday’s most notable results came at Derby County.

Lincoln City defeated their Championship opponents 2–1 and secured an impressive away victory.

Unlike many of Saturday’s underdogs, Lincoln required no penalty shoot-out.

They completed the job inside 90 minutes.

For Derby, it represented an unwanted opening to the competitive season and demonstrated again why early League Cup rounds can be dangerous for clubs expected to progress comfortably.

Lincoln, meanwhile, will regard the result as an early indication that they can compete strongly against higher-ranked opposition.

Leyton Orient 2–0 Oxford United: Late Double Eliminates Oxford

Oxford United were another Championship club eliminated by lower-league opposition.

For much of the afternoon at Brisbane Road, Leyton Orient and Oxford appeared destined for a tight finish.

Then the match changed completely during the final few minutes.

Demetri Mitchell broke the deadlock in the 85th minute.

Only three minutes later Idris El Mizouni doubled Orient’s advantage.

The rapid two-goal burst transformed a close encounter into a 2–0 Leyton Orient victory and sent Oxford out.

It was one of the best examples of how quickly a cup tie can escape from the favourites.

Swansea 0–1 Birmingham: Priske Sends Blues Through

Birmingham City secured an important away victory at Swansea City.

August Priske scored the decisive goal shortly before half-time, meeting a low delivery from the right with a clever finish.

Swansea were unable to respond.

Birmingham held their advantage through the second half and left South Wales with a 1–0 victory.

There was little spectacular about the final score, but cup competitions are frequently built on precisely these controlled away performances.

For Birmingham, progression was the only requirement.

They achieved it.

Luton Town Cruise Past Gillingham

Luton Town experienced considerably less difficulty.

The Hatters defeated Gillingham 3–0 away from home and were among the day’s most comfortable winners.

After a demanding previous campaign, a clean sheet and three goals offered Luton a straightforward route into round two.

Blackpool were similarly impressive in a 3–1 victory away to Grimsby Town.

Leicester Edge Northampton

Leicester City avoided an upset but were made to work hard by Northampton Town.

A solitary goal proved enough as Leicester progressed 1–0.

It was hardly an explosive performance, but the opening round is rarely about style.

Leicester advanced, Northampton were eliminated and the Championship side can concentrate on improving as competitive rhythm develops.

Watford produced an even later escape.

Their tie against Crawley Town remained goalless deep into stoppage time before Marc Bola unleashed a 25-yard volley in the 99th minute.

That dramatic strike gave Watford a 1–0 victory and prevented another penalty shoot-out.

Few winners on Saturday arrived later.

Preston Survive With Ten Men

Preston North End’s tie against Huddersfield Town contained practically everything.

Preston were reduced to ten men and fell behind when Radinio Balker headed Huddersfield into the lead.

The visitors appeared to be heading into round two.

Then came a dramatic stoppage-time equaliser.

Jusef Erabi scored in the 93rd minute to make it 1–1 and force penalties.

Preston then completed the comeback by winning the shoot-out 4–3.

It was one of the day’s most resilient performances.

Playing with ten men, trailing late and still finding a route through represented a strong test of character.

Penalty Drama Everywhere

Preston were far from alone in needing penalties.

Seven Saturday ties were eventually determined from the spot.

AFC Wimbledon drew 1–1 with Newport County before winning 5–4 on penalties.

The Dons had required a dramatic equaliser from Callum Maycock in the seventh minute of stoppage time merely to reach the shoot-out.

Barnsley and Wigan Athletic also finished 1–1 before Barnsley prevailed 6–5.

Bromley pushed Reading all the way before losing 5–4 on penalties following another 1–1 draw.

Stockport County and Doncaster Rovers shared a 1–1 result before Doncaster advanced 5–4.

Salford City and Shrewsbury Town were also level at 1–1, with Shrewsbury emerging 4–3 winners from the shoot-out.

Add Burnley’s victory over Notts County and Millwall’s extraordinary win at QPR, and Saturday’s competition almost became a penalty-taking convention.

Blackburn Turn It Around Late

Blackburn Rovers needed a late turnaround to defeat Burton Albion.

Burton had led the Championship visitors before Andri Gudjohnsen equalised in the 81st minute.

Blackburn then struck again through Jérémy Fevrier in the 88th minute to complete a 2–1 comeback.

Two goals in seven minutes rescued Rovers and prevented another Championship casualty.

Cardiff Survive Five-Goal Test

Cardiff City were involved in one of Saturday’s more entertaining regulation-time encounters.

They defeated Swindon Town 3–2.

The five-goal game remained competitive throughout, with Yousef Salech among Cardiff’s scorers.

Swindon pushed their opponents hard but Cardiff ultimately had enough attacking quality to advance.

Cambridge United also won a competitive encounter, defeating Barnet 2–1 in the earliest Saturday kick-off.

Bradford, Fleetwood and Crewe Progress

Bradford City enjoyed a controlled 2–0 victory over Rochdale.

Fleetwood Town defeated Chesterfield 1–0.

Crewe Alexandra edged Accrington Stanley 2–1.

Peterborough United earned a useful away victory, beating Bristol Rovers 1–0.

These were not the headline fixtures of the round, but they illustrated the competitive depth of a Saturday programme involving clubs throughout the EFL pyramid.

Sheffield Wednesday Edge Bolton

Sheffield Wednesday recorded a 1–0 win over Bolton Wanderers.

The match’s defining incident involved Bolton’s Xavier Simons, who was sent off following an altercation with Harry Gray.

Wednesday took advantage, with Lowe scoring the decisive goal midway through the second half.

Bolton’s dismissal left them with an increasingly difficult assignment and Wednesday successfully protected their advantage.

Stoke Get Past Oldham

Stoke City defeated Oldham Athletic 2–0.

The opening goal arrived early in the second half when Ollie Norburn inadvertently turned a Stoke corner into his own net.

Robert Bozenik then doubled the advantage late on and ensured Stoke progressed without further difficulty.

Saturday’s Carabao Cup Results

Cambridge United 2–1 Barnet

Queens Park Rangers 1–1 Millwall — **Millwall won 2–0 on penalties**

AFC Wimbledon 1–1 Newport County — **AFC Wimbledon won 5–4 on penalties**

Barnsley 1–1 Wigan Athletic — **Barnsley won 6–5 on penalties**

Bradford City 2–0 Rochdale

Bristol Rovers 0–1 Peterborough United

Bromley 1–1 Reading — **Reading won 5–4 on penalties**

Burnley 1–1 Notts County — **Burnley won 4–3 on penalties**

Burton Albion 1–2 Blackburn Rovers

Cardiff City 3–2 Swindon Town

Crewe Alexandra 2–1 Accrington Stanley

Derby County 1–2 Lincoln City

Fleetwood Town 1–0 Chesterfield

Gillingham 0–3 Luton Town

Grimsby Town 1–3 Blackpool

Leicester City 1–0 Northampton Town

Leyton Orient 2–0 Oxford United

Norwich City 4–1 MK Dons

Preston North End 1–1 Huddersfield Town — **Preston won 4–3 on penalties**

Salford City 1–1 Shrewsbury Town — **Shrewsbury won 4–3 on penalties**

Sheffield Wednesday 1–0 Bolton Wanderers

Stockport County 1–1 Doncaster Rovers — **Doncaster won 5–4 on penalties**

Stoke City 2–0 Oldham Athletic

Swansea City 0–1 Birmingham City

Watford 1–0 Crawley Town

West Ham United 3–1 Portsmouth

Cheltenham Town 1–3 Charlton Athletic

Colchester United 0–2 Southampton

Rotherham United 1–4 West Bromwich Albion

Round-Up Verdict

Saturday’s opening-round action provided practically everything expected from the Carabao Cup.

West Ham experienced an early scare but ultimately demonstrated superior attacking quality.

Burnley were pushed to the limit by Notts County.

Millwall discovered an unlikely shoot-out hero in Lukas Jensen.

Norwich and West Brom made emphatic statements.

Southampton and Charlton handled potentially awkward away assignments professionally.

At the other end of the spectrum, Derby, Oxford, Swansea and QPR discovered how unforgiving the competition can be.

The most memorable statistic belongs to Jensen.

Four QPR penalties faced.

Four penalties saved.

Even during a Saturday containing 28 matches and seven shoot-outs, that performance stood apart.

The Carabao Cup first round is not finished yet, with Mansfield Town hosting Sheffield United on Sunday before Plymouth Argyle meet Exeter City on Monday.

But after Saturday’s extraordinary programme, the tone of the 2026/27 competition has already been established.

There will be little room for complacency.