Carabao Cup: Bradford Stun Burnley as Everton, Spurs and Brentford Light Up the Night

ENGLAND: Bradford City delivered the shock, Thierno Barry supplied the individual masterpiece, Tottenham rediscovered their attacking pulse and Newcastle needed Harvey Barnes to rescue them from a genuine scare.

The latest wave of Carabao Cup second-round action had almost everything the competition promises at this stage of the season: a Premier League casualty, a hat-trick, a debut goal, late drama and enough evidence to show that squad depth can matter just as much as league status once knockout football begins.

Bradford produced the headline result by holding Burnley to a goalless draw before winning 4-2 on penalties. Everton were far more comfortable, dismantling Preston North End 4-0 as Barry scored the first hat-trick of his Everton career and created the fourth goal for Brennan Johnson.

Tottenham responded to their difficult start to the Premier League season with a 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic, with Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Sávio and Ben Davies all scoring. Newcastle’s evening was considerably less comfortable. West Brom twice threatened an upset at St James’ Park before substitute Harvey Barnes completed a second-half brace to secure a 3-2 win.

Those results followed another emphatic display earlier in Round Two when Brentford destroyed Birmingham City 6-1 despite making eight changes from the side that had beaten Tottenham in the Premier League.

The pattern running through these ties was difficult to miss.

The teams that treated rotation as an opportunity generally prospered. The ones unable to translate reputation into control discovered again why the Carabao Cup can become uncomfortable remarkably quickly.

Carabao Cup Round Two: Latest Results

Fixture	Result	Key Story
Bradford City vs Burnley	0-0, Bradford won 4-2 on penalties	Bradford eliminate Burnley after Joe McCracken’s shootout intervention
Newcastle United vs West Brom	3-2	Harvey Barnes scores twice as Newcastle survive
Preston North End vs Everton	0-4	Thierno Barry scores hat-trick and assists Brennan Johnson
Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic	5-1	Sávio scores on debut as Spurs respond emphatically
Birmingham City vs Brentford	1-6	Eight-change Brentford side exposes its squad depth
Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United	0-2	Leeds beat Forest for the second time in days
Ipswich Town vs Leicester City	3-1	Marcelino Núñez scores twice, including a spectacular long-range goal

The wider competition schedule and official Round Two information can be followed through the English Football League’s Carabao Cup coverage.

Bradford Turn Burnley’s Escape Act Into an Exit

There was something especially fitting about the way Burnley left the competition.

Earlier in the Carabao Cup, Burnley had needed penalties to survive Notts County after a 1-1 draw. That narrow escape formed part of The Sports Encounter’s Round One North review, where the early warning was already obvious: divisional status offers little protection once a knockout tie becomes uncomfortable.

This time, the shootout turned against them.

Bradford resisted for 90 minutes without conceding and then handled the pressure from the spot with considerably greater composure.

Zeki Amdouni failed to convert for Burnley before Bradford goalkeeper Joe McCracken saved Jacob Bruun Larsen’s penalty. Ibou Touray strengthened Bradford’s position before Marcus Edwards temporarily kept Burnley alive.

Adam Phillips then finished the job.

His successful penalty sealed a 4-2 shootout victory and sent Bradford into the third round.

The upset was built before the penalties

Shootouts naturally dominate the memory of games like this, but Bradford’s achievement began much earlier.

Keeping Burnley scoreless across 90 minutes required organisation, concentration and enough defensive discipline to prevent the stronger squad from turning possession into a decisive moment.

Burnley had already experienced the danger of this competition in Round One. Bradford made sure the warning became elimination in Round Two.

That is what gives this result genuine giant-killing value.

Bradford did not require a freak early goal and an hour of desperate survival. They remained level long enough to move the contest into the part of knockout football where reputation stops carrying any weight.

Four Bradford penalties later, Burnley’s Carabao Cup campaign was over.

Thierno Barry Gives Everton Something Far More Valuable Than Progression

Everton were never interested in penalties at Deepdale.

David Moyes returned to Preston, the club he left for Everton in 2002, and watched his current side produce one of the cleanest performances of the round.

The 4-0 scoreline tells only part of the story.

Thierno Barry scored three times and then created Everton’s fourth for Brennan Johnson.

For a striker who managed eight goals across 41 appearances last season, the timing could hardly have been better.

Barry had already scored against Crystal Palace in Everton’s Premier League opener. His hat-trick at Preston took him to four goals in the early stages of the new campaign and offered Moyes something every manager wants to discover in August: a forward who appears to have returned sharper, more confident and more decisive.

Barry’s hat-trick showed three different striker instincts

The first arrived in the 25th minute.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall lifted an intelligent pass beyond Preston’s defense for Vitalii Mykolenko, whose control allowed him to square across goal. Barry arrived where a center-forward should and converted.

Preston emerged with greater purpose after halftime, but their resistance lasted only until the 59th minute.

Dewsbury-Hall again played a central role, combining in the buildup before forcing a save. Barry reacted quickest to the rebound and finished from close range.

The hat-trick arrived 11 minutes later when Johnson crossed unselfishly toward the far post and Barry tapped in.

Then came the detail that completed the performance.

Barry could have ended the evening satisfied with three goals. Instead, he split Preston’s defense with the pass that allowed Johnson to score Everton’s fourth.

Three goals and an assist made Barry the outstanding individual performer from the latest group of ties.

Everton may have found an early-season attacking answer

Cup performances can mislead when opponents rotate heavily, and Preston made seven changes.

Even allowing for that context, Everton’s attacking fluency mattered.

They controlled the match, created chances repeatedly and avoided the kind of awkward second-round contest that can drain confidence from a team still finding its rhythm.

For broader context on where Everton and the rest of England’s top-flight clubs stand at the start of the campaign, see The Sports Encounter’s complete 2026-27 Premier League preview.

Tottenham Needed a Response and Found Five Goals

Tottenham’s situation carried a different kind of pressure.

Roberto De Zerbi’s team had opened its Premier League campaign with a bruising 3-0 defeat at Brentford.

Early-season setbacks rarely become crises after one match, but a new-look side trying to establish confidence does not want another difficult night four days later.

Charlton therefore arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with an opportunity to create genuine discomfort.

For 40 minutes, they stayed in the game.

Then Tottenham accelerated.

Mikey Moore opened the scoring in the 41st minute before Dominic Solanke doubled the advantage just before halftime.

Kevin Danso made it 3-0 after the break.

The fourth provided the evening’s most obvious headline.

Sávio needed only minutes to introduce himself

Tottenham completed the signing of Sávio shortly before the tie, and De Zerbi had admitted beforehand that he was unsure how much the Brazilian would be able to play.

The answer was enough.

Sávio came from the bench and scored on his debut, offering supporters an immediate glimpse of the one-on-one threat Tottenham believe they have added to their attack.

His influence did not stop with the goal. He remained heavily involved as Spurs continued to stretch Charlton late in the contest.

Ben Davies scored the fifth before Lloyd Jones headed Charlton’s consolation.

The final score read 5-1.

For a team coming directly from a three-goal defeat, the emotional value of the result was obvious.

Mikey Moore’s contribution should not disappear behind the new signing

Sávio will naturally command attention because of his transfer fee and debut goal, but Moore’s performance deserves its own recognition.

The academy product scored the opener and repeatedly carried attacking threat.

His development also gives De Zerbi something valuable during a season in which Tottenham’s senior attacking options will inevitably encounter injuries, rotation and fixture congestion.

The result cannot erase what went wrong against Brentford.

It did show that Tottenham were capable of responding immediately rather than allowing that defeat to define the beginning of their season.

Tottenham’s broader challenge forms part of our Premier League coverage, where managerial changes, squad construction and the early shape of the 2026-27 campaign remain central themes.

Harvey Barnes Saves Newcastle From a Much More Difficult Night

If Tottenham and Everton enjoyed relatively comfortable progress, Newcastle had to earn every part of theirs.

West Brom arrived at St James’ Park prepared to compete rather than simply admire Premier League opposition.

Isaac Price gave the visitors the lead after 19 minutes with a 25-yard free kick that Newcastle goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen got a hand to but could not keep out.

The home side responded before halftime.

Teenager Sean Steur helped release Amar Dedic, whose cross was finished at close range by Bazoumana Touré for his first Newcastle goal.

The equalizer carried particular significance because several of Newcastle’s newer players combined in its creation.

That development matters for Matthias Jaissle, who inherited a club undergoing significant change and has had limited time to build his preferred structure.

Our earlier analysis of Jaissle’s Newcastle rebuild focused on precisely that problem: integrating new players quickly enough to produce competitive results before the season gathered speed.

Barnes changed the tie after halftime

Touré was replaced by Harvey Barnes at the interval.

Three minutes later, Newcastle were ahead.

Barnes reacted after a corner broke inside the penalty area and converted at the second attempt.

West Brom refused to disappear.

Lewis Hall handled inside the area, allowing Price to score his second of the match from the penalty spot in the 78th minute.

At 2-2, Newcastle were suddenly facing the possibility of penalties and another frustrating night under their new coach.

Barnes prevented it.

Dedic delivered another dangerous low cross, and Barnes swept home the winner in the 82nd minute.

Newcastle had their first competitive victory under Jaissle.

The performance raised questions even as the result delivered relief

A 3-2 cup win over Championship opposition is not evidence that Newcastle’s transition is complete.

West Brom caused serious problems and scored twice. Price repeatedly found ways to hurt the home side, while Newcastle needed a substitute to rescue them after the break.

There was also plenty to encourage Jaissle.

Dedic influenced multiple goals, Touré scored, Steur played a role in the first and Barnes looked decisive when introduced.

For a team still putting together a new identity, progression accompanied by contributions from several different players is more useful than a comfortable win built entirely around familiar names.

Brentford’s 6-1 Rout Was the Round’s Clearest Squad-Depth Statement

Brentford had already set an intimidating benchmark before Wednesday’s ties began.

Keith Andrews changed eight players from the starting lineup that had beaten Tottenham 3-0 in the Premier League.

Such rotation can sometimes turn League Cup nights into disjointed performances.

Brentford instead scored six.

Callum Wilson marked his first competitive start for the club with a goal after only six minutes.

Birmingham equalized through Demarai Gray, but the response from the Premier League side was ruthless.

Aaron Hickey restored the lead, Nathan Collins scored twice, Mikkel Damsgaard added another and Igor Thiago completed the rout.

The 6-1 result was significant beyond progression.

Brentford rotated without losing their identity

The most impressive part of the performance was not simply the number of goals.

Only Collins, Vitaly Janelt and Dango Ouattara retained their places from the league victory over Spurs.

Brentford still pressed aggressively, attacked quickly and exposed Birmingham whenever the Championship side attempted to play through pressure.

New players contributed immediately.

Wilson scored. Hickey scored. Damsgaard scored. Thiago scored. Collins, the captain, scored twice.

That is exactly what managers hope cup competitions will reveal.

Rotation did not weaken Brentford’s structure. It exposed how many players already understand it.

The contrast with Tottenham’s Premier League defeat only days earlier also sharpened the picture. Brentford had beaten Spurs 3-0 with one lineup and then dismantled Birmingham 6-1 with another.

That is an early warning for the rest of the domestic season.

Leeds Beat Nottingham Forest Again

Leeds United’s second-round victory carried a particularly uncomfortable message for Nottingham Forest.

Daniel Farke’s side had already beaten Forest 1-0 in the Premier League.

Days later, Leeds returned to the City Ground and won again.

This time the margin was 2-0.

Dan James opened the scoring in the 50th minute before Lukas Nmecha added the second in the 75th, according to Leeds United’s official match report.

Two defeats against the same opponent in such a short period inevitably tell both clubs something.

Leeds have discovered an early matchup they can control.

Forest have already been shown twice where the problems lie.

Marcelino Núñez Produces the Goal of the Round Candidate

Ipswich’s 3-1 victory over Leicester contained one of the most memorable individual moments of Round Two.

The first half ended goalless before Sindre Walle Egeli put Ipswich ahead in the 62nd minute.

Leicester responded five minutes later when 19-year-old Olabade Aluko scored his first senior goal.

Then Marcelino Núñez took over.

The Chilean restored Ipswich’s lead in the 71st minute before producing the moment everyone will remember.

Deep into stoppage time, Núñez saw goalkeeper Jakub Stolarczyk away from his line and struck from close to the halfway line.

The ball flew over the goalkeeper and completed a 3-1 win.

Leicester’s own official match center records Núñez’s brace at 71 and 90+1 minutes.

Cup football often needs one moment to turn an ordinary second-round result into something supporters remember months later.

Núñez supplied it.

What the Latest Carabao Cup Results Actually Tell Us

Looking at these matches together reveals more than a collection of scores.

1. Squad depth is already becoming visible

Brentford provided the clearest example.

Eight changes produced six goals.

Everton rotated without losing attacking control. Tottenham were able to introduce an expensive new signing from the bench and immediately receive a goal. Newcastle used Barnes as a halftime replacement and watched him decide the match.

This is what the League Cup can expose very early in a season.

First-choice teams tell us how strong a club’s starting XI is. Cup rotation begins revealing whether the second layer can preserve the same standards.

2. Reputation still offers no protection

Burnley entered their tie with a stronger recent top-flight pedigree than Bradford.

Bradford sent them home.

The penalty shootout was simply the final stage of a contest Burnley had already failed to control over 90 minutes.

That is why the Carabao Cup remains useful even when some managers make wholesale changes.

Once the match begins, the name of the league on a club’s fixture list cannot score for them.

3. New signings are being asked to contribute immediately

Sávio scored on his Tottenham debut.

Wilson scored on his first competitive Brentford start.

Touré opened his Newcastle account.

Johnson scored for Everton after Barry returned the favor following the winger’s assist for the hat-trick goal.

August traditionally allows managers to talk about players needing time.

The fixture calendar rarely offers much of it.

4. The cup can repair confidence quickly

Tottenham needed that badly.

A 3-0 league defeat to Brentford raised immediate questions about De Zerbi’s new-look team.

Five goals against Charlton do not answer every one of them, but football psychology rarely operates in neat tactical categories.

Players who have just suffered a heavy defeat benefit from seeing passes connect, forwards score and supporters enjoy the evening again.

Everton gained something similar through Barry’s performance.

Newcastle gained it through Jaissle’s first competitive win.

A cup tie can therefore become more useful than its place on the calendar initially suggests.

The Biggest Winner of the Latest Round Two Action

Bradford owned the biggest result.

Brentford produced the strongest collective performance.

Tottenham scored five and introduced Sávio successfully.

Newcastle survived the most dramatic contest.

Yet if one individual stands above the rest, it is difficult to look beyond Thierno Barry.

A hat-trick would have been enough.

Adding an assist made the night exceptional.

What gives the performance additional significance is what came before it.

Barry’s first Everton season was difficult. Eight goals in 41 games left plenty of room for doubt over whether he could become the consistent finisher the club required.

He has now started the new campaign with four goals in his opening matches.

That does not prove a complete transformation.

It gives Everton a reason to believe one may be developing.

The Biggest Loser: Burnley Had Been Warned Already

Burnley’s elimination is the result most difficult to explain away.

They had already needed a penalty shootout to survive Notts County in the previous round.

The second warning arrived against Bradford.

There was no survival this time.

For a club trying to rebuild after relegation from the Premier League, early cup elimination is not automatically disastrous. League priorities will carry much greater long-term importance.

Still, losing without scoring against Bradford and then failing from the spot removes an opportunity for competitive minutes, momentum and a potentially valuable cup run.

More importantly, it gives Burnley’s coaching staff another early indication that greater attacking authority is required.

Why These Nights Still Matter in the Carabao Cup

The Carabao Cup’s early rounds often arrive while transfer windows remain open and managers are still learning what their squads can actually do.

That makes them unusually revealing.

League tables after one or two matches tell very little.

A knockout game asks a different question.

Can a changed lineup maintain the team’s identity?

Can a young player handle senior responsibility?

Can a new signing influence a competitive game immediately?

Can a stronger club respond when a lower-ranked opponent refuses to follow the expected script?

This week’s answers were varied.

Brentford’s second team looked frighteningly comfortable.

Everton discovered a striker in ruthless form.

Spurs found a response and a promising debut.

Newcastle found enough quality on the bench to escape trouble.

Bradford found belief when Burnley could not find a goal.

That is a useful amount of information from a competition some supporters are tempted to treat as secondary until the later rounds.

For continuing English football coverage, follow The Sports Encounter’s Soccer hub and our dedicated Premier League section.

The Final Word: Bradford Owned the Shock, Barry Owned the Night

Carabao Cup Round Two has already reminded several clubs that August does not provide immunity from consequences.

Burnley are out because Bradford stayed disciplined for 90 minutes and then handled the shootout better.

Everton are through because Barry turned a potentially awkward trip to Preston into his personal showcase.

Tottenham are through because their attack finally found the freedom that disappeared at Brentford a few days earlier.

Newcastle are through because Barnes entered a level contest and changed it.

Brentford had already made perhaps the loudest squad-depth statement of the round by scoring six with eight changes.

Leeds demonstrated repeatable superiority over Nottingham Forest, while Ipswich received a moment of extraordinary quality from Núñez.

The competition will become harder from here. Bigger clubs will enter, rotations will become more strategic and the consequences will carry greater weight.

That can wait.

The latest results deserve their own conclusion.

Bradford produced the upset everybody will remember.

Barry delivered the performance nobody at Preston could stop.

And across several grounds, the Carabao Cup again showed why seemingly routine early-round fixtures have a habit of becoming anything but routine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who knocked Burnley out of the Carabao Cup?

Bradford City eliminated Burnley in Round Two. The match finished 0-0 after 90 minutes before Bradford won the penalty shootout 4-2.

Who scored Everton’s goals against Preston?

Thierno Barry scored a hat-trick and Brennan Johnson added Everton’s fourth in the 4-0 victory at Deepdale.

How many goals did Thierno Barry score against Preston?

Barry scored three goals and also assisted Johnson, giving him direct involvement in all four Everton goals.

Who scored for Tottenham against Charlton?

Mikey Moore, Dominic Solanke, Kevin Danso, Sávio and Ben Davies scored for Tottenham in the 5-1 victory. Lloyd Jones scored Charlton’s late consolation.

Did Sávio score on his Tottenham debut?

Yes. Sávio came off the bench and scored during Tottenham’s 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton.

What was the Newcastle vs West Brom score?

Newcastle defeated West Brom 3-2 at St James’ Park. Harvey Barnes scored twice after coming on at halftime, while Bazoumana Touré scored Newcastle’s other goal. Isaac Price scored both West Brom goals.

Was this Matthias Jaissle’s first competitive Newcastle win?

Yes. The 3-2 victory over West Brom gave Jaissle his first competitive win as Newcastle head coach.

What was the Birmingham vs Brentford Carabao Cup score?

Brentford defeated Birmingham City 6-1 despite making eight changes from their previous Premier League starting lineup.

Who scored for Brentford against Birmingham?

Callum Wilson, Aaron Hickey, Nathan Collins, Mikkel Damsgaard and Igor Thiago scored. Collins finished with two goals.

Who won Nottingham Forest vs Leeds in the Carabao Cup?

Leeds won 2-0 at the City Ground through second-half goals from Dan James and Lukas Nmecha.

What happened in Ipswich vs Leicester?

Ipswich beat Leicester 3-1. Sindre Walle Egeli scored the opener before Olabade Aluko equalized. Marcelino Núñez then scored twice, including a spectacular long-range goal in stoppage time.