The reported Liverpool-Chelsea tie is the standout fixture. A home draw gives Liverpool a practical advantage, but Chelsea’s visit should ensure the competition’s fourth round carries genuine Premier League weight.
Both clubs may see the Carabao Cup as an opportunity to rotate, yet the quality of the opposition limits how far either manager can go with changes. The tie also offers an early test of squad depth, particularly if domestic and European commitments create a congested schedule.
Arsenal’s reported trip to Fleetwood Town places the Premier League champions against a League Two opponent and shifts the pressure in a different direction. The challenge is less about matching elite quality and more about handling expectation, unfamiliar conditions and the intensity of a cup tie away from home.
For Fleetwood, the fixture represents a major occasion and a chance to turn the gap in league status into an advantage through energy and direct attacking play. Arsenal will be expected to control the contest, but lower-league away ties can become uncomfortable when an early breakthrough does not arrive.
The Bradford City-Peterborough United tie gives the round a clear underdog storyline. With both clubs outside the Premier League, the winner will take a direct route into the last eight and underline the Carabao Cup’s capacity to open the door for teams from the divisions below.
The reported fourth-round ties are scheduled for the week commencing October 26. Liverpool-Chelsea will command the biggest audience, while Arsenal’s visit to Fleetwood and the Bradford-Peterborough meeting could define the round’s upset narrative.