Fourth-tier Colchester United dumped last season’s Champions League finalists Tottenham Hotspur out of the League Cup 4-3 on penalties in the big shock of the third round on Tuesday.
While an abject Spurs side sank after a goalless 90 minutes to the lowest-ranked side in the draw, holders Manchester City powered past second-tier Preston North End 3-0 with forward Raheem Sterling scoring the opener and setting up another.
On a night with seven Premier League clubs playing lower league opposition, it was Colchester and fellow League Two giant killers Crawley Town who rose to the challenge and went through.
Colchester managed only a handful of shots on target during their match at the Community Stadium, while Tottenham enjoyed 70% of possession and could boast the likes of internationals Dele Alli, Heung-Min Son and Erik Lamela on the pitch.
Substitute Christian Eriksen had his spot kick saved by Dean Gerken and Lucas Moura blasted against the crossbar.
Tom Lapslie then sent Colchester into the last 16 for the first time in 44 years by scoring the decisive penalty past Paulo Gazzaniga.
“Colchester made a fantastic game, it was difficult. We are so disappointed we could not score in 90 minutes,” said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino.
“They beat (Crystal) Palace on penalties too, that can happen. That’s the beauty of the competition, always something can happen.”
Crawley beat 10-man Championship (second-tier) side Stoke City 5-3 on penalties after the visitors had Nathan Collins sent off in the 62nd minute for violent conduct.
“We didn’t have anything to lose today,” said Crawley boss Gabriele Cioffi. “It was enough to make a statement.
“It’s like David against Goliath. What do we have to lose? We couldn’t bring stone inside… the only thing we could bring on the pitch was bravery, belief, trust.”
STERLING STRIKE
Sterling sent Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on their way with a right-foot shot in the 19th minute and then provided the pass for Gabriel Jesus to make it 2-0 in the 35th.
A Ryan Ledson own-goal completed the scoring in the 42nd minute at Deepdale.
“They treat the Carabao (League) Cup the same way as the Champions League,” Preston manager Alex Neil told Sky Sports television. “That’s why they’re champions.”
A first-half double from Danny Ings helped Southampton to a 4-0 win at League One (third-tier) Portsmouth in the first south-coast derby in seven years between two of the fiercest rivals in English soccer.
Portsmouth piled on the pressure for the opening 20 minutes, when they could have been 2-0 up, but Ings took the wind out of their sails against the run of play in the 21st before adding a second just before the break.
Cedric Soares made it 3-0 in the 77th and Nathan Redmond completed Saints’ biggest away win against their neighbours, and first at Fratton Park since 1984, four minutes from time.
Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice in the opening 10 minutes to put the Toffees 2-0 up against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday before the goals dried up at Hillsborough.
Arsenal thrashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 at The Emirates with Gabriel Martinelli scoring twice on his first start.
“We played on Sunday but we want to do something important in this competition,” said Arsenal manager Unai Emery.
Leicester City ran out 4-0 winners at Luton Town while Premier League bottom side Watford laboured to a 2-1 home win against Swansea City.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, showing nine changes from the one that lost at West Ham United in the Premier League on Sunday, laboured against their League One opponents before taking the lead through Mason Greenwood in the 68th minute.
Sixteen-year-old Luke Matheson volleyed an equaliser eight minutes later to send the tie into a shootout.
United prevailed, though, keeper Sergio Romero making one save to spare their blushes as the hosts successfully converted all their spot-kicks with Welsh winger Daniel James slotting home the winner.
Although United struggled, they at least avoided the complete humiliation suffered by West Ham United who were thrashed 4-0 at League One Oxford United.
Manuel Pellegrini’s West Ham, fifth in the Premier League, were outplayed at the Kassam Stadium with Oxford’s goals all coming in the second half through Elliott Moore, Matty Taylor, Tariqe Fosu and Shandon Baptiste.
“It’s easy to say that we played very badly, but I think Oxford did everything they needed to win this game here at home for them,” Pellegrini said.
“They played with a lot of motivation, with desire and we didn’t play well.”
Oxford’s reward is a home tie against Sunderland who added another top-flight side to the League Cup scrapheap as they beat Sheffield United 1-0 — Max Power scoring an early winner.
Top flight Bournemouth were also humbled by third-tier opposition, losing 2-0 at Burton Albion who reached the semi-final last season before losing 10-0 on aggregate to eventual winners Manchester City.
NO ALARMS
There were no alarms for Premier League leaders Liverpool or Chelsea. James Milner and Ki-Jana Hoever were on target in a 2-0 win at MK Dons to set up a clash with Arsenal while Chelsea crushed Grimsby Town 7-1 to give manager Frank Lampard a first home win since taking charge.
Chelsea, for whom Michy Batshuayi scored twice and three players were handed their first starts including Reece James who also scored, will face Manchester United in round four.
“We got some players who haven’t been playing so many minutes, players that are younger, starting the game,” Lampard, who also brought on two debutants in the second half, said.
“A nice comfortable win having not won here yet so on those levels, of course I am happy.”
Aston Villa won an all Premier League match against Brighton and Hove Albion, prevailing 3-1 to set up a fourth-round meeting with Wolverhampton Wanderers who also needed penalties to get past Championship side Reading.
While Solskjaer will have breathed a sigh of relief that United avoided a shock exit, it was Rochdale’s 5,500 fans who were applauding most loudly after the shootout.
Rochdale are 17th in League One and were beaten 6-0 by Peterborough 10 days ago but defended valiantly against a United side lacking a clinical edge despite overwhelming possession.
“Go 1-0 up, get the second. That is a learning curve,” Solskjaer, said. “At this club you don’t just sit back and think one is enough.”
Carabao Cup fourth round draw in full:
Everton vs Watford
Aston Villa vs Wolves
Manchester City vs Southampton
Burton vs Leicester
Crawley Town vs Colchester
Chelsea vs Manchester United
Oxford vs Sunderland
Liverpool vs Arsenal
