For so much of the season, the Carabao Cup is disdainfully treated as little more than an inconvenience. Yet, once the semifinals tick into view and a trip to Wembley lies just 90 minutes away, the importance of England’s secondary cup competition sky rockets.
Getting that first piece of silverware sets the tone for the months to follow. There’s a reason why trophy-laden managers like Bob Paisley, Brian Clough, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola put so much stock into this particular three-handled pot of silver.
The business end of the competition is fast approaching, with an intriguing set of potential semifinal ties waiting to be revealed. Chelsea were the first team to book their place in the hat after eventually forcing a 3–1 win over third-tier Cardiff City on Tuesday night, ensuring that the only remaining teams all call the Premier League home.
Here’s everything you need to know about this enticing draw.
When Is the Carabao Cup Semifinal Draw?
Simplicity has never been a motto for England’s Football League. The draw for the semifinals will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17, six full days before the quarterfinals are concluded.
In fairness to those powerbrokers based in Preston, this scheduling quirk can be largely blamed on Crystal Palace’s failure to check their email.
Last season’s FA Cup winners qualified for the Europa League but were demoted to the Conference League after failing foul of UEFA’s deliberately lax multi-club ownership regulations. European football’s governing body had reached out to the Eagles to warn them that steps could be taken to find a way around this largely superficial ruling—several other clubs have successfully exploited similar loopholes—but no one at the club was monitoring the email account listed on Palace’s official website.
Oliver Glasner’s side have been far more efficient on the pitch and balanced their European duties to make it through to the Carabao Cup quarterfinals. However, a Conference League tie against Finnish outfit KuPS on Thursday ensured that their cup tie with Arsenal could not be scheduled for this midweek. After much wrangling, it’s been decided that the London clubs will clash at the Emirates on Dec. 23. By then, the two teams will know their semifinal opponent.
What Time Is the Carabao Cup Semifinal Draw?
The draw will take place at approximately 10:35 p.m. GMT (5:35 p.m. ET, 2:35 p.m. PT), once Wednesday’s semifinal ties have been wrapped up.
Manchester City’s clash with Brentford at the Etihad kicks off at 7:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. ET, 11:30 p.m. PT) while Newcastle’s black-and-white bout with Fulham is scheduled for 45 minutes later. There is no extra time at this stage of the competition—that’s saved for the second leg of the semifinals and the final—so all penalty shootouts should be concluded in time for 10:35 p.m.
How to Watch the Carabao Cup Semifinal Draw
The draw will be shown in the United Kingdom live on Sky Sports Main Event, with present Mark Chapman assisted by Jamie Redknapp and Shay Given. Viewers in the United States can catch the ball-grabbing procedure on Paramount+.
Canada is offering the action on DAZN and fuboTV while it is available in Mexico on Disney+ Premium.
Ball Numbers
- 1. Chelsea
- 2. Man City or Brentford
- 3. Newcastle or Fulham
- 4. Arsenal or Crystal Palace
Carabao Cup Semifinal Dates
As has become tradition, the semifinals will be conducted across two legs spread across three long weeks. The first ties get underway on the week beginning with Jan. 12, 2026 before they are concluded on the week of Feb. 2, 2026.
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Preliminary round | July 29–Aug. 5, 2025 |
| First round | Aug. 12–19, 2025 |
| Second round | w/c Aug. 25, 2025 |
| Third round | w/c Sept. 15 and w/c Sept. 22, 2025 |
| Fourth round | w/c Oct. 27, 2025 |
| Quarterfinals | w/c Dec. 15, 2025 |
| Semifinals | w/c Jan. 12 and w/c Feb. 2, 2025 |
| Final | March 22, 2026 |
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 2025–26 Carabao Cup Semifinal Draw: Date, Time, Ball Numbers.