Leeds Conquer Forest Again, Brentford Run Riot: Carabao Cup Second Round Round-Up
Leeds United beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 in the Carabao Cup second round on 25 August 2026 — their second win at the City Ground in three days, and a feat that ended a drought stretching back to 1972 before this weekend (The Guardian). Dan James broke the deadlock five minutes after half-time, and a Neco Williams own goal sealed the result, booking Leeds a place in round three.
Three days earlier, Leeds had won 1-0 at the same ground in the Premier League. Before that weekend, they had not won at Forest's home in over half a century. To do it twice in three days is the kind of run that shifts the mood around a club.
For Forest, the night carried a different weight. Manager Oliver Glasner, asked about the prospect of European competition, told reporters he is not a "magician" and cannot deliver it within six weeks (The Guardian). It was a blunt assessment from a manager already feeling the season's pressure.
The Carabao Cup — English football's second-tier knockout competition, where Premier League and lower-division clubs meet in a format that rewards squad depth and willingness to rotate — produced goals and drama across the board.
Brentford put six past Birmingham at St Andrew's, winning 6-1. Callum Wilson, making his full debut, needed only six minutes to open his account. Captain Nathan Collins scored twice, with Aaron Hickey, Mikkel Damsgaard, and Igor Thiago also finding the net. Demarai Gray had briefly levelled for Birmingham after Wilson's opener, but the response was emphatic.
At St Mary's, West Ham beat Southampton 4-1, and the night belonged to 19-year-old Josh Ayala. The teenager scored twice on his full professional debut, overturning Léo Scienza's opener for Southampton. Taty Castellanos and Jarrod Bowen added the others. Manager Nuno Espírito Santo praised Ayala afterwards — a debut like that tends to make the manager's job easier (The Guardian).
Ipswich beat Leicester 3-1, and Marcelino Núñez produced the moment of the round: a goal from the halfway line, part of a brace. Peterborough thrashed Watford 5-1 at Vicarage Road — a result made more startling by the fact that Watford head coach Alessio Dionisi had made 11 changes to his starting lineup. Harry Leonard scored twice for Peterborough, with Bolu Shofowoke, Harrison Jones, and a James Clarridge own goal completing the scoring.
Hull edged Stoke 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in which Kieran Dowell cancelled out Robert Bozenik's opener. Wolves won 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday, with Saheed Olagunju scoring on his debut. Norwich beat Cardiff 2-1, and Ante Crnac — back after ten months out with a serious knee injury — scored the winner.
Sheffield United beat Blackburn 2-1, with Romelle Donovan netting his first goal for the club. Middlesbrough avenged last season's cup exit to Doncaster with a 3-1 win, goals coming from Kyle Joseph, Will Lankshear, and Jeremy Sarmiento. Fleetwood beat Shrewsbury 4-0, Ched Evans scoring twice. Lincoln saw off Blackpool 4-1, Millwall edged Cambridge 1-0 through Jake Cooper, Barnsley won 3-2 against Crewe, and Leyton Orient beat Walsall 6-5 on penalties after a goalless 120 minutes.
Round three awaits — the draw will feature 32 clubs, with Premier League sides who qualified for European competition entering the bracket. The nights will get bigger, and so will the moments.
