This phase of the competition sees the entry of England’s European club competition representatives for this season: Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers (all of whose matches can be seen LIVE on SuperSport)

Here are the top five reasons to watch the Carabao Cup:

1. The big clubs make their entry

The Carabao Cup goes to an all-new level in the Third Round, with England’s European club competition representatives for this season Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester United and Wolverhampton Wanderers making their entry after being given byes through the first two rounds.

1. The chance of ‘Giant Killings’

With many Premier League clubs set to rest first-teamers due to the busy schedule in late September and early October, the chance of major upsets or ‘Giant Killings’ are realistic propositions. This includes defending Carabao Cup champions Manchester City away to Championship challengers Preston North End at Deepdale,  Milton Keynes Dons hosting Liverpool and Grimsby Town away to Chelsea.

1. Local derbies set to thrill

Nothing is better than a local derby for a cup clash and there are two standout fixtures for SuperSport viewers in this regard: the South Coast derby between Portsmouth and Southampton from Fratten Park on Tuesday 24 September, and Manchester United hosting League One side  Rochdale AFC at Old Trafford on Wednesday 25 September.

1. ‘Old school’ clashes revived

The Third Round has thrown up some mouth-watering ‘old school’ clashes which were last seen in top-flight league football in the late 1990s and early 2000s, such as Arsenal at home to Nottingham Forest and Everton heading to Hillsborough to face Sheffield Wednesday.

1. Do-or-die thrills

The nature of the Carabao Cup means it’s very much do or die: any match which finishes level after 90 minutes (until the semifinal and final rounds) will go straight to extra time: no added 30 minutes, no replay the winner is decided on the night. This amps up the drama and forces teams to go all out in search of victory.

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Carabao Cup – Third Round fixtures

All matches kick-off at 6:45pm GMT

Tuesday 24 September

Colchester United v Tottenham Hotspur – LIVE on SuperSport 5

Preston North End v Manchester City – LIVE on SuperSport 4

Arsenal v Nottingham Forest – LIVE on SuperSport 3 & Maximo 1

Wednesday 25 September

Milton Keynes Dons v Liverpool – LIVE on SuperSport 3 & Maximo 1

Chelsea v Grimsby Town – LIVE on SuperSport 5

7pm Manchester United v Rochdale – LIVE on SuperSport 4