The EFL Cup — formerly known as the League Cup — is into the third round, with eight of 16 fixtures played Tuesday around the United Kingdom.
[ MORE: More of today’s EFL Cup goals ]
It was a day for new boys at Arsenal, and a celebration of veterans at Chelsea, while Everton was stung by a longtime Toffee now wearing yellow.
Nottingham Forest 0-4 Arsenal
Granit Xhaka gave Arsenal a halftime lead when he sent this wrecking ball towards the Forest goal. Lucas Perez added a second half brace, as the Gunners cruised to a win despite the Forest debut of ex-Gunner Nicklas Bendtner.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain nabbed the fourth, and USMNT talent Gedion Zelalem subbed into the match for the final 7 minutes.
The second Perez goal was class grunt work with a deft finish.
Leicester City 2-4 (aet) Chelsea
When you’re eye level with the keeper and so is the ball, just do what Shinji Okazaki did and nudge it over the line. Poor Asmir Begovic was outfoxed by Leicester’s Japanese striker, and again later when Okazaki bounded the ball off the ground from close range to make it 2-0.
Gary Cahill forced a ball across the Leicester line before halftime to halve the deficit, and Cesar Azpilicueta volleyed a 49th minute clearance home to level things at 2.
Sitting on yellow, Marcin Wasilewski put Leicester in an awful spot with a high elbow to Diego Costa during second half stoppage. The Foxes would need to play with only 10 men in extra time.
Cesc Fabregas only needed two minutes of the first frame of extra time to belt home a winner, as Hazard teed him up with a back heel straight from the playground. He added another soon after to dust this one up.
From 2-0 to 4-2, and having to contend extra time? Claudio Ranieri will not be pleased.
Newcastle United 2-0 Wolverhampton
DeAndre Yedlin proved playmaker on Matt Ritchie‘s opener, while Yoan Gouffran added a second, and Newcastle avenged its league upset from the weekend.
Derby County 0-3 Liverpool
Ragnar Klavan was the unlikely opening goal scorer, Philippe Coutinho the more likely second Red to tally. Divock Origi added the third Liverpool goal in the 54th minute, as Jurgen Klopp‘s bunch cruised.
Bournemouth 2-3 (aet) Preston North End
The Cherries went down 1-0 after 10 minutes, but avoid an upset at the Vitality Stadium when Lewis Grabban converted a 53rd minute penalty and Dan Gosling gave Bournemouth its first lead with under 15 minutes to play.
Simon Makienok leveled things with his second goal of the night, and we were off to extra time where — wouldn’t you know it? — the Dane completed his hat trick to send the Cherries out of the EFL Cup.
Everton 0-2 Norwich City
Ghosts of Goodison past haunting Everton, as Steven Naismith had the Canaries up at the break. Josh Murphy tore into this shot in the 74th minute to insure the lead (and, as it turns out, ensure the win).
Brighton and Hove Albion 0-2 Reading
Reading had a 1-0 lead and made it 2-0 with 10 men after a red card to ex-Manchester United back Tyler Blackett.
Leeds United 1-0 Blackburn
Garry Monk got a winner from Kiwi striker Chris Wood to avoid extra time in a very even contest.
Wednesday
Swansea City-Man City — 2:45 p.m. ET
Northampton-Man Utd — 2:45 p.m. ET
Southampton-Crystal Palace — 2:45 p.m. ET
QPR-Sunderland — 2:45 p.m. ET
West Ham United-Accrington Stanley — 2:45 p.m. ET
Fulham-Bristol City — 2:45 p.m. ET
Stoke City-Hull City — 3 p.m. ET
Tottenham Hotspur-Gillingham — 3 p.m. ET
