Liverpool Carabao Cup tie shifted to avoid Merseyside clash 2026

Key Points

• Liverpool’s Carabao Cup third round home clash against Tottenham Hotspur has been postponed from Wednesday 16th September to Tuesday 15th September 2026, kick-off at 8 pm BST at Anfield.
• This has happened due to a clash between Liverpool’s recently announced UEFA Champions League home game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday 9th September and Everton’s Carabao Cup third round game at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers scheduled to take place on the same day.
• Under Merseyside Police’s rules, it is not possible for Liverpool and Everton to play a senior home match on the same day. The last time this happened was in January 1981.
• In order to sort out the conflict, Everton’s Carabao Cup game against Wolves has been rescheduled to Wednesday 16th September, while Liverpool’s Carabao Cup tie with Spurs will now take place on Tuesday 15th September.
• According to the English Football League, they were compelled to take action as UEFA declined to reschedule Liverpool’s Champions League clash. The league has also rescheduled Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Championship match against Portsmouth from 16th September to 20th October.
• The game between Liverpool and Tottenham in the Carabao Cup will still be televised on ITV and Sky Sports.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard ) August 31, 2026 – A late fixture rearrangement has altered plans for supporters ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup third-round meeting with Tottenham Hotspur, with the tie now confirmed for Tuesday 15 September 2026 at Anfield. The match, originally scheduled for Wednesday 16 September with an 8pm BST kick-off, has been brought forward by 24 hours to the preceding evening, retaining the same 8pm start time and live television coverage on ITV and Sky Sports.

The change follows the publication of UEFA’s Champions League league-phase schedule over the weekend, which placed Liverpool’s opening home European fixture against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday 9 September. That date had already been allocated to Everton’s Carabao Cup third-round home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, a scheduling decision the EFL says was confirmed with local stakeholders on 28 August ahead of public announcement.

Under long-standing Merseyside policing protocols, Liverpool and Everton cannot host senior home fixtures on the same evening. The last time both clubs played at home simultaneously was in the FA Cup third round in January 1981, when Liverpool beat Altrincham and Everton defeated Arsenal. With UEFA unwilling to move Liverpool’s Champions League match, the EFL said it had “no option” but to rearrange affected domestic fixtures to avoid a repeat of that scenario.

What is the new date and time for Liverpool v Tottenham in the Carabao Cup?

The Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Carabao Cup third-round tie will now be played on Tuesday 15 September 2026, with kick-off at 8pm BST at Anfield. The fixture remains a live television broadcast, with rights holders ITV and Sky Sports continuing to show the match.

Tottenham confirmed the update on their official website on 31 August, relaying the EFL’s statement that the away tie had been rescheduled following the Champions League fixture announcement. Liverpool had previously confirmed the original Wednesday 16 September date and 8pm kick-off on 28 August, noting the game would be shown live on ITV and Sky Sports. The club’s latest update aligns with the EFL’s revised schedule, moving the match one day earlier while preserving the evening slot.

Why was the Liverpool v Tottenham Carabao Cup fixture moved?

The fixture was moved to prevent a same-evening clash between Liverpool’s Champions League home match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday 9 September and Everton’s Carabao Cup third-round home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers, which had been set for the same night. The EFL says it confirmed the Everton v Wolves date with local stakeholders on 28 August, before UEFA announced Liverpool’s European fixture on Saturday 30 August.

Merseyside Police and local authorities maintain a policy that both Merseyside clubs should not host senior home games on the same evening due to resource and public-order considerations. The EFL states it met UEFA officials on Monday 31 August morning to explore options, but was told the Liverpool v Atletico Madrid match would not be rescheduled because of the impact on overseas supporters travelling for the Champions League fixture.

In an official statement, the EFL said:

“The EFL has been left with no option than to rearrange a number of its fixtures following the announcement of fixture details for the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.”

The league added that it had “made a number of changes to accommodate the expansion of UEFA club competitions – a decision which was made without adequate consultation with domestic leagues”, and described UEFA’s position as “frustrating” for supporters of the five impacted clubs.

Which other fixtures have been affected by the Carabao Cup reshuffle?

Alongside Liverpool v Tottenham, the EFL confirmed two further fixtures have been rearranged as a direct consequence of the Champions League scheduling conflict. Everton’s Carabao Cup third-round home match against Wolverhampton Wanderers has been moved from Wednesday 9 September to Wednesday 16 September, with a 7:45pm BST kick-off.

In addition, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Sky Bet Championship home fixture against Portsmouth, originally scheduled for Wednesday 16 September, has been postponed to Tuesday 20 October at 7:45pm BST. The EFL’s statement explicitly lists the three affected ties: “Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers Carabao Cup Round Three; Liverpool v Tottenham Hotspur Carabao Cup Round Three; Wolverhampton Wanderers v Portsmouth Sky Bet Championship.”

The league noted that the changes would inconvenience supporters of five clubs – Liverpool, Tottenham, Everton, Wolves and Portsmouth – and apologised for the disruption. Tottenham’s website carried the full EFL statement, including the line:

“This makes UEFA’s unwillingness to cooperate all the more frustrating, not least for the supporters of the five impacted Clubs, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused.”

How have Liverpool, Tottenham and the EFL responded to the fixture change?

Tottenham confirmed the rescheduling on their official news channel on 31 August, stating: “We have today been informed that our Carabao Cup third round tie away to Liverpool, initially scheduled for Wednesday 16 September (kick-off 8pm BST), has had to be rescheduled to Tuesday 15 September (kick-off 8pm BST) following the announcement of league stage fixture details in the UEFA Champions League.” The club directed fans to the EFL’s statement for further context.

Liverpool had earlier confirmed the original Wednesday 16 September date and 8pm kick-off on 28 August, adding that the game would be shown live on ITV and Sky Sports. The club’s subsequent fixture update page reflects the new Tuesday 15 September date while retaining the 8pm BST kick-off and broadcast details. Local coverage in the Liverpool Echo reported that the change “has allowed Everton to push their fixture against Wolves back a week to Wednesday, September 16 to avoid the clash with the Reds’ visit of Atletico.”

The EFL’s statement, carried in full by Tottenham and summarised by multiple outlets, placed responsibility for the cascade of changes on UEFA’s refusal to move Liverpool’s Champions League fixture. The league said it had “met with UEFA officials on Monday morning to explore available options”, but was told the European match would stand due to overseas supporter travel. The EFL added that it had already split Carabao Cup round three ties across two weeks and implemented draw conditions to prevent conflicts for clubs in UEFA competitions, making the impasse “all the more frustrating”.

Background to the Carabao Cup third-round scheduling and European fixture conflicts

The Carabao Cup third round introduces Premier League clubs involved in UEFA competitions, requiring the EFL to balance domestic cup fixtures with European league-phase matchweeks. For the 2026–27 season, the EFL scheduled round three across two weeks – commencing 7 September and 14 September – to reduce clashes with the opening rounds of the Champions League and Europa League. The draw, made on 26 August, paired Liverpool with Tottenham at Anfield in the week commencing 14 September, with initial confirmation pointing to Wednesday 16 September at 8pm BST.

The current disruption stems from the expanded UEFA club competition calendar, which the EFL says was implemented “without adequate consultation with domestic leagues”. The league notes it has previously adjusted Carabao Cup structures – including splitting round three across two weeks and adding draw conditions to avoid scheduling conflicts for clubs in UEFA tournaments – to accommodate European expansion. However, the late publication of specific Champions League dates created an immediate conflict in Merseyside, where local policing rules prohibit Liverpool and Everton from hosting on the same evening. The last such occurrence was in January 1981, underscoring the rarity of the situation and the pressure on organisers to find a solution once UEFA declined to move Liverpool’s European fixture.

Prediction: How the fixture change could affect Liverpool and Tottenham supporters and match planning

The rescheduling is likely to affect ticket holders, travelling supporters and broadcast viewers who had planned around the original Wednesday 16 September date. Liverpool season-ticket holders and members with priority access for cup ties may need to adjust travel and childcare arrangements for a Tuesday night, while Tottenham’s away allocation will face a similar shift for coaches, trains and overnight stays. Because the kick-off remains at 8pm BST and the match stays on live television, the core viewing window is unchanged, but the day-of-week shift could influence attendance patterns for some fans with work or school commitments on Tuesday.

For Liverpool, the earlier date creates a tighter turnaround if the club has Premier League fixtures close to 15 September, potentially influencing squad selection and rotation in the Carabao Cup. Tottenham, meanwhile, will need to align their travel and training schedule to a Tuesday night away fixture in the same week as other league-phase European matches for rival clubs, which could affect preparation if they are also involved in continental competition. On a broader level, the episode highlights the vulnerability of domestic cup scheduling to late European fixture announcements, suggesting supporters should expect continued volatility around midweek cup ties when Champions League dates are published.

Background of the particular development

The Carabao Cup third round marks the entry point for Premier League sides competing in UEFA tournaments, necessitating coordination between the EFL and UEFA to avoid fixture congestion. For 2026–27, the EFL split round three across the weeks commencing 7 September and 14 September and introduced draw conditions to prevent conflicts for clubs in the Champions League and Europa League. The Liverpool v Tottenham tie was drawn on 26 August and initially set for Wednesday 16 September at 8pm BST, with live coverage confirmed on ITV and Sky Sports. The subsequent publication of UEFA’s Champions League league-phase schedule placed Liverpool’s home match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday 9 September, colliding with Everton’s Carabao Cup home tie against Wolves and triggering the EFL’s emergency reshuffle.

Prediction (impact on the particular audience)

For Liverpool and Tottenham supporters, the move to Tuesday 15 September is likely to disrupt travel plans, ticket arrangements and midweek routines, even though the 8pm BST kick-off and live broadcast remain unchanged. Fans who booked accommodation, childcare or time off for Wednesday may incur additional costs or logistical changes, while away supporters will need to revise coach and train bookings for a Tuesday night. The situation also signals that future Carabao Cup midweek fixtures could be subject to late changes when UEFA finalises European dates, encouraging supporters to build flexibility into their matchday planning.