90min

EFL Cup roundup: Aston Villa, Norwich, Wolves & Leeds win big

By Jamie Spencer

Aston Villa teenager Cameron Archer scored a hat-trick against Barrow
Aston Villa teenager Cameron Archer scored a hat-trick against Barrow / Lewis Storey/Getty Images
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Aston Villa, Leeds, Wolves and Norwich were big winners in Tuesday night’s EFL Cup second round fixtures, all winning comfortably against lower league opposition to progress in the competition.

Everton, Brentford, Brighton and Watford were also victorious. There were no giant killings and Crystal Palace, who lost narrowly to Watford in the only all-Premier League tie of the night, were the sole top-flight team to be eliminated.

A heavily-rotated Aston Villa thrashed League Two side Barrow on the road, with teenage striker Cameron Archer netting a hat-trick. Two other goals came from Anwar El-Ghazi, who also bagged two assists, while Frederic Guilbert additionally found the net.

Norwich were the other 6-0 winners from the Premier League, taking Bournemouth apart at Carrow Road only days after being smashed themselves by Manchester City. Canaries debutant Christos Tzolis and USA international Josh Sargent each scored twice.

Leeds had to wait until late on to secure their 3-0 win against Crewe, with the goals from Kalvin Phillips and Jack Harrison all coming in the final 12 minutes.

Wolves battered a rather hopeless Nottingham Forest, who currently prop up the Championship in 24th place, but also waited until the second half for all four goals, which came from Romain Saiss, Daniel Podence, Trincao and Morgan Gibbs-White.

Everton, who played the final half hour against Huddersfield with ten players after Moise Kean was sent off, won 2-1 courtesy of Andros Townsend’s 79th-minute winner. Brentford kept up their solid start to the season by seeing off Forest Green 3-1, while Brighton won 2-0 against Cardiff.

Andros Townsend
Everton avoided potential embarrassment against Huddersfield / George Wood/Getty Images

Ashley Fletcher’s late goal for Watford was the difference as the Hornets beat Crystal Palace at Vicarage Road, which means Patrick Vieira is still waiting for a first win as Eagles boss.

EFL Cup second round results from Tuesday 24 August

Oldham 0-0 Accrington (5-4 on penalties)
Barrow 0-6 Aston Villa
Blackpool 2-3 Sunderland
Huddersfield 1-2 Everton
Leeds 3-0 Crewe
Morecambe 2-4 Preston
Sheffield United 2-1 Derby
Shrewsbury 0-2 Rochdale
Stoke 2-0 Doncaster
Wigan 0-0 Bolton (5-4 on penalties)
Nottingham Forest 0-4 Wolves
Norwich 6-0 Bournemouth
Swansea 4-1 Plymouth
Birmingham 0-2 Fulham
Brentford 3-1 Forest Green
Cardiff 0-2 Brighton
Gillingham 1-1 Cheltenham (5-4 on penalties)
Millwall 3-1 Cambridge
Northampton 0-1 AFC Wimbledon
QPR 2-0 Oxford
Stevenage 2-2 Wycombe
Watford 1-0 Crystal Palace

The EFL Cup second round concludes on Wednesday when Newcastle host Burnley, Southampton travel to Newport and Arsenal visit West Brom.

The second round winners will be joined in the third round by all clubs involved in European competitions this season, having received byes as is the norm – Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Leicester, West Ham and Tottenham.

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