Arsenal Start 15-Year-Old in Carabao Cup

Five Carabao Cup last-16 ties are being played tonight, including Newcastle v Tottenham, Arsenal v Brighton, Liverpool v Crystal Palace, Swansea v Manchester City and Wolves v Chelsea, with the quarter-final draw scheduled to follow the remaining matches. Arsenal named a heavily changed side, with manager Mikel Arteta making 10 alterations and 15-year-old Max Dowman (15 years, 302 days) becoming the club’s youngest-ever starter, as injuries to key defenders Gabriel and William Saliba leave Arteta selecting fringe youngsters. Brighton also rotated their XI, bringing in top scorer Diego Gómez and naming former Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck on the bench. Liverpool arrive at Anfield under pressure after a poor run of league form and recent defeats to Crystal Palace; the Liverpool–Palace tie will be streamed on FanCode in some territories, while Newcastle v Tottenham will be available free on ITVX in the UK. Several quarter-finalists have already been confirmed (Cardiff, Brentford, Fulham), and the competition still offers a Wembley final on 22 March 2026 and a potential European place.