Liverpool will host Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals, while holders Manchester City will face League One side Bradford City, after the last-eight draw was made on Wednesday night. The draw, held shortly after the final whistle of the fourth-round ties on 28 October, also paired Crystal Palace with Sunderland and gave giant-killers Fleetwood Town a home tie against the winner of Thursday's remaining match between Everton and Newcastle United. All quarter-final ties will be played in the week commencing 14 December 2026.

A reunion and a reward for giant-killers

The Liverpool tie brings Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola back to face his former club at Anfield, a fixture he described as special after admitting Bournemouth were the one team he had hoped to avoid. Fleetwood, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition after knocking out Premier League champions Arsenal on penalties, will host either Everton or Newcastle, while Bradford's reward for beating Peterborough United is a trip to the champions. Palace and Sunderland meet in the only all-Premier League tie besides Liverpool against Bournemouth.

What happens next

The quarter-finals are single-leg ties, with penalties deciding any match level after normal time, and the semi-final draw will follow the last match of the round. The semi-finals are then played over two legs in January and February, with the final at Wembley scheduled for 21 March 2027. For Fleetwood and Bradford, the December ties are already among the biggest fixtures in their recent history, whatever the results turn out to be.

Sources: USA Today, TNT Sports, This Is Anfield.