Newcastle drawn away to Forest in EFL Cup second round

Newcastle United will visit Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest in the second round of the EFL Cup.

Newcastle reached the final of this competition in 2022-23, also qualifying for the Champions League.

But Eddie Howe’s men narrowly missed out on European football ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, meaning they enter the EFL Cup at this early stage.

The Magpies were handed one of the tougher possible draws, although they have won at the City Ground in each of the past two seasons. Newcastle and Forest will meet in Nottingham in the league in November.

Forest have enjoyed the sides’ recent cup encounters rather more, knocking Newcastle out at this stage in both 2017-18 and 2018-19.

Elsewhere, Wednesday’s draw, which was split into northern and southern sections, also pitted West Ham and Bournemouth against one another in a second all-Premier League tie.

Wayne Rooney’s Plymouth Argyle are to head to fellow Championship outfit Watford, while Middlesbrough host Stoke City after making the semi-finals last term and then beating Leeds United in the first round.

Rooney’s former side Everton were drawn against Doncaster Rovers, the same opponents they defeated a year ago.

Ties will be played the week commencing August 26.

EFL Cup second-round draw in full:

Coventry City v Oxford United
Swansea City v Wycombe Wanderers
Wimbledon v Ipswich Town
Birmingham City v Fulham
Watford v Plymouth Argyle
West Ham v Bournemouth
Queens Park Rangers v Luton Town
Brighton and Hove Albion v Crawley Town
Crystal Palace v Norwich City
Cardiff City v Southampton
Millwall v Leyton Orient
Colchester United v Brentford
Grimsby Town v Sheffield Wednesday
Everton v Doncaster Rovers
Blackburn Rovers v Blackpool
Fleetwood Town v Rotherham United
Shrewsbury Town v Bolton Wanderers
Nottingham Forest v Newcastle United
Barrow v Derby County
Leicester City v Tranmere Rovers
Middlesbrough v Stoke City
Barnsley v Sheffield United
Harrogate Town v Preston North End
Walsall v Huddersfield Town
Wolves v Burnley