The fourth round of the League Cup in England will be played next week. Missing from the programme of matches are holders Swansea City who fell by the wayside in the previous round of the competition.
The third round of the League Cup produced some shocks but the biggest surprise of all was Swansea’s elimination at the hands of Birmingham City at St Andrew’s.
After a goalless first half, Dan Burn put the Championship team in front with a header. A right-footed finish by Matt Green and a tap-in by Tom Adeyemi gave Birmingham an almost unassailable lead against their Premier League opponents.
Striker Wilfried Bony replied for Swansea in stoppage time.
Football critics in Wales have described the exit of Swansea as a great setback, having celebrated the Swans’ historic League Cup feat last season.
Another Premier League side to bow out in the early rounds of the competition were Crystal Palace.
They were edged out 2-1 away by Bristol City, who play in the third-tier League One.
Like the FA Cup, the League Cup is played on a knock-out basis. But, unlike the FA Cup, where 758 teams entered the competition in 2012-13, only 92 teams can play in the League Cup – the 20 Premier clubs and the 72 Football League outfits.
Since 1996-97, teams involved in European competition during the season receive a bye to the third round while the remaining Premier League teams enter the fray in the second round.
The clubs that have managed to win the League Cup in successive years were Nottingham Forest (on two occasions) and Liverpool (three times in a row).
Manchester United also won the League Cup in successive years – 2009 and 2010.
Other League Cup holders who fell at the first hurdle of the competition the following season:
1962-63: Birmingham beat Aston Villa 3-1 (agg) in final. Following season – eliminated round two, away at Norwich 0-2.
1969-70: Manchester City beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1 in the final. Following season – eliminated round two away at Carlisle United 1-2.
1972-73: Tottenham Hotspur beat Norwich City 1-0 in the final. Following season – eliminated round two away at Queens Park Rangers 0-1.
1973-74: Wolves beat Manchester City 2-1 in the final. Following season – eliminated round two at home to Fulham 1-3.
1975-76: Manchester City beat Newcastle United 2-1 in the final. Following season – eliminated round two away at Aston Villa 0-3.
1979-80: Wolves beat Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the final. Following season – eliminated round two to Cambridge United 1-4 on aggregate.
1996-97: Leicester beat Middlesbrough 1-0 in the final. Following season – eliminated in round three away at Grimsby 1-3.
1999-2000: Leicester City beat Tranmere 2-1 in final. Following season – eliminated in round three at home to Crystal Palace 0-3.
2000-01: Liverpool beat Birmingham City 5-4 on penalties in final. Following season – eliminated in round three by Grimsby 1-2.
2004-05: Chelsea beat Liverpool 3-2 in final. Following season – eliminated at home to Charlton 4-5 pens in third round.
2010-11: Birmingham beat Arsenal 2-1. Following season – eliminated by Manchester City 0-2 in the third round.