EFL Cup PREVIEW 25 Aug 2026: EFL Cup Round Two: Saints Host Hammers, Lincoln Test Blackpool

Southampton host West Ham United at St Mary's in the tie of the round, both clubs rebuilding in the Championship after difficult recent campaigns. West Ham's return to English football's second tier followed relegation on the final day of 2025/26, while Southampton are still living with the fallout of last season's promotion push: they were favourites for automatic promotion before being thrown out of the play-offs altogether. Their exclusion was for unauthorised filming of rivals' training sessions, the vacancy it created in the play-offs eventually filled by Hull City. Both sides go into Tuesday's second-round tie off the back of mixed starts. Southampton opened with an EFL Cup win over Colchester United, lost their Championship opener to Watford, then beat Stoke City, Cyle Larin and Divin Mubama scoring either side of a late Ryan Manning penalty. West Ham beat Portsmouth in the cup before their Championship campaign stalled: a two-goal lead thrown away in a 2-2 draw at Burnley, then a 2-1 home defeat to Charlton Athletic in which new signing Joel Piroe scored a late consolation. The history between the two favours the hosts in one competition and the visitors in the other: Southampton have won their last two cup meetings with West Ham but are winless against them in their last four league encounters.

The standout story of the round belongs to Lincoln City, champions of League One last season with a club-record 103 points, who go to Blackpool for a rematch of the division they have just left behind. Blackpool beat Lincoln in the 2021 League One play-off final, and now do so from the lower tier, having finished 13th in League One last season to Lincoln's runaway title. Hull City make the same kind of trip in reverse: freshly promoted to the Premier League for the first time since 2016/17, they travel to a Stoke City side entering a ninth consecutive season in the Championship under Mark Robins. Wolverhampton Wanderers, relegated from the Premier League last term, go to Sheffield Wednesday, while two more Premier League sides meet at the City Ground, where Nottingham Forest, 16th in the top flight last season, host Leeds United, who won the Championship title on goal difference from Burnley to earn their own promotion. Ipswich Town, back in the Premier League after their own rapid climb, host a Leicester City side they were promoted alongside from the Championship two years ago.

Elsewhere in the round, Cardiff City, promoted from League One last season, host a Norwich City side who finished ninth in the Championship. Doncaster Rovers, 14th in League One, entertain Championship club Middlesbrough. Barnsley, 15th in League One under Conor Hourihane, face League Two's Crewe Alexandra. Blackburn Rovers, who used three managers in a difficult 20th-place Championship season, host Sheffield United. Cambridge United welcome a Millwall side who reached the FA Cup fifth round two seasons ago. Fleetwood Town host Shrewsbury Town, relegated to League Two two seasons ago. Plymouth Argyle, who missed the League One play-offs by two points, take on Championship side Coventry City. Stevenage, coming off their best-ever season in League One, host Reading, who finished 12th under new ownership. Walsall face Leyton Orient, and Watford host Peterborough United, who appointed Luke Williams as manager last October. Birmingham City, beaten by Port Vale at this stage of the competition last season, face Brentford.