Crystal Palace narrowly advanced past Millwall in the EFL Cup third round, needing penalties to secure their win. Ryan Leonard's late equaliser for Millwall at Selhurst Park cancelled out Chris Richards' initial goal. However, Oliver Glasner's team edged through on spot-kicks. Walter Benitez, debuting after his July move from PSV, was crucial as he saved penalties from Aidomo Emakhu and Tristan Crama, ensuring Palace's victory over their London rivals.
Joining Palace in the last 16 is Grimsby Town from League Two. They continued their impressive run with a 1-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday. This followed their earlier victory over Manchester United. Jaze Kabia's header in the 49th minute secured Grimsby's place in the fourth round for the first
time since the 2001-02 season. The match saw limited attendance due to protests by Wednesday fans against owner Dejphon Chansiri.
The floor is yours, @Jazekabia123! #GTFC pic.twitter.com/fwaYE9DsdH
- Grimsby Town F.C. (@officialgtfc) September 16, 2025
Aston Villa's difficult start to the season persisted as they were eliminated by Brentford on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Gtech Community Stadium. Harvey Elliot, on loan from Liverpool, scored for Villa just before half-time, marking their first goal in five games under Unai Emery. However, Aaron Hickey equalised for Brentford before they won 4-2 on penalties. Hakon Valdimarsson saved John McGinn’s attempt and Matty Cash missed his spot-kick.
Palace and Grimsby Make History
Palace have now gone unbeaten in seven consecutive matches against Millwall, matching a record set between October 1986 and September 1993. Their success in penalty shoot-outs was anticipated as they have progressed from their last 11 FA Cup/EFL Cup ties against lower-league teams. Meanwhile, Grimsby achieved a milestone by eliminating two higher division teams in one EFL Cup campaign for the first time since they ousted Derby County and Tottenham during the 2005-06 season.
