Chelsea endured a Carabao Cup night of high drama, while Brighton enjoyed a dominant display in their respective third-round matches. Chelsea, a team that has reached the final of this competition twice in the past four seasons, found themselves in an unexpected battle against League One side Lincoln City. Meanwhile, Brighton cruised to victory, showcasing their attacking prowess.

Chelsea's match against Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium was far from the expected comfortable win for the Premier League side. The Blues, who had suffered successive defeats against Bayern Munich and Manchester United, and a draw against Brentford, were desperate for a morale-boosting victory. However, Lincoln City had other plans, and Robert Street's goal shortly before halftime put the home side ahead, raising the specter of another upset in this season's Carabao Cup.

Chelsea's manager, Enzo Maresca, seemingly delivered an inspiring team talk during the interval, as his team emerged with renewed vigor. Within five minutes of the restart, Chelsea had turned the game on its head with goals from Tyrique George and Facundo Buonanotte. George's goal was his first senior goal for the club, marking a significant moment for the young player. Despite Chelsea's comeback, Lincoln continued to fight, and Chelsea had to defend nervously to see out the win. A late chance for Lincoln's Okoronkwo went begging, as Chelsea survived a major scare to advance to the fourth round.

While Chelsea were made to work hard for their victory, Brighton enjoyed a far more comfortable evening against Barnsley. Diego Gomez stole the show with four goals, including a stunning first-half hat-trick. Gomez's first goal was a low, drilled finish, while his second was a blistering shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the penalty area. He completed his hat-trick with a thunderous volley from 30 yards out, leaving the Barnsley goalkeeper with no chance.

Brighton's dominance was such that they were able to make eight changes from their previous game against Tottenham, yet still maintained their attacking threat. Further goals from Harry Howell and Yasin Ayari completed the rout, as Brighton recorded their second 6-0 win in this season's Carabao Cup, having previously defeated Oxford by the same scoreline. Brighton have now reached the competition's last 16 for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

In the fourth round, Brighton will face a home tie against Liverpool. Chelsea's fourth-round opponent is yet to be determined.