Premier League teams Brighton, Everton, Crystal Palace, and Leicester secured significant victories against lower-league opponents during the second round of the English League Cup on Tuesday. Brighton, under new manager Fabian Hurzeler, continued their successful run by defeating third-tier Crawley 4-0 at Amex Stadium with goals from Simon Adingra, Jeremy Sarmiento, Adam Webster, and Mark O’Mahony. However, Brighton faced a setback as new signing Matt O’Riley had to leave the field due to injury just six minutes into the game after joining from Celtic on Monday.

Everton emerged victorious with a 3-0 win over fourth-tier Doncaster, courtesy of goals from Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye, and Beto. Crystal Palace also recorded a dominant 4-0 win against second-tier Norwich, with Jean-Philippe Mateta and Eberechi Eze among the goal scorers. Meanwhile, Leicester triumphed by the same scoreline against fourth-tier Tranmere, with new signing Jordan Ayew netting the opener at King Power Stadium.

Despite securing wins in the League Cup, Everton and Palace have both faced back-to-back defeats in the Premier League, while Leicester has only managed to secure one point from their first two matches back in the top flight. Fulham, another Premier League team in action on Tuesday, secured a 2-0 victory over third-tier Birmingham, with Mexico striker Raul Jimenez finding the back of the net.

The second round of the League Cup sees top-flight clubs entering the competition, except for those participating in European competitions this season. More matches are scheduled for Wednesday, including the return of Italy international Sandro Tonali after a 10-month gambling ban, as he plays for Newcastle against Nottingham Forest.