The first shot of the game at the Gtech Community Stadium comes from the visitors. Harvey Elliott, on his full Villa debut following his loan move from Liverpool, hooks an effort at goal from 12 yards out, but it is straight at Hakon Valdirmarsson.

Some good pre-game pyrotechnics at Selhurst Park, so will the action be as explosive on the pitch?

There has been a late chance to the Millwall side with goalkeeper Steven Benda replacing Max Crocombe, who had sustained an injury in the warm-up after originally being named in the side.

We are under way at Brentford and at Crystal Palace.

Will today be the day the Aston Villa fans finally get to celebrate a goal?

Unai Emery's side have not scored in five competitive matches in a row - the 2-0 loss at Manchester United which cost Villa a place in the Champions League at the end of last season and the opening four games of 2025-26.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery speaking to Sky Sports: "We want to win and we want to be our team again, with a structure. There is still work to do, but also playing with some players who joined us in the last moment of the transfer window, this is the moment.

"We need to be strong in our structure and then the new players start playing and then they try to adapt as soon as possible and play with their qualities."

No early chances of note in the first nine minutes or so but it's the League Two side who have had the majority of the ball against this very young Wednesday team.

Chris Peddy
BBC Sport, London and South East

Image source, Getty Images

The most recent meeting between these sides was remembered for all the wrong reasons.

Millwall goalkeeper Liam Roberts was sent off after eight minutes for a head-height challenge on Jean-Philippe Mateta that left the Palace striker requiring 25 stitches.

Eagles chairman Steve Parish called the tackle "the most reckless challenge on a football field" he had ever seen when speaking to BBC One at half-time of the FA Cup fifth-round match in March.

The Premier League side went on to win the game 3-1, ticking off the third step on their way to an historic first FA Cup win.

Roberts' automatic three-match ban was extended to six games and Millwall put out a statement in defence of their player after he received online abuse despite Mateta publicly accepting his apology.

The Lions were also subsequently fined £15,000 for homophobic chants aimed at Ben Chilwell, who was playing in the Palace team while on loan from Chelsea.

Brentford

Brentford manager Keith Andrews speaking to Sky Sports: "It will be very difficult. Top opposition. I never had any qualms about the number of changes tonight, for various reasons.

"They have some new players and we are aware of what they bring but it is about us and being aggressive to make it uncomfortable for them."

We're off and running at Hillsborough.

Dean Smith
Former Aston Villa and Brentford manager on 5 Live Extra

Aston Villa have lost a bit of stability in midfield, with Onana and Tielemans and Kamara. You normally wouldn't see Bogarde and McGinn in the holding midfield positions.

Ollie Watkins guarantees you 15 goals a season so he will come through that. They haven't created too much away from home at all. It's not too doom and gloom.

Aston Villa

Aston Villa defender Tyrone Mings admits “silverware has to be the goal” as they prepare to open their Carabao Cup journey against Brentford.

Villa have not enjoyed the best of starts to their Premier League campaign having failed to score in their opening four games.

Unai Emery’s side travel to Brentford for the second time already this season – after losing 1-0 in the league in August – and will want revenge to progress into the fourth round.

Emery has delivered European football to Villa Park for the last three seasons but Mings wants to add a trophy to his list of achievements.

He told the club website: “I think every competition adds something different. You’ve seen from the Conference League run and the Champions League run, what it does to the fans and how it gives you something slightly different from the league.

“Obviously, we’ve had some relative success in getting to the Carabao Cup final a number of years ago, so we want to try and go as far in these competitions as possible, and the FA Cup obviously will add to that in January when it starts.

“Hopefully, we can go far in as many different competitions as possible, and silverware has to be the goal.”

Image source, Getty Images

Brentford

Head coach Keith Andrews, who has made 10 changes tonight, insists Brentford are taking the Carabao Cup “very seriously” as he rotates his squad for the third-round tie at home to Premier League rivals Aston Villa.

The Bees snatched a 2-2 top-flight draw with Chelsea on Saturday evening and face another west London derby – away to Fulham – at the weekend.

Andrews, whose side beat Villa 1-0 in the league last month, has no new selection issues, with midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard recovering after missing the meeting with Enzo Maresca’s Blues.

“I have ultimate belief in the squad we have here,” he told a news conference. “It’s difficult to pick the team sometimes; certain positions are very, very close in terms of who gets the nod.

“It’s competition for places and the squad will get utilised. It’s a competition we take very seriously, it’s as simple as that. We want to go through, and we’ll pick a team that we believe can beat Villa.

“I’m a firm believer in rewarding players for how they train consistently, and how they perform when given the opportunities - this is a really good opportunity.”

Chris Peddy
BBC Sport, London and South East

When the draw for the Carabao Cup third round was made, all eyes were on who would face League Two Grimsby Town after their famous shootout win over Manchester United.

As well as the Mariners' trip across Yorkshire to face Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough, another tie caught the attention.

Millwall will make the six-mile journey to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace in a south London derby for the latest installment in a long and heated rivalry.

Palace's prolonged stay in the Premier League has meant there have been only two meetings between the sides in the past decade.

But it is one that carries great significance for both sets of fans, says Eagles fan and podcaster Alex Pewter.

"I'd argue that Millwall is Crystal Palace's only true London derby," the FYP podcast, external, external host said.

"To other teams in London, Palace aren't even secondary in their thoughts - perhaps they even are behind West Ham for Millwall. But this is the match to define which team is first in south London."

Image source, Rex Features

As in the previous round against Leeds United, Sheffield Wednesday fans are boycotting this fixture in their ongoing protests against the ownership of Dejphon Chansiri.

BBC Radio Sheffield reports that there are likely to be roughly twice as many Grimsby fans inside Hillsborough tonight as there are Owls supporters, with the League Two team having sold 6,000 tickets for the fixture.

Those fans making the way over from Lincolnshire for tonight's game are hoping to see their side reach the fourth round of this competition for the first time since 2001.

As expected, Oliver Glasner hands Crystal Palace debuts to goalkeeper Walter Benitez and defender Jaydee Canvot.

Romain Esse, who came through the ranks at the Den before moving from Millwall to the Eagles in the summer for a reported £12m, plays against his former side.

Crystal Palace XI: Benitez, Guehi, Lacroix, Canvot, Sosa, Kamada, Hughes, Munoz, Pino, Esse, Mateta.

Subs: Henderson, Mitchell, Clyne, Richards, Lerma, Uche, Rodney, Devenny, Cardines.

New Zealand international goalkeeper Max Crocombe, yet to make an appearance for the Lions in the Championship, plays in goal for Millwall, just as he did in the first two rounds of this competition.

Millwall XI: Crocombe, Taylor, Crama, Grant, Sturge, Bangura-Williams, Kelly, Harding, Mazou-Sacko, Neghli, Ivanovic.

Subs: Benda, Cooper, Bryan, Leonard, Howland, Ballo, Coburn, Emakhu, Matthews.

Brentford manager Keith Andrews was expected to use his full squad for this cup tie and has not disappointed. In total there are 10 changes from Saturday's draw with Chelsea.

Sepp van den Berg is the only player retained. Vitaly Janelt plays for the first time since April after a heel injury.

Nineteen-year-old academy product Benjamin Arthur makes his first-team debut.

Brentford XI: Valdimarsson, Hickey, Van den Berg, Arthur, Ajer, Henry, Janelt, Milambo, Onyeka, Fábio Carvalho, Ouattara

Subs: Kelleher, Schade, Jensen, Nelson, Yarmoliuk, Collins, Lewis-Potter, Damsgaard, Kayode.

Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, makes his debut for Aston Villa - his first appearance for anyone this season. There's also a full debut for fellow new signing Harvey Elliott, who came off the bench at Everton on Saturday.

Emi Martinez, Tyrone Mings, Lucas Digne, Youri Tielemens, Morgan Rogers, Emi Buendia and Ollie Watkins all drop out of the Villa XI.

Aston Villa: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Maatsen, Bogarde, Elliott, McGinn, Malen, Sancho, Guessand

Subs: Proctor, Mings, Buendia, Watkins, Digne, Jimoh, Rogers, Kamara, Borland.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is set to give debuts to summer signings Walter Benitez and Jaydee Canvot in the Carabao Cup third-round clash with Millwall at Selhurst Park.

Argentina international goalkeeper Benitez, 32, joined the Eagles from PSV Eindhoven, while France Under-21 defender Canvot, 19, arrived from Toulouse. Midfielder Adam Wharton and striker Eddie Nketiah remain unavailable but are in line to return to contention for Saturday’s Premier League game at West Ham. Forward Ismaila Sarr is also still sidelined.

Glasner has no fresh selection concerns following Saturday’s goalless draw against Sunderland.

“We’ll play our best team available, like always, but there will be a few changes,” he told a news conference. "I can confirm Walter Benitez will have his debut for Crystal Palace and Jaydee Canvot will have his debut.

“Some players need to rest from international duties and having too many games. But these two players, I’ve already decided to start them. Nobody is returning. But it looks positive that Adam Wharton and Eddie Nketiah will return for the West Ham game, but not for Millwall.”

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

You can listen live to all of tonight's Carabao Cup games across the BBC and in this very page.

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra is the place to go for Sheffield Wednesday v Grimsby from 19:05 BST, Sports Extra 2 is where Brentford v Aston Villa is with the build-up already started, while Sports Extra 3 has Crystal Palace v Millwall with that coverage beginning at 19:55 BST.

This was the reaction as Grimsby Town manager David Artell praised the "magnificent" players and fans following their shock Carabao Cup win over Manchester United on penalties.