Tottenham ‘host’ Watford in Carabao Cup third round as Liverpool face Chelsea
Spurs were drawn at home against fellow Premier League side but is set to be played 50 miles away
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TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR have been drawn to host Watford in the third round of the Carabao Cup - but are set to play FIFTY MILES away in Milton Keynes.
Spurs’ stadium is not ready and Wembley is unavailable for the tie in the week of September 24.
Watford take on Tottenham this Sunday at Vicarage Road before playing each other again just three-and-a-half weeks later
And chairman Daniel Levy had made an application to the EFL to have the game played at MK Dons' Stadium MK instead.
The League Two side's ground is 50 miles north of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and is over an hour's drive away.
Tottenham released a statement on their website confirming the application to play the game in Milton Keynes.
: "We appreciate that Stadium MK may not be an ideal destination for every fan to get to on a weekday evening, however the Club felt it would not be beneficial to request a reverse of the fixture.
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"Consideration was given to a number of different football stadia and for a variety of reasons – capacity, availability, facilities, accessibility, pitch quality and clubs still being in the competition themselves – it was simply not possible to secure a neutral venue within the M25.
"We are extremely conscious of having to ask our supporters to attend home matches at more than one venue and apologise for any inconvenience this may cause."
A Carabao Cup statement said: "As a result of Tottenham Hotspur being drawn at home to Watford in Round Three of the Carabao Cup and due to the unavailability of Wembley Stadium and the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium week commencing 24 September, the Club has applied for a special dispensation from the EFL Board to play their tie at a neutral venue.
"The Board will now consider this request at its next meeting on Thursday September 6."
Wembley is not an option due to Anthony Joshua's fight with Alexander Povetkin on September 22, meaning the pitch would not be ready in time.
In the round's standout tie, Liverpool will take on Chelsea at Anfield for a place in the fourth round.
Frank Lampard faces a reunion with former manager Jose Mourinho when Derby travel to Manchester United and holders Manchester City go to League One Oxford United.
There is a total of four all-Premier League ties with Wolves taking on Leicester at Molineux and Everton going up against Southampton.
The draw came minutes after Spurs, Man United, Man City and Liverpool found out who their Champions League group stage opponents will be this season.
