Walsall kick-off the Lee Grant era with a Carabao Cup first round tie at Championship side Bristol City on Thursday night, looking to improve on their recent League Cup performances.
What happened in the past?
The Saddlers have fallen at the first round stage in two of the past three seasons, but did embark on a run to the third round in 2024. They beat League One pair Exeter City and Huddersfield Town respectively to set-up a tasty tie against then Premier League side Leicester City. An inspired performance saw the Saddlers hold Leicester to a goalless draw, before they bowed out on penalties with a 3-0 shoot-out defeat.
Notable League Cup runs
In 2015, Dean Smith achieved a feat that had not been seen in years, leading Walsall to the second round. They overcame Nottingham Forest with a thrilling 4-3 victory in the first round and came from behind to beat Brighton 2-1 courtesy of goals from Milan Lalkovic and Rico Henry. Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea eased to a 4-1 victory at Bescot - with James O’Connor scoring the only goal for the Saddlers.
The road ahead
Next fixture: vs Rochdale (away, 2027-02-20) (1st in the table). Walsall will look to build on their League Cup history as they face Bristol City, with the team sitting top of the table and full of confidence.
