The League Cup served up a night of drama on Tuesday, headlined by Wolves’ pulsating 3-2 victory over West Ham at Molineux.
Norwegian forward Jorgen Strand Larsen, heavily linked with Newcastle in recent weeks, made an immediate impact after coming off the bench. Two ruthless finishes in three minutes turned the tie on its head, sealing Wolves’ place in the next round and heaping further pressure on Hammers boss Graham Potter.
West Ham had twice taken the lead through Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta, but their defensive frailties—already exposed in their dismal league start—proved costly again. Wolves’ early opener from Rodrigo Gomes and Larsen’s late brace left the visitors winless this season.
Elsewhere, it was a night of embarrassment for two top-flight clubs. Leeds United, who invested nearly £100 million in summer reinforcements, bowed out on penalties to crisis-hit Sheffield Wednesday after a 1-1 draw. Supporters of the Yorkshire club had been urged to boycott the match in protest against ownership issues, but Wednesday’s players delivered a defiant performance, capitalizing as Leeds failed to convert any of their three spot-kicks.
Sunderland also endured humiliation, falling to Huddersfield Town in another penalty shootout after being held 1-1 in normal time.
In the all-Premier League clash, Brentford dispatched Bournemouth 2-0 with goals from Fabio Carvalho and Igor Thiago, while Burnley required stoppage-time heroics from Oliver Sonne to edge past Championship side Derby County 2-1.
The results underscored the League Cup’s reputation for unpredictability, as giants stumbled, underdogs triumphed, and Wolves found a new hero in Larsen.
