The third round of the Carabao Cup is sure to throw up some unexpected twists as clubs and players juggle the novel tasks of keeping up momentum and keeping players fresh before a World Cup-enforced winter break.
One of Manchester City or Chelsea will be heading out at this early stage as they come up against each other while numerous all-Premier League clashes ensure there'll be some sizeable casualties.
At the other end of the spectrum, League Two sides Newport County, Crawley Town, Stevenage and Gillingham will all be dreaming of pulling off shock upsets to advance into the fourth round of the competition.