Man City wins in League Cup two days after feisty Arsenal match. Nkunku hat trick for Chelsea

Playing just two days after a feisty Premier League match against Arsenal , Manchester City fielded a heavily rotated team and had too much for second-tier Watford in the English League Cup.

City won 2-1 thanks to first-half goals by Jeremy Doku and Matheus Nunes at Etihad Stadium as the third round continued Tuesday with Chelsea also advancing by thrashing fourth-division Barrow 5-0, with Christopher Nkunku scoring a hat trick.

The last 32 of the competition is being spread over two midweeks to accommodate the expanded Champions League and Europa League. Manchester United and Tottenham were among those to advance last week, while Liverpool and Arsenal play their games on Wednesday.

Doku was one of two Man City players — along with Kyle Walker — to start both the dramatic 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday and against Watford. The Belgium winger put his team ahead in the fifth minute by shooting home from just inside the area after City seized on a misplaced back-pass.

Nunes added the second in 38th with a low, left-footed shot for the Portugal midfielder's first goal since joining from Wolverhampton in the offseason on 2023.

Tom Ince — the son of former England midfielder Paul Ince — scored for Watford in the 86th.

Chelsea also rotated its lineup, making 11 changes from the team that started the 3-0 win at West Ham on Saturday.

Nkunku scored the opening two goals by the 15th minute and rounded off the scoring in the 75th. In between was an own-goal and a tap-in by Pedro Neto.