Cardiff City

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Nathan Broadhead struck both goals against Reading to help fire Wrexham into the fourth round of the EFL Cup for the first time since 1977.

But the Wales international's household may well be split when Phil Parkinson's side host Cardiff City in round four next month.

Prior to the draw being made, the 27-year-old admitted he wanted Wrexham to be paired with the Bluebirds in the next round as his father supports Brian Barry-Murphy's side.

"I'd love Cardiff. My old man's a Cardiff fan," Broadhead said.

"I don't know what side he'd be on."

The former Ipswich Town man got his wish - with the pair set to meet at the Stok Cae Ras during the week beginning 27 October.

It ensures at least one Welsh team will reach the quarter-finals of the competition.

Given Swansea City's progress, the next round will see three Welsh teams feature in the last-16 for the first time in the competition's history.

And Broadhead feels the cup progress further demonstrates how Welsh football is in a good place at present.

"It just shows where Welsh football's going," he said.

"We're making steps, Craig Bellamy, Wrexham, I'm happy."

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Joel Colwill wants a big Premier League side in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup after helping Cardiff City knock out top-flight Burnley.

The Wales midfielder opened the scoring at Turf Moor and Callum Robinson added a second as the Bluebirds beat Scott Parker's second-string Clarets 2-1.

It is the first time Cardiff have reached the last 16 since they made it all the way to the final in 2012, losing to Liverpool on penalties at Wembley.

And Colwill hopes League One Cardiff will get the chance to rub shoulders with football royalty again when the 2025-26 competition resumes next month.

"Any of the big Premier League teams would be good," said the 20-year-old.

"We deserve the chance to test ourselves. In my opinion, these players are playing in the best league in the world, and to come up against them is something to be proud of and to see where we are against them.

"Really, it doesn't matter who we play... whether it's Man City or Bradford, we're going to play our way, play our patterns."

Scoring at Turf Moor was the latest highlight in a breakthrough season for Colwill, having established himself in the Bluebirds' first team and made his first senior appearance for Wales, in the 1-0 friendly defeat by Canada this month.

"Personally, I've really enjoyed the season. We (Cardiff) have played some really good football and I've thoroughly enjoyed it," said Colwill, who had loan spells at Cheltenham and Exeter last season.

"There's always more you can do, but it's been a really good start and I just want to continue it."

Colwill hopes Burnley proves to be the launchpad for another winning run after Bradford City ended Cardiff's 10-game unbeaten streak last Saturday.

The Bluebirds head north again on Saturday to face Wigan Athletic.

"Bradford are a good team, but it was important for us to try to get another win and forget about that loss, start a new run of winning games," said Colwill.

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Former Wales striker Iwan Roberts says Cardiff City were worthy winners after they shocked Premier League Burnley in the Carabao Cup.

Cardiff are through to the fourth round of the competition for the first time in 13 years after they responded to their first League One defeat of the season in style.

Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy made five changes to the side beaten by Bradford City on Saturday, but the Bluebirds were still strong enough to beat Scott Parker's second-string Burnley line-up 2-1 at Turf Moor.

"It was a great performance," Roberts told BBC Radio Cymru.

"Brian Barry-Murphy got the reaction he hoped for. Scott Parker made 11 changes to the Burnley team from the weekend, but they still had a strong side.

"Cardiff were so positive from the start – they played attacking football from the first whistle. Cardiff were the better team."

Fourth-round ties will be played in the week commencing Monday, 27 October, with Cardiff set to discover who they will face next in Wednesday night's draw.

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Head coach Brian Barry-Murphy praised Cardiff City's character as they responded to their first defeat of the season by beating Premier League side Burnley in the Carabao Cup.

Tuesday's 2-1 victory at Turf Moor followed the Bluebirds' 3-1 League One loss at home to Bradford City on Saturday.

Cardiff can now look forward to a first fourth-round tie since 2012, when they went on to reach the final at Wembley only to be beaten by Liverpool.

"It means a lot to us to play the way we did and bounce back from what was undoubtedly a disappointing day for us on Saturday," Barry-Murphy told BBC Sport Wales.

"It means a lot in terms of how we want to play. I think when you come to play a team in the Premier League, you've got two choices: you can either step back and hope for the best or try and take your destiny into your own hands.

"We were very aggressive in the way we played the game, and the lads were on the front foot right from the first whistle."

Cardiff were well worth their win over Burnley, leading 2-0 at half-time and creating chances to extend their lead after conceding in the second half.

Their Premier League opponents searched desperately for a late equaliser but the Bluebirds defended resolutely.

"I think you have to show character all the time in sport as in life," said Barry-Murphy.

"There will have been question marks in the players' minds, as there would have been in our supporters' minds.

"But for the supporters to come here on a Tuesday night, this length of a journey and probably do the same distance on Saturday [for the League One trip to Wigan Athletic], is testament to them. We wanted to reward that and give them a performance to enjoy."

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Cardiff City will discover their Carabao Cup fourth-round opponents when the draw is made at around 22:00 BST on Wednesday.

The League One side booked their place in the last 16 with an impressive 2-1 win at Premier League Burnley on Tuesday.

Cardiff can look forward to a first fourth-round tie since 2012, when they went on to reach the final at Wembley only to be beaten by Liverpool.

Fellow Welsh sides Wrexham and Swansea City will join the Bluebirds in the draw, which takes place after the final third-round ties are played on Wednesday.

This is the first time in League Cup history that three Welsh clubs have reached the fourth round.

Fourth-round ties will be played in the week commencing Monday, 27 October.

Asked who he would like to face, Cardiff head coach Brian Barry-Murphy said: "A lot of my wife's family are Arsenal fans and hoping for that but I'm not bothered."

On the prospect of facing his former club Manchester City and their boss Pep Guardiola, Barry-Murphy added: "I think he's got bigger priorities but it would be good to see him. He's done a lot for me so I'll always be grateful.

"A home tie would be nice."

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Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan is planning to attend a home game before Christmas - having faced criticism from fans for his absence.

The most recent match Tan went to at Cardiff City Stadium was the 2-2 Championship draw with Plymouth Argyle on 26 December, 2023.

That was 13 months after the Malaysian billionaire's previous visit, and his absence since has often been highlighted by disgruntled supporters.

Bluebirds fans have staged protests against Tan and the club's board in recent years, calling on them to leave.

Their anger was at its most intense last season when Cardiff were relegated from the Championship, but the mood has improved since then with the team fourth in League One after an encouraging start to this campaign.

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Cardiff City's unbeaten start to life under Brian Barry-Murphy was emphatically ended as the Bluebirds were beaten 3-1 by League One promotion rivals Bradford City.

Following a poor showing at Stockport County a week earlier, is the loss to the Bantams a concern, or is it merely - as Barry-Murphy put it - a "bump in the road"?

Have your say here

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Wales defender Ronan Kpakio will have a scan on a heel injury that has left Cardiff City boss Brian Barry-Murphy "concerned".

The 18-year-old was withdrawn at half-time of the Bluebirds' 3-1 League One defeat by Bradford City.

And Barry-Murphy confirmed it was due to injury that will now need further examination.

"He had an issue with his heel which we get scanned tomorrow (Sunday) - I don't know how serious or not it is, but it's a slight concern for me.

"He doesn't get injured a lot so I'm a little bit worried about that one."

Kpakio has featured in all eight games so far this season in what has become a breakthrough campaign for the academy graduate.

Cardiff were already without another impressive youngster for the game against Bradford, with Dylan Lawlor unable to shake off a groin injury.

Lawlor, 19, trained the day before the Bradford game, but was unable to complete the session, leaving Cardiff refusing to risk the centre-back – but hopeful he could make his return shortly.

Both Kpakio and Lawlor forced their way into Craig Bellamy's Wales squad during September's international window, Lawlor making his debut in the World Cup qualifier against Kazakhstan with Kpakio winning his first cap in the friendly with Canada.

Wales next face a friendly with England on 9 October and a key qualifier with Belgium four days later.

Cardiff travel to Premier League Burnley in the EFL Cup third round on Tuesday, before returning to League One action against Wigan Athletic at Cardiff City Stadium next Saturday.

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Brian Barry-Murphy says Cardiff City were naive as they lost their place at the top of the League One table.

But the Bluebirds head coach is confident his young side will be better from the first "bump in the road" of Bradford City's 3-1 win.

The defeat ended Cardiff's unbeaten start to the season, with the Bantams replacing them at the top of the third tier.

But Barry-Murphy admitted Cardiff did not defend well enough, missed chances and were guilty of being sucked into a feisty battle that disrupted hopes of a comeback.

"I think it's naturally very disappointing when you lose a game that's been billed as a top-of-the-table clash," Barry-Murphy said.

"We had some really, really good chances close to the goal which were better than we had in the previous weeks and we just didn't take them today.

"If you don't take those chances in the game of this magnitude, you're really reliant on being watertight at the back.

"And I think from front to back, we didn't defend well enough today to give ourselves a chance to win the game."

Callum Robinson's goal 13 minutes from time did pose the question of a potential comeback, but Barry-Murphy said his team blew the chance of a grandstand finish by committing too many fouls.

"We want to be an aggressive team who are on the front foot, but it's not an excuse to give needless or reckless fouls," the former Manchester City academy coach said.

"When Callum scored, there was a really good atmosphere and I was really keen to get another opportunity to enter the box and put Bradford a pressure and see if they could defend it.

"But we were quite naive and allowed Bradford take the sting out the game.

"And that's just important for us to understand how to chase the game when we are there."

It is the first time Cardiff have been beaten in any fixture since Barry-Murphy took charge this summer, the result seeing the side drop to fourth, three points behind new leaders Bradford with a game in hand.

But he added: "I believe in the talent we have in the dressing room. We don't go looking for defeats or for setbacks, but it's inevitable it's going to happen.

"Our dressing room has to become very calm in these situations because we know we're what we're working on individually and the players are improving - but it isn't going to be without bumps in the road.

"I watched really closely for clear signs in the second half of the behaviour from our team. Days like this can teach you more than any victory does, but you have to go through that to know it.

"You have to be so focused on how you improve week to week that it can't change based on what happens in the results."

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Dylan Lawlor has got what it takes to reach the top, according to his Cardiff City centre-back partner Will Fish, who has helped the Bluebirds to their unbeaten start in League One.

Lawlor has been one of the success stories of the season for Brian Barry-Murphy's impressive promotion-chasers.

The 19-year-old's form earned him a first Wales cap and plaudits from plenty of former players.

Now fellow defender Fish has also heaped praise on Lawlor after their time together in a Bluebirds backline that has already kept five clean sheets.

"Dyl's got everything to go to the top," said Fish, a Manchester United youth graduate who arrived in south Wales last year.

"I think he just needs to get games under his belt and put himself out there, but at the minute he's been fantastic.

"I can't say a bad word about him and it's nice to play next to him."

Fish and Lawlor have featured in all seven of Cardiff's League One fixtures, dropping just four points to sit top of the table as they welcome second-placed Bradford City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The only goals conceded have come from the spot, with Stockport's opener last weekend the first shipped since the opening day win over Peterborough.

At 22-year-old admits he already feels like the experienced man at the back for the Bluebirds, who also have 18-year-old Ronan Kpakio featuring in defence.

But having also impressed himself, Fish is also looking to build on a promising start to the campaign, adding: "I've tried to buy into what this new manager wants with his way of playing and the aggression he wants on the pitch.

"And I'm quite happy with myself at the minute, but I don't want to get carried away. There's a lot of strong competition in this position now, so I'm just trying to do the best I can.

"I've still not played loads of games for Cardiff – and not as many as I wanted to when I first came - but I think I'm going in the right direction now."

Fish says with new signing Gabriel Osho and club captain Callum Chambers also vying for spots, competition for places will be key for Cardiff as they look to continue their eye-catching start.

But ahead of the top-of-the-table encounter against the Bantams on Saturday, Fish added: "We can't get carried away. Everyone knows the importance; we've got off to a great start, and so have they and the stadium will be rocking, but it's not going to define our season.

"We want to keep the momentum going with wins and clean sheets, but we can't get carried away."

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Cardiff City have the chance to make it their longest unbeaten start to a season in 25 years if they avoid defeat against Bradford City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Bluebirds are yet to taste defeat in 10 games in all competitions since Brian Barry-Murphy arrived as manager this summer.

But with an immediate return to the Championship a priority, it is the league that matters – with Cardiff topping League One after seven games without a loss.

That was tested at the weekend when they left it late to level at Stockport County, with Yousef Salech's equaliser in added time ensuring Cardiff made it seven undefeated in the league.

That equalled Cardiff's best unbeaten start since the 2008-09 campaign when the likes of Ross McCormack, Jay Bothroyd and Joe Ledley were in Dave Jones' ranks.

But if they can keep second-placed Bradford at bay at Cardiff City Stadium, it would be the longest unbeaten start since the days of Danny Gabbidon, Robert Earnshaw and Andy Legg in the old Third Division.

That team went nine league games before tasting defeat at the hands of Hull City – which including an unfortunate own goal from Gabbidon.

Bobby Gould was in charge at the time before being replaced by Alan Cork, with the side eventually going to win promotion out of the fourth tier as part of a climb to the Championship.

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Cardiff City midfielder Alex Robertson could make his first appearance of the season in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash with Bradford City.

But defenders Dylan Lawlor and Gabriel Osho face late fitness tests after being taken off with groin injuries in Tuesday's 1-0 EFL Trophy win over Exeter.

Robertson, who played under boss Brian Barry-Murphy in Manchester City's academy, has not played since sustaining a shin injury in Cardiff's pre-season game at Notts County.

A hamstring problem set back his return, but Barry-Murphy says the 22-year-old midfielder is finally available for selection.

"Alex is back. He has been training fully with us since we last spoke. So he will be considered for the squad along with all the other players, he has played fine," Barry-Murphy said.

Less certain is whether Wales international Lawlor and recent signing Osho will make the squad following their niggles at St James Park.

"There are quite a few question marks leading into Saturday," said Barry Murphy, who is still unbeaten as Cardiff boss, having so far taken 17 points from a possible 21 to put the Bluebirds top of League One.

"Dylan came off with some pain in his groin, which I think he had on international duty with Wales as well, so we just have to be careful with that one.

"Gabriel Osho was the same, some fatigue and stiffness in his groin. So he will be checked today."

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Former Cardiff City boss Steve Morison has left his position as Sutton United head coach after the National League club won only one of their first nine matches of the season.

Morison, 42, had been in charge at Sutton since January 2024.

The former Wales striker could not save the club from relegation from League Two in 2023-24, but led them to a 12th-place finish in the fifth tier last season.

Morison was in charge at Cardiff between 2021 and 2022, and was later linked with a return to the Bluebirds before a spell in charge of non-league Hornchurch.