The location and timing was bizarre and again it prompted ridicule from fans, but when the Carabao Cup draw did eventually get under way – in China, at around 4:37am UK time on Thursday – Manchester United, the holders, were paired with Burton Albion.

The previous two draws had been beset by problems and this latest event staged by the energy drink sponsors fared only marginally better. With no television feed, interested parties had been told they could follow it live on Twitter but with no update on the EFL’s Carabao Cup feed for more than 10 minutes after the advertised start time, bleary-eyed fans back in the UK began to get restless.

After promises that the draw was “approaching”, it finally commenced 22 minutes after the scheduled start time, with West Brom the first name out of the hat. The unbeaten Premier League side will play Manchester City, four times winners of the League Cup.

City were one of seven teams to enter the draw at this stage, along with the other clubs involved in European competition this year.

United will begin the defence of the title they won for a fifth time last year against the Championship side Burton, while Chelsea were drawn at home to Nottingham Forest.

Arsenal will play Doncaster Rovers, Everton host Sunderland and Tottenham will play either Barnsley or Derby.

Leicester City were paired with Liverpool, winners a record eight times. Two more all-Premier League ties were picked out of the hat, with Bournemouth to meet Brighton and Huddersfield – like United and West Brom, yet to drop points this season – to play Crystal Palace.

Before the draw, the EFL had defended its choice of venue, saying staging it in Beijing would give the competition “both the maximum exposure in the UK, Chinese and south-east Asian markets”.

Carabao Cup third-round draw in full

West Brom v Manchester City

Everton v Sunderland

Leicester v Liverpool

Manchester United v Burton

Brentford v Norwich

Wolves v Bristol Rovers

Burnley v Leeds

Arsenal v Doncaster

Bristol City v Stoke

Reading v Swansea

Aston Villa v Middlesbrough

Chelsea v Nottingham Forest

West Ham v Bolton

Crystal Palace v Huddersfield

Tottenham v Barnsley or Derby

Bournemouth v Brighton

Ties to be played week commencing 18 September