The Carabao Cup first round gave us some big stories this weekend. Two clubs that dropped out of the Premier League last season both won their matches, and a new manager got his first win. Here's what happened in the biggest games.
Leicester City 1-0 Northampton Town
Russell Martin's first game as Leicester manager ended with a win, though it was not pretty to watch. Caleb Okoli scored the only goal with a header in the 15th minute after a corner from Luke Thomas.
Northampton actually played well early on and should have scored in the first minute, but Leicester's goalkeeper made a great save. After that, the match became messy with not much action for either team.
It was not the kind of performance that will excite fans, but for Leicester, who just got relegated twice in a row, a win in Martin's first game is exactly what they needed.
West Ham United 3-1 Portsmouth
West Ham had to come back in the second half to beat Portsmouth at home. Portsmouth shocked everyone by going ahead 1-0 in the 33rd minute through Adrian Segečić.
West Ham got going before half-time though. Valentín Castellanos tied it up in the 43rd minute, and Jarrod Bowen put West Ham in front just two minutes later. Castellanos scored his second goal early in the second half to make it 3-1, and West Ham cruised to victory from there.
This win was really important for West Ham. Like Leicester, they're playing in a lower division this season after being relegated from the Premier League last year.
Other results from the weekend
Burnley and Wolves also won their first-round matches. That means all four clubs that got relegated from the Premier League last season have made it through round one. Middlesbrough also had a good day, beating Wrexham 1-0 with a goal from new signing Will Lankshear on his debut.
Other matches happened over the weekend too, like QPR playing Millwall in a local derby and Swansea facing Birmingham.
What's next
The first round concludes on Monday night with Plymouth Argyle hosting Exeter City in the Devon derby, the last tie left to be decided. The draw for round two also takes place on Monday evening, when the Premier League clubs not involved in Europe this season will discover their opponents for the next stage of the competition.
Why this round mattered
Early rounds of the Carabao Cup often get overlooked, but this year's first round carried extra weight. With four big-name clubs adjusting to life outside the Premier League, results like Leicester's and West Ham's carry more meaning than a typical round one tie usually would. Both performances were far from perfect, but both delivered the one thing that mattered most this early in the season: a win.
Responsible gambling note
Early-season cup form can be misleading, with squads still finding their rhythm after pre-season. If you choose to bet on future rounds, only stake what you can afford to lose. Support is available through BeGambleAware (UK) if gambling ever stops being fun.