Plymouth Argyle and Exeter City will meet in the first round of the EFL Cup. We can therefore expect another Devon derby, which will most likely be the last one for the next year.
Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle finished comfortably in the upper reaches of League One (eighth place), while Exeter City were relegated after finishing 21st. Their previous regular-season meeting in April ended with a thrilling finish at Home Park (2:2). The Pilgrims created far more (2.93-1.57 in xG) but were behind until the 79th minute. Coming back from the 88th minute was noticeably harder, but they managed it. Plymouth will be viewed as one of the contenders for promotion this season. A year ago, they got past Championship club Queens Park Rangers in the first round of the EFL Cup (3:2).
Exeter City
In August 2025, Exeter City could not get past even League Two side Cheltenham Town (0:2), which may already have been a warning sign of an unsuccessful season. Matt Taylor's team will now look to return to League One at the first attempt. EFL Cup matches come around quite often at the start of the season, so they will take plenty out of the participants. The Grecians will try to preserve as much energy as possible before the start of the league campaign, especially as they must travel to fellow contenders Grimsby Town in the first round.
Plymouth Argyle vs Exeter City Prediction
Plymouth Argyle have scored at least twice against Exeter City at Home Park in each of their last four meetings. Only twice did that not help them win (two draws in normal time). We expect a goal-filled match in which the hosts come out on top.
