The club began the competition in the First Round after failing to receive a bye to the next round. The draw took place on 14 August, giving Southampton a home tie against league rivals Swindon Town in the week commencing 30 August. The match came the day after the dismissal of manager Alan Pardew, and a lacklustre Saints team underperformed to lose 3–0 and exit the tournament, with substitute Lee Barnard receiving a red card in the 83rd minute following a tackle on Will Evans.