Brentford avoided an early scare from League One Leyton Orient before Fabio Carvalho scored his first goal for the club to help them advance into the Carabao Cup fourth round with a 3-1 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Thomas Frank made eight changes to the team that lost to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday. The new lineup seemed to be in trouble when defender Brandon Cooper scored early for Leyton Orient, putting them in the lead.
However, Frank's substitutes fought back and managed to score three goals before halftime. The standout moment was Carvalho's spectacular overhead kick to equalise, followed by Mikkel Damsgaard's header and Christian Norgaard's long-range strike to give Brentford a two-goal advantage.
Leyton Orient stayed competitive for most of the second half until captain Jack Simpson received a red card 20 minutes before the end of the game, leading to their elimination from the cup.
The underdog team started strongly, surprising everyone despite their low position in the league. They showed promising signs in the opening minutes, with Tottenham loanee Jamie Donley creating a chance that was deflected wide by Norgaard.
Orient's opening goal was a result of their early attacking intent. Diallang Jaiyesimi made room for a shot, which was then crossed by Tom James for Cooper to score at the far post.
Carvalho's equaliser came shortly after, with the forward executing a brilliant overhead kick from a rebound. Damsgaard then put Brentford in the lead with a diving header assisted by Carvalho.
Norgaard extended Brentford's lead before halftime with a well-placed shot from the edge of the box. Meanwhile, Orient missed a chance to get back in the game when Charlie Kelman failed to convert a clear opportunity.
Brentford continued to press for another goal, with Mads Roerslev coming close with a shot that hit the side netting. Orient's hopes were dashed further when Simpson was sent off for a reckless tackle.