The English League Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the Carabao Cup, is the second most important national cup competition in England. Unlike the more prestigious FA Cup, which includes all English teams, both professional and non-professional, the Carabao Cup features the 92 professional teams from the Premier League and the English Football League.
Liverpool leads the all-time Carabao Cup leaderboard with 10 victories. Close behind is Manchester City with 8 titles. Notably, Liverpool and City are the only teams to have won the trophy consecutively for four years: Liverpool from 1980-1984 and City from 2018-2021.
Manchester United has 6 wins, Chelsea 5, and Tottenham 4. Arsenal has won the cup twice. The only non-English team to have won the Carabao Cup is Swansea, who triumphed in the 2012-2013 season. The only team to have won all three major English trophies (Premier League, FA Cup, and Carabao Cup) in the same year is Manchester City, achieving this feat in the 2018-2019 season.
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City, along with Liverpool (2000-2001; 2020-2021), Arsenal (1992-1993), and Chelsea (2006-2007), are the only teams to have won both national cups in the same season.
The 2023-2024 Carabao Cup was claimed by Liverpool, marking Jürgen Klopp's final title as the Reds' manager. In the Wembley final, Liverpool edged out Chelsea 1-0 thanks to a goal by Virgil Van Dijk in the 118th minute. Once again, Liverpool dashed Mauricio Pochettino's dreams, reminiscent of the 2018-2019 Champions League final when Klopp's Liverpool defeated Pochettino's Tottenham.
The new Carabao Cup season will begin on August 13 with the first-round matches and will culminate on March 16, 2025, with the Wembley final.
Competition format
- First Round (70 teams): Includes 24 teams from Football League Two, 24 teams from Football League One, and 22 teams from Football League Championship.
- Second Round (50 teams): Includes 2 teams from Football League Championship, 13 teams from the Premier League not participating in European competitions, and the 35 winners from the first round.
- Third Round (32 teams): Includes 7 Premier League teams participating in European competitions.
Northern and Southern Sections
One unique aspect of the early rounds of the Carabao Cup is the division of teams into Northern and Southern sections based on their geographical location. This continues until the third round.
Northern Section
August 13
- Barrow vs. Port Vale
- Bolton vs. Mansfield Town
- Burton Albion vs. Blackpool
- Carlisle Utd vs. Stoke City
- Derby County vs. Chesterfield
- Fleetwood Town vs. West Bromwich
- Grimsby Town vs. Bradford City
- Huddersfield Town vs. Morecambe
- Hull City vs. Sheffield Wednesday
- Leeds Utd vs. Middlesbrough
- Lincoln City vs. Harrogate Town
- Preston N.E. vs. Sunderland
- Rotherham Utd vs. Crewe Alexandra
- Salford City vs. Doncaster
- Sheffield Utd vs. Wrexham
- Shrewsbury Town vs. Notts County
- Stockport County vs. Blackburn
- Tranmere vs. Accrington Stanley
- Wigan vs. Barnsley
August 14
- Hull City vs. Sheffield Wednesday
- Leeds United vs. Middlesbrough
Southern Section
August 13
- Leyton Orient vs. Newport County
- Bristol City vs. Coventry City
- Bromley vs. AFC Wimbledon
- Cambridge Utd vs. QPR
- Cardiff City vs. Bristol Rovers
- Charlton vs. Birmingham City
- Colchester Utd vs. Reading
- Crawley Town vs. Swindon Town
- Northampton Town vs. Wycombe
- Norwich City vs. Stevenage
- Oxford Utd vs. Peterborough Utd
- Portsmouth vs. Millwall
- Swansea City vs. Gillingham
- Walsall vs. Exeter City
- Watford vs. MK Dons
August 14
- Plymouth vs. Cheltenham Town
The early rounds of the tournament feature exciting matchups, including the Severnside Derby between Bristol and Cardiff in the Southern Section. Despite not being the fiercest of rivalries, both teams share the Severn River region, adding a geographical significance to the clash.
Liverpool and Manchester City are the top contenders for the Carabao Cup, with Liverpool slightly ahead as the reigning champions. New manager Arne Slot will aim to maintain Liverpool's dominance, while Pep Guardiola's City seeks redemption after last season's fourth-round exit against Newcastle.
Outsiders from lower leagues can also pose a threat, as seen with Port Vale reaching the quarter-finals last season and Middlesbrough making it to the semi-finals. Historically, underdog victories have been memorable, such as Blackburn's 2001-2002 win, Birmingham's 2010-2011 surprise against Arsenal, and Swansea's 2012-2013 thrashing of Bradford City.
The Carabao Cup 2024-2025 promises thrilling matches and potential upsets. While Liverpool and Manchester City remain the favorites, the unpredictable nature of the competition means that lower-league teams could once again make deep runs. Fans are eagerly awaiting the start of the new season and the chance to see their teams compete for the coveted trophy.
