The EFL Cup is a knockout cup competition in English football organised by and named after the English Football League (EFL). The competition was established in 1960 and is considered to be the second-most important domestic cup competition for English football clubs, after the FA Cup. The competition is open to all 72 members of the English Football League and the 20 members of the Premier League. For the first six seasons of the competition, the final was contested over two legs, one at each participating club's stadium. The first Football League Cup was won by Aston Villa, who beat Rotherham United 3–2 on aggregate, after losing the first leg 2–0. The competition's first single-legged final was held in 1967: Queens Park Rangers defeated West Bromwich Albion 3–2 at Wembley Stadium in London.
As of 2026, 24 clubs have won the EFL Cup. Liverpool hold the record for the most EFL Cup titles, with ten victories in the competition. Liverpool's wins include four consecutive titles from 1981 to 1984, while Manchester City's, who have won nine times, include four consecutive titles from 2018 to 2021. Nottingham Forest and Manchester United are the only other clubs to have won consecutive titles. Forest won two consecutive titles twice – in 1978 and 1979, and 1989 and 1990, while United won consecutive editions in 2009 and 2010. Arsenal have been runners-up more than any other club; they have lost the final seven times. The current holders are Manchester City, who beat Arsenal 2–0 in the 2026 final to win their ninth League Cup.
History
The first winners of the tournament were Aston Villa. The final was contested over two legs for the first six years of the competition. During this period many First Division clubs refused to take part, allowing clubs from outside the First Division to regularly reach the final. The first club from outside the First Division to win the competition was Norwich City of the Second Division in 1962. Queen's Park Rangers and Swindon Town, both then of Division Three, matched this feat in 1967 and 1969 respectively. Sheffield Wednesday, then in the Second Division, became the last club to win the competition while competing outside the First Division, when they beat Manchester United in the 1991 final.
In the late 1960s, the winners of the competition were granted automatic qualification to the UEFA Cup. With the promise of potential European football, First Division clubs entered the competition, and all 92 Football League clubs entered the League Cup for the first time in 1969–70. Meanwhile, the final of the competition had also been altered; it would now be played over a single leg at Wembley Stadium. The final went to a replay for the first time in 1977, with Aston Villa requiring two replays to overcome Everton; the first was held at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, and the second at Old Trafford in Manchester.
The following year, Nottingham Forest won the first of two consecutive titles, the first time that any club won back-to-back League Cup titles. The first took a replay at Old Trafford to beat Liverpool, and they beat Southampton 3–2 to win the second. Liverpool won four consecutive titles between 1981 and 1984, a record equalled by Manchester City in 2021. Nottingham Forest won two more consecutive titles in 1989 and 1990.
The last League Cup final replay was held in 1997; Leicester City beat Middlesbrough 1–0 after extra time at Hillsborough, after the two clubs had played out a 1–1 draw at Wembley. The rules were changed afterwards with a penalty shootout incorporated instead of replays. The first single-match final to be played outside London was held in 2001, as the final was moved to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium while the new Wembley Stadium was under construction. Liverpool and Chelsea were the two most prolific League Cup sides in Cardiff, as both clubs won two titles each. The final returned to London in 2008, where Tottenham Hotspur became the first side to win the competition at the new Wembley, beating Chelsea 2–1 after extra time.
Finals +Key to the list of finalsMatch was won during extra timeMatch was won on a penalty shoot-out&Match was won after a replay$Match was won after a replay in extra time£Match was won after two replays in extra time§Winning team won the Domestic Treble (League title, FA Cup and League Cup)ItalicsClub from outside the top-tier of English football(#)Number of trophy win of club All teams are English, except where marked (Welsh). +EFL Cup winnersFinalWinnersScoreRunners-upVenueAttendance1961Aston Villa (1)0–2Rotherham UnitedMillmoor12,2263–0Villa Park31,202Aston Villa won 3–2 on aggregate1962Norwich City (1)3–0RochdaleSpotland11,1231–0Carrow Road19,708Norwich City won 4–0 on aggregate1963Birmingham City (1)3–1Aston VillaSt Andrew's31,8500–0Villa Park37,921Birmingham City won 3–1 on aggregate1964Leicester City (1)1–1Stoke CityVictoria Ground22,3093–2Filbert Street25,372Leicester City won 4–3 on aggregate1965Chelsea (1)3–2Leicester CityStamford Bridge20,6900–0Filbert Street26,958Chelsea won 3–2 on aggregate1966West Bromwich Albion (1)1–2West Ham UnitedBoleyn Ground28,3414–1The Hawthorns31,925West Bromwich Albion won 5–3 on aggregate1967Queens Park Rangers (1)3–2West Bromwich AlbionWembley Stadium97,9521968Leeds United (1)1–0Arsenal97,8871969Swindon Town (1)3–1Arsenal98,1891970Manchester City (1)2–1West Bromwich Albion97,9631971Tottenham Hotspur (1)2–0Aston Villa100,0001972Stoke City (1)2–1Chelsea97,8521973Tottenham Hotspur (2)1–0Norwich City100,0001974Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)2–1Manchester City97,8861975Aston Villa (2)1–0Norwich City95,9461976Manchester City (2)2–1Newcastle United100,0001977Aston Villa (3)0–0Everton100,0001–1Hillsborough Stadium55,0003–2£Old Trafford54,7491978Nottingham Forest (1)0–0LiverpoolWembley Stadium100,0001–0&Old Trafford54,3751979Nottingham Forest (2)3–2SouthamptonWembley Stadium96,9521980Wolverhampton Wanderers (2)1–0Nottingham Forest96,5271981Liverpool (1)1–1West Ham United100,0002–1&Villa Park36,6931982Liverpool (2)3–1Tottenham HotspurWembley Stadium100,0001983Liverpool (3)2–1Manchester United99,3041984Liverpool (4)0–0Everton100,0001–0&Maine Road52,0891985Norwich City (2)1–0SunderlandWembley Stadium100,0001986Oxford United (1)3–0Queens Park Rangers90,3961987Arsenal (1)2–1Liverpool96,0001988Luton Town (1)3–2Arsenal95,7321989Nottingham Forest (3)3–1Luton Town76,1301990Nottingham Forest (4)1–0Oldham Athletic74,3431991Sheffield Wednesday (1)1–0Manchester United77,6121992Manchester United (1)1–0Nottingham Forest76,8101993Arsenal (2)2–1Sheffield Wednesday74,0071994Aston Villa (4)3–1Manchester United77,2311995Liverpool (5)2–1Bolton Wanderers75,5951996Aston Villa (5)3–0Leeds United77,0651997Leicester City (2)1–1Middlesbrough76,7571–0$Hillsborough Stadium39,4281998Chelsea (2)2–0MiddlesbroughWembley Stadium77,6981999Tottenham Hotspur (3)1–0Leicester City77,8922000Leicester City (3)2–1Tranmere Rovers74,3132001Liverpool (6)1–1Birmingham City Millennium Stadium73,5002002Blackburn Rovers (1)2–1Tottenham Hotspur72,5002003Liverpool (7)2–0Manchester United74,5002004Middlesbrough (1)2–1Bolton Wanderers72,6342005Chelsea (3)3–2Liverpool78,0002006Manchester United (2)4–0Wigan Athletic66,8662007Chelsea (4)2–1Arsenal70,0732008Tottenham Hotspur (4)2–1Chelsea Wembley Stadium87,6602009Manchester United (3)0–0Tottenham Hotspur88,2172010Manchester United (4)2–1Aston Villa88,5962011Birmingham City (2)2–1Arsenal88,8512012Liverpool (8)2–2 Cardiff City89,0412013 Swansea City (1)5–0Bradford City82,5972014Manchester City (3)3–1Sunderland84,6972015Chelsea (5)2–0Tottenham Hotspur89,2942016Manchester City (4)1–1Liverpool86,2062017Manchester United (5)3–2Southampton85,2642018Manchester City (5)3–0 Arsenal85,6712019Manchester City § (6)0–0Chelsea81,7752020Manchester City (7)2–1Aston Villa82,1452021Manchester City (8)1–0Tottenham Hotspur7,7732022Liverpool (9)0–0Chelsea85,5122023Manchester United (6)2–0Newcastle United87,3062024Liverpool (10)1–0Chelsea88,8682025Newcastle United (1)2–1Liverpool88,5132026Manchester City (9)2–0Arsenal88,486
Results by club +EFL Cup winners by clubClubWinnersYears wonRunners-upYears runner-upLiverpool101981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2022, 202451978, 1987, 2005, 2016, 2025Manchester City91970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 202611974Manchester United61992, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017, 202341983, 1991, 1994, 2003Chelsea51965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 201551972, 2008, 2019, 2022, 2024Aston Villa51961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 199641963, 1971, 2010, 2020Tottenham Hotspur41971, 1973, 1999, 200851982, 2002, 2009, 2015, 2021 Nottingham Forest41978, 1979, 1989, 199021980, 1992Leicester City31964, 1997, 200021965, 1999Arsenal21987, 199371968, 1969, 1988, 2007, 2011, 2018, 2026Norwich City21962, 198521973, 1975Birmingham City21963, 201112001Wolverhampton Wanderers21974, 19800—West Bromwich Albion1196621967, 1970Middlesbrough1200421997, 1998 Newcastle United1202521976, 2023Queens Park Rangers1196711986Leeds United1196811996Stoke City1197211964Luton Town1198811989Sheffield Wednesday1199111993Swindon Town119690—Oxford United119860—Blackburn Rovers120020— Swansea City120130—West Ham United0—21966, 1981 Everton0—21977, 1984 Bolton Wanderers0—21995, 2004 Sunderland0—21985, 2014 Southampton0—21979, 2017Rotherham United0—11961Rochdale0—11962Oldham Athletic0—11990Tranmere Rovers0—12000Wigan Athletic0—12006 Cardiff City0—12012Bradford City0—12013
Top goalscorers All players with two or more final goals:
RankPlayerNat.Club(s)Finals scored inTotalRef.1Chelsea2005, 2007, 200842 West Bromwich Albion1966, 19673Liverpool1982, 1983Manchester United2006, 20105Norwich City19622 Birmingham City1963Leicester City1964Swindon Town1969West Bromwich Albion1966, 1970Tottenham Hotspur1971 Everton1977Aston VillaNottingham Forest1979Liverpool1981, 1983 Arsenal1987 Liverpool1982, 1987Luton Town1988 Nottingham Forest1989 Aston Villa1994Liverpool1995Leicester City2000Liverpool, Manchester United2003, 2010Swansea City2013Southampton2017Manchester UnitedManchester City2018, 2020Manchester City2026
Notes
References General
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