2018 EFL Cup Final

The 2018 EFL Cup Final (also known as the 2018 Carabao Cup Final for sponsorship reasons) was the final association football match of the 2017–18 EFL Cup that took place on 25 February 2018 at Wembley Stadium.[3] It was the first League Cup final contested under the "Carabao Cup" name following the sponsorship of Carabao Energy Drink. It was contested between Manchester City and Arsenal, and won 3–0 by Manchester City. They would have entered the second qualifying round of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League, but instead qualified directly for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League by finishing first in the 2017–18 Premier League.[4]

2018 EFL Cup Final
Match programme cover
Event2017–18 EFL Cup
Arsenal Manchester City
0 3
Date25 February 2018 (2018-02-25)
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchVincent Kompany (Manchester City)[1]
RefereeCraig Pawson (South Yorkshire)[2]
Attendance85,671

The match was Manchester City's sixth League Cup Final, and their third in five seasons[5] – qualification for the final also marked the first time Pep Guardiola reached a final with Manchester City.[6] For Arsenal, the final was their eighth total in the competition,[7] and their third of Arsène Wenger's managerial reign.[8]

Route to the final
Main article: 2017–18 EFL Cup

The EFL Cup is a cup competition open to clubs in the Premier League and English Football League. It is played on a knockout basis, with the exception of the semi-finals, which are contested over a two-legged tie.

Manchester City
Round Opposition Score
3rd West Bromwich Albion (A) 2–1
4th Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) 0–0 (4–1 p.)
5th Leicester City (A) 1–1 (4–3 p.)
Semi-final Bristol City (H) 2–1
Bristol City (A) 3–2
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Manchester City, a Premier League club involved in the UEFA Champions League, started their League Cup campaign in the third round, where they had been drawn away to fellow divisional opponents West Bromwich Albion. At The Hawthorns, winger Leroy Sané scored twice to give City a 2–1 victory.[9] In the fourth round they faced Championship side Wolverhampton Wanderers at home. The visitors defended well and became the first team to keep a clean sheet against the Premier League leaders.[10] Neither side scored after normal and extra time meaning the tie was decided by a penalty shoot-out. City progressed as 4–1 winners.[11]

For the quarter-finals, Manchester City were drawn away to Leicester City at the King Power Stadium. Midfielder Bernardo Silva scored for the visitors, but deep into added time, striker Jamie Vardy equalised for Leicester from the penalty spot. The game finished 1–1 and much like the previous round City needed penalties to progress, winning the shoot-out 4–3.[12] The semi-final pitted Manchester City against Championship side Bristol City. The first leg played at the Etihad Stadium saw the visitors take the lead towards the end of the first half, having been awarded a penalty that Bobby Reid converted. Kevin De Bruyne equalised for Manchester City and in injury time his teammate Sergio Agüero scored the winner to put the team firmly in control of the tie.[13] Bristol City scored twice at Ashton Gate in the return leg, but Manchester City progressed to the final having won by three goals and recording a 5–3 aggregate score.[14]

Arsenal
Round Opposition Score
3rd Doncaster Rovers (H) 1–0
4th Norwich City (H) 2–1 (a.e.t.)
5th West Ham United (H) 1–0
Semi-final Chelsea (A) 0–0
Chelsea (H) 2–1
Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue.

Arsenal, like Manchester City were involved in Europe (UEFA Europa League and entered the League Cup in the third round. They were drawn at home against Football League One side Doncaster Rovers. At the Emirates Stadium, Theo Walcott's goal in the 25th minute was enough to settle the outcome in favour of Arsenal.[15] In the next round they faced Championship club Norwich City at home. Arsenal progressed with a 2–1 win after extra time after Eddie Nketiah was brought on as a substitute and scored his first two goals for the club.[16]

Arsenal played against West Ham United in the quarter-finals, where at home they won 1–0 thanks to a goal from Danny Welbeck.[17] The semi-finals pitted Arsenal against London rivals Chelsea. After a goalless first leg at Stamford Bridge,[18] Arsenal progressed to the final after a 2–1 win at the Emirates Stadium due to an own goal from Chelsea's Antonio Rüdiger and a goal from Granit Xhaka.[19] As a result, Arsenal reached the final without leaving London as four of their five games were at home,[20] with the away leg of the semi final being played in London.[20] Their tally of six goals on their way to the final represented the lowest goal-tally of any side to reach a League Cup final.[21]

Match

Summary

In the 18th minute of the match Sergio Agüero opened the scoring when he ran in on goal and lobbed the ball over the advancing goalkeeper David Ospina with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area after an initial clash with Arsenal defender Shkodran Mustafi who appealed for a foul.[22]

Vincent Kompany got the second in the 58th minute. A corner from the right by Kevin De Bruyne found İlkay Gündoğan on the edge of the penalty area, and his low shot was diverted into the net by Kompany with his left leg from seven yards out. David Silva got the third in the 65th minute when he shot low across and past the goalkeeper with his left foot from inside the left of the penalty area from seven yards out.[23]

Details
Arsenal0–3Manchester City
Report
Attendance: 85,671
Arsenal
Manchester City
GK13 David Ospina
CB21 Calum Chambers 47' 65'
CB20 Shkodran Mustafi
CB6 Laurent Koscielny (c)
RM24 Héctor Bellerín 24'
CM10 Jack Wilshere 88'
CM29 Granit Xhaka
LM18 Nacho Monreal 26'
RW11 Mesut Özil
LW8 Aaron Ramsey 32' 73'
CF14 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Substitutes:
GK33 Petr Čech
DF4 Per Mertesacker
DF31 Sead Kolašinac 26'
MF30 Ainsley Maitland-Niles
MF35 Mohamed Elneny
FW17 Alex Iwobi 73'
FW23 Danny Welbeck 65'
Manager:
Arsène Wenger
GK1 Claudio Bravo
RB2 Kyle Walker
CB4 Vincent Kompany (c) 80'
CB30 Nicolás Otamendi
LB3 Danilo
CM8 İlkay Gündoğan
CM25 Fernandinho 36' 52'
CM21 David Silva
RW17 Kevin De Bruyne
LW19 Leroy Sané 77'
CF10 Sergio Agüero 89'
Substitutes:
GK31 Ederson
DF5 John Stones
DF14 Aymeric Laporte
MF20 Bernardo Silva 52'
MF35 Oleksandr Zinchenko
MF47 Phil Foden 89'
FW33 Gabriel Jesus 77'
Manager:
Pep Guardiola

Man of the Match:
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)[1]

Assistant referees:[2]
Gary Beswick (Durham)
Adam Nunn (Wiltshire)
Fourth official:[2]
Graham Scott (Berks & Bucks)
Fifth official:[2]
Ian Hussin (Liverpool)
Video assistant referee:[2]
Neil Swarbrick (Lancashire)
Assistant video assistant referee:[2]
Peter Kirkup (Northamptonshire)

Match rules[24]

  • 90 minutes
  • 30 minutes of extra time if necessary
  • Penalty shoot-out (ABBA) if scores still level
  • Seven named substitutes, of which up to three may be used; a fourth substituted is allowed in extra time

See also

References
  1. "Review: Manchester City crowned 2018 Carabao Cup Champions". efl.com. English Football League. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  2. "Match Officials confirmed for Carabao Cup Final". EFL.com. English Football League. 13 February 2018. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
  3. "Key Dates". English Football League. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  4. "Preliminary Access List 2018/19". UEFA. 26 August 2016. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 23 January 2018 – via Kassiesa.
  5. "Bristol City 2–3 Manchester City (Agg 3–5): Pep Guardiola's side reach Carabao Cup final". Sky Sports. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  6. "Bristol City 2 Manchester City 3 (3–5 agg): Guardiola through to first English final". goal.com. 23 January 2018. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  7. "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea". BBC Sport. 24 January 2018. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  8. "FA Cup: Arsene Wenger's record in finals at Arsenal ahead of Wembley showdown with Chelsea". Eurosport. 25 May 2017. Archived from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  9. "West Bromwich Albion 1–2 Manchester City". BBC Sport. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 September 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  10. "Man City 0–0 Wolves (aet, 4–1 on pens)". BBC Sport. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  11. "Man City 0–0 Wolves (aet, 4–1 on pens)". BBC Sport. 24 October 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  12. "Leicester City 1–1 Manchester City (3–4 pens)". BBC Sport. 19 December 2017. Archived from the original on 22 December 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  13. "Manchester City 2–1 Bristol City". BBC Sport. 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  14. "FT: Bristol City 2–3 Man City — Guardiola reaches first final in England". BBC Sport. 25 January 2018. Archived from the original on 25 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  15. "Arsenal 1–0 Doncaster Rovers". BBC Sport. 20 September 2017. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  16. Gerry Cox, The Emirates (24 October 2017). "Arsenal 2 Norwich 1 (AET): Eddie Nketiah becomes instant hit with brace to spare blushes in cup comeback". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 26 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  17. O'Keeffe, Greg (19 December 2017). "Arsenal 1–0 West Ham United". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  18. "Chelsea 0–0 Arsenal". goal.com. Archived from the original on 27 January 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  19. Emons, Michael. "Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea (2–1 agg)". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  20. Ryan Kelly. "When is the Carabao Cup final? Date, venue and everything you need to know". goal.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018.
  21. Peter Smith (24 January 2018). "Talking points as Gunners reach Carabao Cup final". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 20 February 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
  22. "Arsenal 0 Manchester City 3: Pep Guardiola lifts League Cup as Arsene Wenger's side are swatted aside". The Telegraph. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  23. "Arsenal 0 Man City 3: as it happened". Guardian. 25 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
  24. "Regulations". EFL.com. English Football League. Retrieved 24 February 2018.
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