2018 EFL Cup Final
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The 2018 EFL Cup Final (also known as the 2018 Carabao Cup Final for sponsorship reasons) was the final
association football Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
match of the 2017–18 EFL Cup that took place on 25 February 2018 at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
. It was the first League Cup final contested under the "Carabao Cup" name following the sponsorship of
Carabao Energy Drink Carabao Dang Energy Drink ( th, คาราบาวแดง; ; "red water buffalo") is a Thai energy drink launched in 2002 by Carabao Tawandang Co Ltd. It is now Thailand's second most popular energy drink. It is the key brand of Carabao T ...
. It was contested between
Manchester City Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
and
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
, and won 3–0 by Manchester City. They would have entered the second qualifying round of the
2018–19 UEFA Europa League The 2018–19 UEFA Europa League was the 48th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 10th season since it was renamed from the UEFA Cup to the UEFA Europa League. The final was played at the Olympic St ...
, but instead qualified directly for the
2018–19 UEFA Champions League The 2018–19 UEFA Champions League was the 64th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 27th season since it was renamed from the European Champion Clubs' Cup to the UEFA Champions League. For the first tim ...
by finishing first in the 2017–18 Premier League. The match was Manchester City's sixth League Cup Final, and their third in five seasons – qualification for the final also marked the first time
Pep Guardiola Josep "Pep" Guardiola Sala (; born 18 January 1971) is a Spanish professional football manager and former player, who is the current manager of club Manchester City. He is considered one of the greatest managers of all time and holds the re ...
reached a final with Manchester City. For Arsenal, the final was their eighth total in the competition, and their third of
Arsène Wenger Arsène Charles Ernest Wenger (; born 22 October 1949) is a French former association football, football Manager (association football), manager and football player, player who is currently serving as FIFA's Chief of Global Football Developme ...
's managerial reign.


Route to the final

The
EFL Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
is a cup competition open to clubs in the
Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
and
English Football League The English Football League (EFL) is a league of professional football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888 as the Football League, the league is the oldest such competition in the world. It was the top-level football league in Engl ...
. It is played on a knockout basis, with the exception of the semi-finals, which are contested over a
two-legged tie In sports (particularly association football), a two-legged tie is a contest between two teams which comprises two matches or "legs", with each team as the home team in one leg. The winning team is usually determined by aggregate score, the sum o ...
.


Manchester City

Manchester City, a Premier League club involved in the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
, started their League Cup campaign in the third round, where they had been drawn away to fellow divisional opponents
West Bromwich Albion West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
. At
The Hawthorns The Hawthorns is an all-seater association football, football stadium in West Bromwich, West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England, with a capacity of 26,688. It has been the home of EFL Championship, Championship club West Bromwich Albion F ...
, winger
Leroy Sané Leroy Aziz Sané (born 11 January 1996) is a German professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Bayern Munich and the German national team. Considered one of the best wingers in the world, Sané is known for his exceptional pace, ...
scored twice to give City a 2–1 victory. In the fourth round they faced
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
side
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
at home. The visitors defended well and became the first team to keep a clean sheet against the Premier League leaders. Neither side scored after normal and extra time meaning the tie was decided by a
penalty shoot-out The penalty shootout is a method of determining a winner in sports matches that would have otherwise been drawn or tied. The rules for penalty shootouts vary between sports and even different competitions; however, the usual form is similar to pe ...
. City progressed as 4–1 winners. For the quarter-finals, Manchester City were drawn away to
Leicester City Leicester ( ) is a city, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands. The city lies on the River Soar and close to the eastern end of the National ...
at the
King Power Stadium King Power Stadium (also known as the Leicester City Stadium due to UEFA sponsorship regulations and formerly known as the Walkers Stadium) is a football stadium in Leicester, England. It has been the home of Premier League club Leicester City ...
. Midfielder
Bernardo Silva Bernardo Mota Veiga de Carvalho e Silva (; born 10 August 1994), known as Bernardo Silva or simply Bernardo, is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder, forward or a winger for club Manchester City and the P ...
scored for the visitors, but deep into added time, striker
Jamie Vardy Jamie Richard Vardy (''né'' Gill; born 11 January 1987) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Leicester City. Regarded as one of the best strikers in the world, Vardy is known for his prolific goalscoring aided ...
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. The semi-final pitted Manchester City against Championship side
Bristol City Bristol City Football Club is a professional football club based in Bristol, England, which compete in the , the second tier of English football. They have played their home games at Ashton Gate since moving from St John's Lane in 1904. The ...
. The first leg played at the
Etihad Stadium The City of Manchester Stadium in Manchester, England, also known as the Etihad Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is the home of Premier League club Manchester City F.C., with a domestic football capacity of 53,400, making it the 6th-largest ...
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 Kevin De Bruyne (born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Manchester City and the Belgium national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. Pundits have often desc ...
equalised for Manchester City and in injury time his teammate
Sergio Agüero Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest play ...
scored the winner to put the team firmly in control of the tie. 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.


Arsenal

Arsenal, like Manchester City were involved in Europe (
UEFA Europa League The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
and entered the League Cup in the third round. They were drawn at home against
Football League One The English Football League One (often referred to as League One for short or Sky Bet League One for sponsorship purposes, and known as the Football League One from 2004 until 2016) is the second-highest division of the English Football Leag ...
side
Doncaster Rovers Doncaster Rovers Football Club is a professional association football club based in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of the English football league system. The club play their home games at ...
. At the
Emirates Stadium The Emirates Stadium (known as Arsenal Stadium for UEFA competitions) is a football stadium in Holloway, London, England. It has been the home stadium of Arsenal Football Club since its completion in 2006. It has a current seated capacity ...
,
Theo Walcott Theo James Walcott (born 16 March 1989) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for Southampton and previously for the English national team. Walcott is a product of the Southampton Academy and started his career with So ...
's goal in the 25th minute was enough to settle the outcome in favour of Arsenal. In the next round they faced Championship club
Norwich City Norwich City Football Club (also known as The Canaries or The Yellows) is an English professional football club based in Norwich, Norfolk. The club competes in the EFL Championship following their relegation from the Premier League in the 20 ...
at home. Arsenal progressed with a 2–1 win after extra time after
Eddie Nketiah Edward Keddar Nketiah (born 30 May 1999) is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Arsenal. Nketiah started his career with Arsenal and made his debut in 2017. He played on loan at Leeds United in their 2019–20 ...
was brought on as a substitute and scored his first two goals for the club. Arsenal played against
West Ham United West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club that plays its home matches in Stratford, East London. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football. The club plays at the London Stadium, hav ...
in the quarter-finals, where at home they won 1–0 thanks to a goal from
Danny Welbeck Daniel Nii Tackie Mensah Welbeck (born 26 November 1990) is an English professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Brighton & Hove Albion. Welbeck made his way through the youth teams at Manchester United before making his senior ...
. The semi-finals pitted Arsenal against London rivals
Chelsea Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to: Places Australia * Chelsea, Victoria Canada * Chelsea, Nova Scotia * Chelsea, Quebec United Kingdom * Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames ** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. After a goalless first leg at
Stamford Bridge Stamford Bridge may refer to: * Stamford Bridge, East Riding of Yorkshire, a village in England ** Battle of Stamford Bridge, 25 September 1066 * Stamford Bridge (bridge), a bridge in the village of Stamford Bridge * Stamford Bridge (stadium), in L ...
, Arsenal progressed to the final after a 2–1 win at the Emirates Stadium due to an
own goal An own goal, also called a self goal, is where a player performs actions that result in them or their team scoring a goal on themselves, often resulting in a point for the opposing team, such as when a football player kicks a ball into their own ...
from Chelsea's
Antonio Rüdiger Antonio Rüdiger (born 3 March 1993) is a German professional Association football, footballer who plays as a centre-back for La Liga club Real Madrid CF, Real Madrid and the Germany national football team, Germany national team. Rüdiger began ...
and a goal from
Granit Xhaka Granit Xhaka (born 27 September 1992) is a Swiss professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Arsenal and the Switzerland national team. Xhaka began his career at hometown club FC Basel, winning the Swiss Super League in each of ...
. As a result, Arsenal reached the final without leaving London as four of their five games were at home, with the away leg of the semi final being played in London. 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.


Match


Summary

In the 18th minute of the match
Sergio Agüero Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is considered one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest play ...
opened the scoring when he ran in on goal and lobbed the ball over the advancing goalkeeper
David Ospina David Ospina Ramírez (born 31 August 1988) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Saudi Professional League club Al Nassr and the Colombia national team. Ospina began his career at Atlético Nacional, making his ...
with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area after an initial clash with Arsenal defender
Shkodran Mustafi Shkodran Mustafi (; born 17 April 1992) is a German professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Segunda División club Levante. Mustafi began his career in the youth ranks of Hamburger SV and English club Everton, where he made o ...
who appealed for a foul.
Vincent Kompany Vincent Jean Mpoy Kompany (; ; born 10 April 1986) is a Belgian professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back and is the current manager of EFL Championship club Burnley. He most notably played for Manchester Ci ...
got the second in the 58th minute. A corner from the right by
Kevin De Bruyne Kevin De Bruyne (born 28 June 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Manchester City and the Belgium national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best players in the world. Pundits have often desc ...
found
İlkay Gündoğan İlkay Gündoğan (born 24 October 1990) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club Manchester City and the Germany national team. Gündoğan came through VfL Bochum's youth academy. In 2008, he began playing for t ...
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 David Josué Jiménez Silva (born 8 January 1986) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays for La Liga club Real Sociedad. Silva plays mainly as a central or an attacking midfielder but can also play as a winger or second striker. He is ...
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.


Details


See also

* 2018 FA Cup Final


References

{{Arsenal F.C. matches
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EFL Cup The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
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