Carling Cup

The Carling Cup was the official name of the League Cup between 2003 and 2012 due to the sponsorship deal between the brand and the Football League.

It was preceded by the Worthington Cup from 1998-2003 and later succeeded by the Capital One Cup in 2012, which is the current name of the competition.

Like all League Cup tournaments, all 92 Football League clubs took part each year in the Carling Cup. Premier League clubs received a bye in the first round, while those who were taking part in Europe did not come into the draw until the third round.

In 2004, the first winners of the branded competition were Middlesbrough when they beat Bolton 2-1 at the Millennium Stadium. It was the north-east club's first major trophy as manager Steve McClaren guided them to the win in the Welsh capital.

The following year, the final went into extra-time after Liverpool and Chelsea finished 1-1 after 90 minutes. The West London side were able to come out on top 3-2 after an additional 30 minutes.

Manchester United were dominant against Wigan in 2006 with a 4-0 win, whilst in 2007 Chelsea won their second trophy in three years with success over Arsenal.

In 2008, the Carling Cup final returned to London at Wembley where Tottenham met Chelsea. The attendance was 87,660, the highest in a League Cup final since 1988 when 95,732 turned out to see Luton beat Arsenal 3-2. Spurs were able to defeat their rivals thanks to a Jonathan Woodgate goal in extra-time.

Manchester United won back-to-back Carling Cups in 2009 and 2010. First they beat Tottenham on penalties after a goalless tie following 120 minutes of play. Then, they edged out Aston Villa 2-1 to defend their trophy 12 months later.

The biggest upset during the Carling Cup period came in 2011 as Birmingham surprised Arsenal to lift the prize. The Gunners went into the final as heavy favourites but were stunned by the side struggling near the bottom of the Premier League table. An 89th minute Obafemi Martins goal separated the two teams. 

In the final Carling Cup before it changed name, Liverpool met Championship side Cardiff. The game finished 1-1 after 90 minutes and then 2-2 after the additional 30 minutes of play. The top-flight side were able to win the shoot-out 3-2, despite missing their first two penalties.

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