.jpg) Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2016–17 EFL Cup | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Date | 26 February 2017 (2017-02-26) | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium, London | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Zlatan Ibrahimović (Manchester United) | ||||||
| Referee | Andre Marriner (Birmingham)[1] | ||||||
| Attendance | 85,264 | ||||||
←2016 2018 → | |||||||
The2017 EFL Cup Final was the finalassociation football match of the2016–17 EFL Cup that took place on 26 February 2017 betweenManchester United andSouthampton atWembley Stadium in London, England.[2] The final was the first League Cup final contested under the "EFL Cup" name following the renaming of The Football League to theEnglish Football League (EFL).[3] As winners, Manchester United initially qualified for the third qualifying round of the2017–18 UEFA Europa League, but entered the group stage of the2017–18 UEFA Champions League instead by virtue of their2016–17 UEFA Europa League victory, passing the League Cup berth to the highest-placed Premier League team who had not already qualified for Europe, seventh-placedEverton.[4]
The match was Manchester United's ninth final in the League Cup, having won in their last three appearances and four overall, and Southampton's second, having lost their only other League Cup final in1979. It was the second cup final played between the two sides, following the1976 FA Cup final, when Southampton – then of theSecond Division – beatFirst Division Manchester United 1–0.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Northampton Town (A) | 3–1 |
| 4 | Manchester City (H) | 1–0 |
| 5 | West Ham United (H) | 4–1 |
| SF | Hull City (H) | 2–0 |
| Hull City (A) | 1–2 | |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue. | ||
Manchester United, as a Premier League club involved in the2016–17 UEFA Europa League, started the competition in the third round where they were drawn away atEFL League One teamNorthampton Town. AtSixfields Stadium Manchester United won 3–1 with goals fromMichael Carrick,Ander Herrera andMarcus Rashford.[5] In the fourth round they were drawn againstManchester rivalsManchester City at home. AtOld Trafford, Manchester United won 1–0 due to a goal fromJuan Mata.[6] In the quarter-final they drew fellow Premier League teamWest Ham United at Old Trafford, where they progressed 4–1 due to two goals each fromZlatan Ibrahimović andAnthony Martial despite managerJosé Mourinho serving a touchline ban.[7]
In the two legged semi-final, they drew fellow Premier LeagueHull City. Manchester United won the first leg at Old Trafford 2–0 due to goals from Mata andMarouane Fellaini[8] and lost the second leg 2–1 at theKCOM Stadium despite aPaul Pogba goal but progressed to the final 3–2 on aggregate.[9]
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Crystal Palace (H) | 2–0 |
| 4 | Sunderland (H) | 1–0 |
| 5 | Arsenal (A) | 2–0 |
| SF | Liverpool (H) | 1–0 |
| Liverpool (A) | 1–0 | |
| Key: (H) = Home venue; (A) = Away venue. | ||
Southampton, as aPremier League team involved in the 2016–17 UEFA Europa League, started the competition in the third round. They were drawn against fellow Premier League teamCrystal Palace at home. AtSt Mary's Stadium, they won 2–0 with goals fromCharlie Austin andJake Hesketh.[10] In the next round they drew Premier LeagueSunderland at home. At St Mary's Stadium, they won 1–0 due to a goal fromSofiane Boufal.[11] In the quarter final they were drawn away at Premier LeagueArsenal. At theEmirates Stadium, Southampton won 2–0 with goals fromJordy Clasie andRyan Bertrand.[12]
In the two-legged semi final, Southampton drew fellow Premier LeagueLiverpool. Southampton won the first leg 1–0 due to a goal fromNathan Redmond[13] and won 1–0 away atAnfield with a goal fromShane Long to progress to the final 2–0 on aggregate.[14] Southampton are the second team to reach a League Cup final without conceding any goals, after Tottenham Hotspur managed the feat in1982.[15] This would be their first major final since the2003 FA Cup Final.[16] Southampton fans celebrated reaching the final by painting white stripes onRoyal Mail redpillar boxes, mirroring the2012 Olympic gold post box campaign, though Royal Mail viewed this as vandalism and said that they would restore the pillar boxes to their original colour.[17]
_-_Zlatan_Ibrahimovi%25C4%2587_(edited).jpg)
Manolo Gabbiadini had the ball in the net early in the game after a low cross from the right byCédric, but the goal was controversially disallowed for offside.[18][19]Zlatan Ibrahimović opened the scoring in the 19th minute, with a free kick to the left of Southampton goalkeeperFraser Forster awarded following a foul byOriol Romeu onAnder Herrera.[18] Despite the Saints enjoying a spell of pressure on the United goal,Jesse Lingard doubled the lead in the 38th minute with a low right foot shot to the right corner of the net from just inside the penalty area.[18] Gabbiadini brought Southampton back into the game on the stroke of half-time, convertingJames Ward-Prowse's cross from the right from three yards out.[18][20]
After the break, Gabbiadini equalised for the Saints when he flicked the ball low into the net with his left foot, it was his fifth goal in his first three games, as the Saints continued to dominate possession and chances on goal.[18] The Saints continued having chances to take the lead throughout the second half, asDušan Tadić and Ward-Prowse saw efforts saved by United goalkeeperDavid de Gea, andOriol Romeu hit the post with a header from a corner, but with three minutes remaining Ibrahimović scored his second with a close range header after a cross fromAnder Herrera on the right.[18]
| Manchester United | 3–2 | Southampton |
|---|---|---|
| Report |
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          Manchester United[21] |      Southampton[22] |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees:[1] | Match rules[23]
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