 Match programme cover | |||||||
| Event | 2017–18 EFL Cup | ||||||
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| Date | 25 February 2018 (2018-02-25) | ||||||
| Venue | Wembley Stadium,London | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Vincent Kompany(Manchester City)[1] | ||||||
| Referee | Craig Pawson(South Yorkshire)[2] | ||||||
| Attendance | 85,671 | ||||||
←2017 2019 → | |||||||
The2018 EFL Cup Final (also known as the2018 Carabao Cup Final for sponsorship reasons) was the finalassociation football match of the2017–18 EFL Cup that took place on 25 February 2018 atWembley Stadium.[3] It was the first League Cup final contested under the "Carabao Cup" name following the sponsorship ofCarabao Energy Drink. It was contested betweenManchester City andArsenal, and won 3–0 by Manchester City. They would have entered the second qualifying round of the2018–19 UEFA Europa League, but instead qualified directly for the2018–19 UEFA Champions League by finishing first in the2017–18 Premier League.[4]
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 timePep Guardiola reached a final with Manchester City.[6] For Arsenal, the final was their eighth total in the competition,[7] and their third ofArsène Wenger's managerial reign.[8]
TheEFL Cup is a cup competition open to clubs in thePremier League andEnglish Football League. It is played on a knockout basis, with the exception of the semi-finals, which are contested over atwo-legged tie.
| Round | Opposition | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3rd | West Bromwich Albion (A) | 2–1 |
| 4th | Wolverhampton Wanderers (H) | 0–0 (4–1p.) |
| 5th | Leicester City F.C. (A) | 1–1 (4–3p.) |
| 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 theUEFA Champions League, started their League Cup campaign in the third round, where they had been drawn away to fellow divisional opponentsWest Bromwich Albion. AtThe Hawthorns, wingerLeroy Sané scored twice to give City a 2–1 victory.[9] In the fourth round they facedChampionship sideWolverhampton 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 apenalty shoot-out. City progressed as 4–1 winners.[10]
For the quarter-finals, Manchester City were drawn away toLeicester City at theKing Power Stadium. MidfielderBernardo Silva scored for the visitors, but deep into added time, strikerJamie 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.[11] The semi-final pitted Manchester City against Championship sideBristol City. The first leg played at theEtihad Stadium saw the visitors take the lead towards the end of the first half, having been awarded a penalty thatBobby Reid converted.Kevin De Bruyne equalised for Manchester City and in injury time his teammateSergio Agüero scored the winner to put the team firmly in control of the tie.[12] Bristol City scored twice atAshton Gate in the return leg, but Manchester City progressed to the final having won by three goals and recording a 5–3 aggregate score.[13]
| 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 againstFootball League One sideDoncaster Rovers. At theEmirates Stadium,Theo Walcott's goal in the 25th minute was enough to settle the outcome in favour of Arsenal.[14] In the next round they faced Championship clubNorwich City at home. Arsenal progressed with a 2–1 win after extra time afterEddie Nketiah was brought on as a substitute and scored his first two goals for the club.[15]
Arsenal played againstWest Ham United in the quarter-finals, where at home they won 1–0 thanks to a goal fromDanny Welbeck.[16] The semi-finals pitted Arsenal againstLondon rivalsChelsea. After a goalless first leg atStamford Bridge,[17] Arsenal progressed to the final after a 2–1 win at the Emirates Stadium due to anown goal from Chelsea'sAntonio Rüdiger and a goal fromGranit Xhaka.[18] As a result, Arsenal reached the final without leaving London as four of their five games were at home,[19] with the away leg of the semi-final being played in London.[19] 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.[20]
In the 18th minute of the matchSergio Agüero opened the scoring when he ran in on goal and lobbed the ball over the advancing goalkeeperDavid Ospina with his right foot from the edge of the penalty area after an initial clash with Arsenal defenderShkodran Mustafi who appealed for a foul.[21]
Vincent Kompany got the second in the 58th minute. A corner from the right byKevin De Bruyne foundİlkay 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.[22]
          Arsenal |      Manchester City |
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Man of the Match: Assistant referees:[2] | Match rules[23]
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