CARABAO CUP

The English League Cup is a knockout competition for all 92 clubs in the Premier League and Football League — the top four levels of the Pyramid. The Cup is sponsored by Carabao, a Thai energy drink company. In the past, it’s been known as the Carling Cup, the Milk Cup and many other names. It is 61 years old. Current Champions Manchester City who have won it 8 times and recently 4 times in succession (beating Spurs last time 1-0) along with Liverpool also 8 times winners.

The 2021-22 EFL Cup will be played for the 62nd time. After a year of COVID adjustments, the Cup is back to the normal schedule.Manchester City are the four-time defending champions; they defeated Tottenham Hotspur, 1-0, in the 2021 final at Wembley, played as a single tie since 1967.

The winner of the competition qualifies for the play-off round of the next season’s Europa Conference League (if they fail to have already qualified for the Champions League or The Europa League.

First Round: August 10-11, 2021 All 48 clubs from EFL League One and League Two are joined by 22 clubs from the EFL Championship, for a total of 35 games. The two clubs who finished 18th and 19th in the Premier League last season, West Bromwich Albion and Fulham, sit this one out.

Second Round: August 24-25, 2021 The 35 winners from the First Round are joined by the last two clubs from the Championship and the 13 Premier League clubs not involved in European competition. That’s 50 clubs and 25 games.

Third Round: September 21-22, 2021 All 25 winners from 2nd Round + 7 Premier League clubs playing in Europe: Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Liverpool, Leicester, West Ham and Spurs.

Fourth Round (of 16): October 26-27, 2021 16 winners from Rd 3.

Quarterfinals: December 21-22, 2021 8 from 4th Rd.

Semi-finals: January 4-5 and 11-12, 2022 two legs at each ground.

2022 League Cup Final Feb 27th at Wembley.

So far 14 out of 34 First Round ties went to penalties; Crawley lost 9-10 on pens to Gillingham after 2-2; Hull lost 7-8 to Wigan after 1-1; Derby won 5-3 v Salford after 3-3; Forest Green won 6-5 Bristol City after 2-2; Bolton won 5-4 v Barnsley after 0-0; Leyton Orient lost 3-5 to QPR after 1-1, Burton v Oxford Utd lost 2-4 after 1-1; Stevenage beat Luton 3-0 after 2-2 and Oldham beat Tranmere 4-3 after 2-2.

Tonight and Tomorrow there are 25 more 2nd Round ties: Pick of the bunch? Barrow v Aston Villa, Oldham v Accrington, Brentford v Forest Green, Morecambe v Preston NE, Stevenage Borough v Wycombe Wanderers, Wigan Ath v Bolton W.