EFL Cup

It was introduced by the league as a response to the increasing popularity of European football, and to also exert power over the FA[citation needed].The most successful club in the competition are current holders Liverpool, who defeated Chelsea 1–0 in the 2024 final to win their tenth League Cup.Many teams in the Premier League, Arsenal and Manchester United in particular, have used the competition to give young players valuable big-game experience.Hardaker initially proposed the competition as a way for the clubs to make up for lost revenue due to a reduction in matches played, for when the league was to be reorganised.The trophy was paid for personally by Football League President Joe Richards, who was proud of the competition, and he had his own name engraved on it.[7] Richards' priority was the reorganisation of the leagues, "perhaps by cutting down the number of clubs in each division, as has already been suggested, and even given more consideration to the system of four up and four down".Hardaker felt that the Football League needed to adapt to the times, as the English game was losing prestige.The Times published on 30 May 1960: "Where a drastic reduction is required in an attempt to raise quality, no doubt quantity and a further spread of mediocrity will be the dose.Richards is reputed to have told Hardaker that he foresaw 'the League Cup final being held at Wembley, but that it wouldn't be during his lifetime'.However, once a position in Europe was on offer, as was a final at Wembley Stadium, the competition's standing was improved and in the 1968–69 season only Manchester United declined to participate.That year's winners of the League Cup were Norwich City, who would otherwise have played in a European competition for the first time in the 1985–86 season.Two years later in 1968–69, Third Division side Swindon Town beat Arsenal 3–1 after extra time in the final to win the trophy.In 1974–75, Fourth Division side Chester beating defending league champions Leeds United 3–0 on their surprise run to the semi-finals.In 1992–93, Scarborough then defeated Coventry City (then a top-tier side) 3–2 on aggregate, before ultimately going out of the competition, narrowly, 1–0, against Arsenal.Four years later, they recorded another giant killing by defeating Tottenham Hotspur 1–0 at home, by this time Grimsby were playing in the fourth tier.[20] In the 2014–15 season, Manchester United fielded five international players but lost 4–0 in the second round (in which they entered the tournament) against third-tier side MK Dons.[24] The venues that hosted replays were Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, Old Trafford and Maine Road in Manchester and Villa Park in Birmingham.John Terry, Ben Foster, Vincent Kompany and Virgil van Dijk are the only players to win the award more than once.[36] The reason for the break in usage was the introduction of the first competition sponsor – the Milk Marketing Board, who chose to award their own trophy from 1981–82 to 1985–86.