The most memorable League Cup final moments ever | OneFootball

Ahead of Sunday’s Carabao Cup final between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley, we’ve taken a trip down memory lane to remember some of the most unforgettable moments in League Cup final history.

Third-tier QPR upset the odds (1967)

The League Cup final was staged at Wembley for the first time in 1967 and that was not the only historical milestone.

Queens Park Rangers upset the odds to claim the trophy, becoming the first third-tier team in history to win a major English trophy. The West Londoners trailed 2-0 in the final after Clive Clark’s double for West Brom but bounced back in style.

Roger Morgan pulled one back before Rodney Marsh levelled. The aptly named Mike Lazarus completed the comeback to crown QPR shock winners. Incredibly, two years later the feat was repeated in arguably an even bigger upset. Third-tier Swindon took home the cup after beating Arsenal 3-1.

Luton leave Arsenal shellshocked (1988)

The 1987/88 season was one for upsets in cup competition. Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’ famously beat Liverpool in the FA Cup final to stop the title-winning Reds from winning a double, while Luton landed silverware of their own in another upset.

The Hatters were big underdogs against holders Arsenal but took a shock lead through Brian Stein. Arsenal regrouped after half-time to turn the game around, however, as a quick-fire response from Martin Hayes and Alan Smith put the North Londons in front.

Nigel Winterburn missed the chance to seal success for Arsenal as he saw his spot-kick saved by Andy Dibble 10 minutes from time. Reenergised, Luton staged a stunning late fightback. Danny Wilson equalised just two minutes after Winterburn’s miss before Steins’s second secured the cup in the final moments. An unforgettable afternoon for Luton.

Mourinho shushes Liverpool fans in Cardiff (2005)

Jose Mourinho was unafraid to ruffle feathers after arriving in English football. The self-declared Special One certainly made his presence felt and got a kick from getting under the skin of opposition managers, players and fans alike.

In 2005, the touchpaper for the Chelsea and Liverpool rivalry of the mid-noughties was lit. An enthralling final saw Liverpool score inside the first minute through John Arne Riise and Rafael Benitez’s sude looked set to topple the billionaire-backed Blues. However, the final turned on 79 minutes when Steven Gerrard – the subject of summer interest from Chelsea – inadvertently headed Paulo Ferreira’s free-kick beyond his own goalkeeper.

Mourinho, playing up to his pantomime villain status, set off down the touchline, finger to his lips in front of the Liverpool support. Chelsea edged the contest 3-2 after extra time, as Mourinho took home his first silverware in English football.

Arsenal calamity has Gunners feeling the Blues (2011)

Arsenal have been on the wrong end of some League Cup upsets, with no team having lost more finals than the Gunners (6).

In 2011, Arsenal crashed to defeat against a Birmingham City side who ended the campaign relegated from the Premier League. Robin van Persie had cancelled out Nikola Zigic’s opener for Birmingham, with the Gunners largely on top in the contest.

Extra time appeared on the horizon until disaster struck for Arsene Wenger’s side. A calamitous mix-up between Wojciech Szczęsny and Laurent Koscielny gifted Birmingham – and Obafembi Martins – a dramatic 89th-minute winner.

Yaya Toure’s stunning strike

Every footballer dreams of scoring in a major cup final. Few, however, do so in such style.

Yaya Toure’s glorious goal against Sunderland might just be the best League Cup final effort of all time.

Kepa refuses to be subbed

Chelsea ‘keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was responsible for one of the League Cup’s most memorable moments, though this was not a stunning save or goalkeeping gaffe. Instead, the Spaniard simply refused to leave the pitch, undermining manager Maurizio Sarri in a bizarre incident.

Struggling with a hamstring injury heading into the final with Manchester City, Kepa twice went down for treatment in the 120 minutes at Wembley. Sarri had seen enough and waved to back-up goalkeeper Willy Caballero to ready himself for the shootout.

Kepa, however, refused to budge. He wildly voiced his disagreement with the decision, gesticulating that he was not to come off. An incensed Sarri briefly threatened to disappear down the tunnel, before declaring the incident a ‘misunderstanding’ at full-time. Few were buying that explanation.

“Maurizio thought we should substitute Kepa with Caballero because Caballero is a big penalty saver, and against City (his former club) he would have been perfect for us,” former goalkeeping coach Massimo Nenci revealed.

“But no one had told Kepa this might happen, meaning he understandably assumed Sarri’s decision was simply prompted by the belief he was injured. When he recognised his mistake he cried, he cried (in the dressing room). He is a very good guy. He was saying, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t understand’.”

Chelsea lost the final on penalties.

Van Dijk stares down Kepa

Few footballers have defined two major cup finals for the wrong reasons, but Kepa Arrizabalaga falls into that category. Three years on from his non-substitution, the Spaniard found himself second-choice at Chelsea.

However, with an apparent expertise for penalties, he was brought on ahead of the shootout as Chelsea and Liverpool went head-to-head.

The tactical tweak from Thomas Tuchel did not work out as hoped. Kepa failed to save a single penalty – including one effort that saw Virgil van Dijk confidently call out his positional bluff – as Liverpool won 11-10 in a marathon shootout.

The one Chelsea player to miss his kick? Kepa himself.

Read – The best England XI of players omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s first squad

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