The Carabao Cup is now over for another season after Arsenal and Manchester City faced off in the final.
The competition saw a total of 92 clubs take part as they attempted to navigate their way to the final at Wembley, which took place on Sunday February 25, 2018.
Reigning champions Manchester United’s hopes of a sixth title were dashed in shock fashion by Bristol City, while eight-time winners Liverpool were eliminated in the third round.
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With just the semi-finals now completed, Goal brings you all you need to know about the 2017-18 Carabao Cup.
What is the Carabao Cup?
The Carabao Cup is the new name given to the EFL Cup or the English League Cup due to a sponsorship deal with Carabao, a Thai energy drink.
The competition was founded in 1960 and is open to all 92 clubs competing in the four fully professional tiers of English football (the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two).
Previous sponsorships have seen the League Cup go through many monikers, including the Milk Cup , Coca-Cola Cup , Carling Cup and Capital One Cup , among others.
Carabao Cup final
The final of the 2017-18 Carabao Cup took place on Sunday, February 25 at Wembley Stadium in London and Man City came out on top as they defeated Arsenal 3-0.
Pep Guardiola’s side went ahead in the first half thanks to a Sergio Aguero strike, with Vincent Kompany and David Silva adding the second and third after the restart.
Notably, it is Guardiola’s first title since taking the reins of City in 2016 and, in losing, Arsenal have become the first club to ever lose three successive finals in the competition.
Carabao Cup semi-finals
The draw for the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup took place on Wednesday, December 20 , following the conclusion of the fifth-round games.
Unlike the earlier rounds, the semis will be held over two legs, with Chelsea and Manchester City drawn to play the opener at home in their respective ties.
Carabao Cup fifth round
The draw for the fifth round of the Carabao Cup took place on Thursday, October 26 , following the conclusion of the fourth-round games.
Once again the draw received plenty of attention for all the wrong reasons, with the live ceremony cancelled and all four ties announced at once over an hour later than expected due to technical problems.
It had been scheduled to be streamed live on Twitter from the social network’s London headquarters, with Sam Matterface hosting alongside former England cricket player Phil Tufnell and ex-England rugby star Matt Dawson.
Arsenal booked their place in the semi-final with a narrow 1-0 win over West Ham, while Manchester City played out a dramatic game on Sky Sports, beating Leicester City on penalties.
Manchester United suffered a huge upset at the hands of hosts Bristol City – the only non-Premier League club left – while Chelsea squeezed past Bournemouth.
Carabao Cup fourth round
The fourth-round draw took place immediately after the third round ended .
Eleven of the participants in the last 16 were Premier League clubs, with the remainder coming from the Championship.
This round saw West Ham triumph over Tottenham at Wembley thanks to a dramatic comeback, while holders Manchester United defeated Swansea City. Chelsea, who made light work of Sunderland in the last round, inflicted further woe on managerless Everton.
There was some controversy regarding substitution rules in the games involving Arsenal and Manchester City, with questions asked over the wording of the provision that allows teams to make a fourth change in extra time.
Carabao Cup third round
The draw for the third round of the competition took place on August 24 . Bizarrely, the draw was held in Beijing, China at 11:15 local time, which means that fans in the UK were forced to get up at 04:15 BST if they wished to follow it live.
The remaining seven Premier League clubs, including the cup holders Manchester United, entered the competition at this stage, joining the 25 winners from the second round.
Why was the draw in China?
The English Football League have stated that while they understand not everyone will agree with the timing and manner of the third-round draw, it was staged in Beijing with the goal of maximising exposure in the UK as well as the Chinese and south-east Asian markets.
A statement issued on the EFL’s website explains that showcasing the competition in those particular markets is “not only an important factor for the EFL but also [their] new sponsors Carabao, who, like [them], plan to use the growing global appeal of the competition to reach new audiences”.
The statement added: “Once the logistics have been completed in Beijing, the UK will be waking up and the breakfast media will be able to report and get reaction on the 16 ties that will take place next month, which we feel is an interesting move away from the usual post-game evening draws.”
Carabao Cup second round
Thirteen Premier League clubs and two Championship teams entered the competition at the second-round stage, joining the 35 winners from the first round.
The Premier League clubs playing in European competitions get a bye through to the third round.
Bristol City managed to knock out Premier League side Watford, while Newcastle United were beaten by Nottingham Forest and Wolves saw off Southampton away from home.
Carabao Cup first round
A total of 70 teams compete in the first round of the competition. Twenty-four teams are drawn from League One and League Two, with 22 Championship teams taking part.
All games were played on August 8 and 9 with the exception of Bury vs Sunderland, which took place on August 10, and Grimsby Town vs Derby County, which took place on August 22.