Liverpool FC League Cup / EFL Cup Record

From the Milk Cup to the Coca-Cola Cup via the Worthington Cup and the Carabao Cup, the English Football League Cup has had many names over the years. Regardless of what it’s been called, it has long been a trophy that the Reds have had a good relationship with, holding the record for number of times won for a period.

It is often looked down upon by some clubs’ supporters, with the irony being that they would given anything for their club to win a trophy of any sort yet feel as though they can sneer at a trophy such as the League Cup. Evertonians, for example, mock the league cup when having not won a trophy since 1995.

Liverpool supporters, though, know exactly what the value of the League Cup is. It is the first trophy won during the course of a season, offering players the chance to enjoy some silverware early on. That can give them a taste of success that drives them on to win other such trophies further down the line.

It isn’t just the Reds that know the importance of it, with both José Mourinho at Chelsea and Pep Guardiola at Manchester City targeting it as a piece of silverware they can use to encourage more from their players. That both did so at clubs that were essentially financially doped shows that it is very much a trophy worth winning.

LIVERPOOL ARE THE 2024 CHAMPIONS OF THE FOOTBALL LEAGUE CUP. pic.twitter.com/HXnwWSyPrI

— Watch LFC (@Watch_LFC) February 25, 2024

It didn’t enter the footballing world until the 1960-1961 campaign, won in the first season by Aston Villa, before refusing to compete in it for several years. In fact, Villa had three in the cabinet before the Reds won it for the first time, which didn’t happen until 20 years after its initial introduction. That kick-started a period of dominance by Liverpool, however, with the club going on to win it four times in succession in order to move one ahead of the Villains in terms of number of League Cups won.

By 2003 they had won it for the seventh time, two ahead of the Birmingham club who were the nearest competitors for it. They also won their eighth in 2012 under Kenny Dalglish.

The form of Manchester City under Guardiola, a club with 130 charges of financial impropriety against it, meant that they won it five times in five years to equal Liverpool’s record haul of eight EFL Cups. As if offended by the very notion that they might not have the record number of League Cups to their name, the Reds responded by winning it twice in the space of three years to move two ahead of City with ten wins overall.

That is something of a sign of Liverpool’s relationship with the trophy, winning it whenever it seemed like it was necessary to keep things ticking over and ensure that we’re the best team in it.

There is no question that the top-flight title will always be the thing that Liverpool supporters and players alike want to win the most, but being able to ensure a season has at least some success attached to it by winning the League Cup every now and then has been a sensible way to approach things.

Curiously, whilst the club obviously values the competition highly enough to try to win it on a regular basis, it isn’t seen as important enough to get a trophy parade around the city if it’s the only thing we win. Consequently there was no open top bus parade when it was the final piece of silverware won by Jürgen Klopp before he left Liverpool.

Liverpool in the English Football League Cup

Taking a Closer Look at Liverpool’s League Cup Wins

The EFL Cup is one close to the heart of many Liverpool supporters, largely on account of the fact that we’ve won it so many times. For plenty of fans it might well have been the first trophy that they got to see the Reds win in person, such is the nature of how tickets are often more readily available for it in the early rounds, which then means a more likely ride to the final. Even those that haven’t seen it happen in person will almost certainly still have seen the Liverpool captain loft the trophy above his head at one point or another, given that the Reds seem to have won one for every generation of supporter.

We know from the table above how Liverpool have got on in the tournament each year, but here is a look at how they’ve gone about winning it in the years that they’ve done so:

1981 (Liverpool 2 West Ham United 1 After a Replay)

Liverpool’s first foray into the EFL Cup came in the competition’s debut season, after which they refused to enter it for several years. Once they did they struggled to make it far in the competition but eventually made it to the final, losing to Nottingham Forest in 1978. They got to the semi-final in 1980 and then finally made it back to the final a year later, this time against West Ham United. Having beaten Bradford City over two-legs in the Second Round, Swindon Town in the Third Round and Portsmouth in the Fourth, the Reds then defeated Birmingham City in the quarter-finals and Manchester City over two-legs in the semis.

Goals from Dalglish & Hansen win the League Cup vs West Ham in the replay at Villa Park in 1981. pic.twitter.com/SsWFiHydCS

— Davolaa (@Davolaar) December 13, 2022

That set up their clash with the Hammers, which finished 1-1 after extra-time when Ray Kennedy put Liverpool ahead after 118 minutes only for Ray Stewart to equalise two minutes later. In those days there weren’t any penalty shootouts, so it was a replay at Villa Park a few weeks later. West Ham went 1-0 up after just five minutes, but an equaliser came courtesy of Kenny Dalglish 20 minutes later before Alan Hansen put Liverpool in front three minutes after that. From there the Hammers huffed and puffed but couldn’t blow our house down handing the Reds their first League Cup win in the club’s history.

1982 (Liverpool 1 Tottenham Hotspur 1 After Extra-Time)

It was back to Wembley the following season for another match against a team from London. This time it was Tottenham Hotspur, with the Reds going up against them as defending League Cup and European Cup champions. The journey to the final started with a two-legged win over Exeter City in the Second Round, winning 11-0 on aggregate, before a fourth round win over Middlesbrough. A replay was needed to make it past Arsenal in the Fourth Round, which the Reds eventually did courtesy of a 3-0 win at Anfield. The quarter-finals also required a replay, with Liverpool winning that 3-1 against Barnsley.

That set up a two-legged semi-final against Ipswich Town, which the Reds won 4-2 on aggregate to head to Wembley and meet Tottenham Hotspur. Obviously Liverpool were well fancied for the cup, but Spurs took a surprise lead after just 11 minutes courtesy of Steven Archibald. Ronnie Whelan equalised with just three minutes of normal time remaining, taking the game into extra-time. There Liverpool’s superiority shined through, with Whelan again on the scoresheet in the 111th minute. Any fears of another late comeback like had happened a year before were quashed when Ian Rush scored in the 119th minute to secure a league and cup double.

1983 (Liverpool 2 Manchester United 1 After Extra-Time)

Having won the League Cup two years running, Liverpool made a hat-trick in the sweetest fashion when they defeated Manchester United in the final on the 26th of March 1983. The fact that it was their second successive league and cup double also made things even sweeter. It all began with a two-legged win over Ipswich Town, followed by a tight 1-0 win over Rotherham United. The Fourth Round produced a 2-0 win over Norwich City, then in the quarter-finals the Reds defeated the 1981 finalists West Ham United 2-1 at Anfield. The semi-finals pitted Manchester United against Arsenal and Liverpool had to beat Burnley.

@4lifeliverpool

A classic from 1983 as the Reds took on their old rivals Manchester United in the League Cup final. Alan Kennedy cancelled out Norman Whiteside’s opener, before Ronnie Whelan secured a third consecutive League Cup with a brilliant curling effort. #liverpoolfc #bobpaisley @David-Rareș Cojocaru

♬ suono originale – Liverpool 4 life

They won the first-leg 3-0 at Anfield making it all but certain that they’d make it through to the final, with not even a second-leg 1-0 loss able to stop them. The Reds conceded another early goal in the final, with Norman Whiteside putting Man United in the leader after just 12 minutes. The Reds left it late to make things level, doing so courtesy of Ray Kennedy in the 75th minute. That took the game to extra-time, with Ronnie Whelan scoring the only goal in that period in order to make it 2-1 and put Liverpool in a position to have won their second consecutive First Division and League Cup double and their third EFL Cup in a row.

1984 (Liverpool 1 Everton 0 After a Replay)

The previous year was the last one of Bob Paisley’s time in charge of Liverpool, but it was a case of ‘meet the new boss, same as the old boss’ when Joe Fagan took them back to Wembley during his first year in charge. What made it extra special was the fact that it was Everton that the Reds were facing, adding a touch of spice to proceedings. Those were the days of it being the ‘Friendly Derby’, however, with the crowd chanting ‘Merseyside, Merseyside, Merseyside’ as supporters of both teams sat alongside one another inside Wembley Stadium. The match itself was a dour affair, ending 0-0 after extra-time and requiring a replay.

The journey had started for Liverpool with an 8-1 aggregate win over Brentford in the second round followed by a 1-0 win over Fulham in the second replay in round three. The fourth round also needed a replay to overcome Birmingham City, setting up a quarter-final against Sheffield Wednesday. That also went to a replay as Liverpool did things the hard way before beating Walsall 4-2 on aggregate in the semis. The replay of the final was a close affair, but the Reds did the decent thing and won 1-0 courtesy of a Graeme Souness goal after 21 minutes. It was part of a treble that season alongside the league and the European Cup.

1995 (Liverpool 2 Bolton Wanderers 1)

Having been dominant in the League Cup during the early part of the 1980s, it took the Reds more than a decade to win the trophy for the fifth time. It was the only trophy of Roy Evans’ managerial career, in spite of the fact that his Liverpool team was one of the most exciting in the period. The Reds entered the competition in the second round, defeating Burnley by five goals over two legs. It was Stoke City in the third round and then then Blackburn Rovers in the fourth, which setup a quarter-final match against Arsenal that Liverpool won 1-0. Crystal Palace were the opponents in the semi-finals, which were still over two legs.

@edgwaretownreserves1997

♬ original sound – TCP

The first-leg ended 1-0 to Liverpool, which was the same scoreline in the second-leg to send them off to Wembley for a game against Bolton Wanderers. It was all about the skill and ability of Steve McManaman in in London, with the floppy haired winger giving the Reds the lead 37 minutes in. He doubled that 23 minutes into the second-half, with Alan Thompson offering Bolton a slither of hope when he got one back two minutes later for Bruce Rioch’s side. In the end, though, it proved to be little more than a consolation goal as Liverpool held on and lifted what was known as the Coca-Cola Cup for the fifth time.

2001 (Liverpool 1 Birmingham City 1; 5-4 on Penalties)

The extent to which rival supporters play down the League Cup could be seen clear as day in 2001, largely thanks to the fact that the Reds won it as part of what others called a ‘Mickey Mouse Treble’. It was the first trophy of three, with the FA Cup and UEFA Cup following later in the season.

The journey to Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium started with first round win over Chelsea that went to extra-time after it finished all-square during normal time. Things couldn’t have been more different in the fourth round when Liverpool smashed eight past Stoke without reply. The quarter-final also went to extra-time, which the Reds won 3-0 against Fulham.

I thought this would make for a good intro post for Blue Sky as any…Been meaning to share this but a while ago, I bought the matchday programme from the Worthington Cup Final 2001 – Blues vs Liverpool#BCFC #KRO

— Luke (@luke-pollard.bsky.social) 2024-11-21T15:05:04.040Z

Crystal Palace were the opponents for Liverpool in the semi-finals, with the London club winning 2-1 in the first-leg. A comfortable 5-0 win in the second send the Reds off to the final in style, going 1-0 up against Birmingham City thanks to a Robbie Fowler screamer on the half hour mark. The Blues left it late to respond, taking it to extra-time when Darren Purse scored in the final minute of normal time. When no more goals were scored a penalty shootout was needed, which the Reds won 5-4 after Dietmar Hamann missed for Liverpool, but both Martin Grainger and Andy Johnson missed for the Midland club.

2003 (Liverpool 2 Manchester United 0)

Two years on from winning the treble and Gérard Houllier was back winning another bit of silverware. This one was all the sweeter on account of the fact that it was the second time that we defeated Manchester United in the final of the same competition. A 3-1 win over Southampton the third round got things underway before penalties were needed to overcome Ipswich Town at Anfield. The quarter-finals sent Liverpool to Villa Park where they won a seven goal thriller against the hosts. In the semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday, the Reds lost the first-leg but won the second in extra-time to head to the Millennium Stadium.

On This Day in 2003
Liverpool win the League Cup beating Manchester United 2-0 🏆
🎶 We Always Win in Wales 🎶
pic.twitter.com/86sBjBecgX

— The Anfield Wrap (@TheAnfieldWrap) March 2, 2021

The competition was sponsored by Worthington in 2003, just as it had been two years earlier. There were 74,500 people inside the ground to see the match, with half of them likely to have been disappointed to see Steven Gerrard score a screamer for the opener for Liverpool six minutes before half-time. Alex Ferguson’s men tried their hardest to get back into the game, but when Michael Owen doubled the Reds’ lead four minutes from the end of normal time they knew that it was all over for them. It probably tells a story that it was Liverpool goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek who walked away with the Man of the Match title along with the trophy itself.

2012 (Liverpool 2 Cardiff City 2; 3-2 on Penalties)

The dismal period that resulted in Roy Hodgson being put in charge of Liverpool was blissfully drawn to a close when he was given the boot and Kenny Dalglish was put in charge by new owners Fenway Sports Group. That appointment was made permanent ahead of the 2011-2012 season, with King Kenny taking us to two finals. The first of those was in the competition known as the Carling Cup at the time because of sponsorship. The Reds defeated Exeter City in the second round and Brighton & Hove Albion in the third, having to head to Stoke City in the fourth round where they also won to make it into the quarter-finals.

@veeraraghavan777

YNWA🔥 #liverpool #ynwa #gerrard #carlingcup #2012 #final #liverpoolfinal #reds #kennydalglish #premierleague #england #malaysia #klopp

♬ original sound – veera raghavan – veera raghavan

It was a trip to Chelsea in the quarters, meaning that the first home game that Liverpool had in that season’s competition was the second-leg of the semi-final against Manchester City. The Reds won 3-2 on aggregate in order to move through to the final where they took on Welsh side Cardiff City. Having won the last two League Cups in Cardiff, there was something fitting about the battle at Wembley being against a club from that city. Joseph Mason gave the Bluebirds the lead after 19 minutes, with Martin Škrtel equalising on the hour mark. Two goals in extra-time took it to penalties, which Liverpool won 3-2.

2022 (Liverpool 0 Chelsea 0; 11-10 on Penalties)

The 2021-2022 season was the closest that anyone had ever come to winning a quadruple, with Liverpool winning the League Cup and FA Cup, both against Chelsea, missing out on the Premier League to Manchester City a single point and losing in the Champions League final to Real Madrid. It all started with a win over Norwich City in the EFL Cup third round, followed by a win over Preston North End in the fourth round. That put Liverpool in the quarter-finals, where an angry Anfield responded to Leicester City supporters chanting about poverty and other nonsense things. It finished 3-3 in normal time and 5-4 on penalties.

It was Arsenal in the semi-finals, with no goals at Anfield celebrated by the Gunners as if they’d won the trophy. Diogo Jota netted twice in the second-leg to put Liverpool through at Arsenal’s expense. Another London club awaited in the final in the form of Chelsea and when no goals were scored in normal time nor extra-time the game went to penalties. All ten of the outfield players for both teams scored their goals, meaning that the goalkeepers had to step up. Caoimhín Kelleher proved to be the hero for Liverpool, dispatching his penalty with ease before Kepa Arrizabalaga, who had been brought on for the penalties, missed his.

2024 Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 (After Extra-Time)

Two years after the Reds had defeated Chelsea in the League Cup final the two clubs were back at Wembley to duke it out again. They made it there by defeating Leicester City in the third round and Bournemouth in the fourth, which put them in the quarter-finals against West Ham United. A 5-1 win there meant that Liverpool were back in the semi-finals of the competition that they had won more than any other club. A 2-1 first-leg win over Fulham put the Reds in the driving seat, then a goal after just 11 minutes at Craven Cottage meant that it was all over bar the shouting. Fulham got a consolation goal in 76th minute.

TBT to February 2024 and Jürgen Klopp’s 🇩🇪 last trophy as Liverpool manager. Here are some of the photos I took the day Klopp’s Kids beat the Blue Billion Pound Bottle Jobs. #LFC #YNWA

— Anfield Aura (@anfieldaura.bsky.social) 2024-11-14T17:49:07.818Z

For Jürgen Klopp’s side, it was a matter of needs must in terms of the team that he could play. Liverpool were suffering from injuries, meaning that none of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold nor Alisson Becker could play, with other big names also missing. The Reds scored on the hour mark, only for the Video Assistant Referee to find a spurious reason to rule out Virgil van Dijk’s header. The game went to extra-time and the Dutchman scored a virtual replica of that goal but without the supposed foul, meaning that Klopp’s kids won the game, finishing with the likes of James McConnell, Bobby Clark and Jayden Danns on the pitch.