League Cup Winners – Including Full List of Clubs to win EFL Cup

Welcome to our complete guide to the history of League Cup winners. We’re going to reveal everything you need to know about one of England’s biggest football competitions, including a full League Cup winners list. Read on to become an expert on the subject of this famous cup.

Explore Our Football Betting Sites

Football Betting Sites
Discover the best Football Betting Sites in the UK right now. Dedicating our guide to bring you the latest information, tips, odds, and bonus codes.
Football Betting Sites
Champions League Betting Sites
Discover the best Champions League betting sites in the UK. Our betting guide contains odds, special offers, betting tips, and the best UK bookmakers.
Champions League Betting Sites
Europa League Betting Sites
Learn all there is to know about the best Europa League betting sites in the UK and discover expert-written tips, offers, and so much more.
Europa League Betting Sites
Premier League Betting Sites
Betting on the Premier League is available on most UK betting sites, and our guide makes choosing one, easy. Read our latest reviews, learn top tips & more.
Premier League Betting Sites
La Liga Betting Sites
Spain’s La Liga is one of the biggest football championships. Learn how to pick the best La Liga betting sites & how to find the best features, and more.
La Liga Betting Sites
Serie A Betting Sites
Join us as we share the best Serie A betting sites available in the UK, how to take advantage of all the available features and special deals & more.
Serie A Betting Sites
Bundesliga Betting Sites
Enjoy the German Bundesliga betting sites from the UK, as we advise you on where to play. Exploring different betting tips, betting odds and more.
Bundesliga Betting Sites
Championship Betting Sites
Join us as we explain exactly how English Championship betting works. Providing everything from available markets, odds and promotions to the best bookies.
Championship Betting Sites
FA Cup Betting Sites
Assure you're clued-up about all there is to know about the FA Cup with our guide. Diving into FA Cup betting odds, the best bookies in the UK and much more.
FA Cup Betting Sites
Scottish Championship Betting Sites
Explore all the best Scottish Championship betting sites in the UK, assuring you have the best deal, and welcome offer, all before placing a bet.
Scottish Championship Betting Sites
World Cup Betting Sites
Dive into the latest World Cup betting sites, betting odds, markets and promos. Our World Cup Betting Guide provides you with only the best UK bookies.
World Cup Betting Sites

english league cup logo

League Cup Winners History

The League Cup is the second most notable cup in English football. It’s the FA Cup that is the much older competition, having been first contested in 1871 and remains the more prestigious prize.

First played in 1960, the League Cup was conceived as an answer to the problem of the dwindling attendances of the time. With the majority of clubs installing floodlights at their grounds in the 1950s, the Football League saw the opportunity to organise a cup competition that could be played on midweek evenings during the winter.

At first the competition was not popular with bigger clubs, who were more interested in the recently launched European competitions. Small clubs such as Rotherham United and Rochdale were able to reach the first two finals, with some larger clubs opting not to enter, but gradually the competition began to establish itself.

The first Wembley final of the League Cup came in 1967 and by 1973, the League Cup winner earned qualification for the UEFA Cup, known as the UEFA Europa League today (and since 2009). This has since changed to the UEFA Europa Conference League. In 1972 entry became compulsory for all Football League Cups.

Sponsorship Became Acceptable in the 80s

With less tradition to contend with than the FA Cup, the Football League were able to find sponsors for their cup competition in the 1980s. Aside for one season, it has had a main sponsor that has given their name to the competition, ever since.

In a world where there are now more fixtures than ever for footballers to contend with, the League Cup has remained in place. While it’s true that Premier League teams rotate their squads in the competition, especially in the early rounds, it remains a trophy that the big clubs covet.

The first piece of silverware of the season is given to the League Cup winners and it’s now seen as an important benchmark in the campaign. Managers feel that by securing the League Cup, their players will get the taste for glory and stand more of a chance of winning further competitions, that are decided towards the end of the season.

Latest Outright Betting on League Cup Winner Odds

You can bet on the League Cup winner odds outright throughout the football season. The competition runs from August until the end of February or start of March every year. Check out the current prices for teams to win it on League Cup betting sites in the UK today:

Team League Cup Winner Odds Bookmaker
Manchester City 3/1 BetUK logo
Liverpool 6/1 logo boylesports
Tottenham Hotspur 10/1 logo betvictor
Chelsea 10/1 logo parimatch
Arsenal 12/1 888Sport logo
Manchester United 15.00 Bet365 logo
Newcastle United 16/1 logo parimatch
West Ham United 16/1 logo betway
Leicester City 25/1 logo betvictor
Aston Villa 16/1 logo betway
 All prices best odds, correct and 33/1 bar as of 12:00 BST on Friday, 19 August 2022.

List of League Cup Winners – Two Legged Finals

Our list of League Cup winners begins with the finals between 1961 and 1966, which were all two-legged affairs. Aston Villa were the first ever winners of the competition and in total have gone on to win the League Cup five times from nine appearances in the final.

As you’ll note, the likes of Rotherham and Rochdale reached the final in the first two seasons of the competition, while Norwich City of the Second Division were able to win the League Cup in 1962. All of the other winners from this period came from the top flight.

Year League Cup Winners Results in Final Aggregate Score League Cup Runners-Up
1961 Aston Villa 0-2, 3-0 (AET) 3-2 (AET) Rotherham United
1962 Norwich City 3-0, 1-0 4-0 Rochdale
1963 Birmingham City 3-1, 0-0 3-1 Aston Villa
1964 Leicester City 1-1, 3-2 4-3 Stoke City
1965 Chelsea 3-2, 0-0 3-2 Leicester City
1966 West Bromwich Albion 1-2, 4-1 5-3 West Ham United

League Cup Winners – 1967 to 1981

It was in the 1966-67 season that the final was switched to being a one-off match at Wembley. That season also saw Arsenal, Tottenham and Wolves enter the competition for the first time and a major shock in the final. QPR of the Third Division came back from being 2-0 down against West Brom to win 3-2.

There was another shock in 1969 courtesy of a Third Division club, when Swindon Town defeated Arsenal. The competition took a major stride when it became compulsory for all Football League clubs to enter in the 1971-72 season and then another in 1973, when Tottenham Hotspur became the first side to qualify for Europe through a League Cup victory.

In 1977 we saw the first final to go to a replay, when it took Aston Villa three attempts to beat Everton, with the first final at Wembley, the second at Hillsborough and the third at Old Trafford. 1981 was another significant year, with Liverpool League Cup winners for the first time.

Year League Cup Winners Result in Final League Cup Runners-Up
1967 Queens Park Rangers 3-2 West Bromwich Albion
1968 Leeds United 1-0 Arsenal
1969 Swindon Town 3-1 (AET) Arsenal
1970 Manchester City 2-1 (AET) West Bromwich Albion
1971 Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Aston Villa
1972 Stoke City 2-1 Chelsea
1973 Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Norwich City
1974 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Manchester City
1975 Aston Villa 1-0 Norwich City
1976 Manchester City 2-1 Newcastle United
1977 Aston Villa 0-0, 1-1, 3-2* Everton
1978 Nottingham Forest 0-0, 1-0 (replay) Liverpool
1979 Nottingham Forest 3-2 Southampton
1980 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0 Nottingham Forest
1981 Liverpool 1-1, 2-1 (replay) West Ham United
*2 replays and extra time needed to determine the League Cup winner of 1977

English League Cup Winners – Milk Cup Era

In 1982 the League Cup acquired its first sponsor and became known as the Milk Cup. Liverpool entered this era as the holders and won it for the next three seasons, making it four consecutive wins in all.

Liverpool’s reign finally came to an end when Norwich City won the competition for the second time. Another relatively small top flight club would win the trophy in 1986, when Oxford United became the last ever Milk Cup Winners.

Year Milk Cup Winners Result in Final Milk Cup Runners-Up
1982 Liverpool 3-1 (AET) Tottenham Hotspur
1983 Liverpool 2-1 (AET) Manchester United
1984 Liverpool 0-0, 1-0 (replay) Everton
1985 Norwich City 1-0 Sunderland
1986 Oxford United 3-0 Queens Park Rangers

Littlewoods Challenge Cup & Rumbelows Cup Era

Between 1987 and 1990 the competition was known as the Littlewoods Cup. This new era started with Arsenal League Cup winners for the first time. They then lost the final the following year in a classic against Luton Town.

The pattern followed in 1989, when the holders once again lost in the final, as Nottingham Forest defeated Luton. Forest broke this pattern when they retained the trophy in 1990. Sheffield Wednesday became the opening winners of the Rumbelows Cup in 1991 when they defeated Manchester United. Alex Ferguson’s team won the League Cup for the first time when they beat Nottingham Forest in 1992.

Year English League Cup Winners Result in Final English League Cup Runners-Up
1987 Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool
1988 Luton Town 3-2 Arsenal
1989 Nottingham Forest 3-1 Luton Town
1990 Nottingham Forest 1-0 Oldham Athletic
1991 Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Manchester United
1992 Manchester United 1-0 Nottingham Forest

Coca Cola Cup Winners List

Between 1993 and 1998 the competition gained some fizz, when Coca Cola were the sponsors. Arsenal were the first winners, beating a Sheffield Wednesday side that they wold also defeat in the FA Cup final that season.

Aston Villa would win the trophy twice in this period. Leicester City and Chelsea also won it for the first time since lifting the trophy in the sixties.

Year Coca Cola Cup Winners Result in Final Coca Cola Cup Runners-Up
1993 Arsenal 2-1 Sheffield Wednesday
1994 Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United
1995 Liverpool 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
1996 Aston Villa 3-0 Leeds United
1997 Leicester City 1-1, 1-0 (AET replay) Middlesbrough
1998 Chelsea 2-0 (AET) Middlesbrough

League Cup Winners List – Worthington Cup Era

The competition between 1998 and 2003 was sponsored by the beer brand Worthington. Tottenham won the League Cup for the first time since 1973 with a narrow win over a Leicester team that would return to Wembley to win the competition in 2000.

That was the last final to be played at the old Wembley Stadium. While the ground was rebuilt, the League Cup final was played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, with Liverpool winning the first final there in 2001 against Birmingham, in what was also the first final to be decided by penalties.

Year Worthington Cup Winners Result in Final Worthington Cup Runners-Up
1999 Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Leicester City
2000 Leicester City 2-1 Tranmere Rovers
2001 Liverpool 1-1 (5-4 on pens) Birmingham City
2002 Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
2003 Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United

Carling Cup Winners List

In the 2003-04 season, another brewing company became sponsors, with the competition known as the Carling Cup. Middlesbrough were the first winners, defeating Bolton Wanderers.

After several years being held in Cardiff, the final returned to Wembley in 2008, when Tottenham defeated Chelsea to become Carling Cup winners. Spurs would lose the final the following year against Manchester United, who lifted the trophy three times during this period.

Year Carling Cup Winners Result in Final Carling Cup Runners-Up
2004 Middlesbrough 2-1 Bolton Wanderers
2005 Chelsea 3-2 (AET) Liverpool
2006 Manchester United 4-0 Wigan Athletic
2007 Chelsea 2-1 Arsenal
2008 Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 (AET) Chelsea
2009 Manchester United 0-0 (4-1 on pens) Tottenham Hotspur
2010 Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa
2011 Birmingham City 2-1 Arsenal
2012 Liverpool 2-2 (3-2 on pens) Cardiff City

Capital One Cup and EFL Cup Winners List

The finance company Capital One were the sponsors between 2012 and 2016. Swansea won the trophy for the first time, when they hammered Bradford 5-0, which remains the biggest ever margin of victory in a final.

Manchester City’s recent dominance of this competition began when they won the cup in 2014. They would win the last Capital One Cup in 2016, before neighbours Manchester United won in 2017, in a season in which the competition was unsponsored.

Year EFL Cup Winners Result in Final EFL Cup Runners-Up
2013 Swansea City 5-0 Bradford City
2014 Manchester City 3-1 Sunderland
2015 Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
2016 Manchester City 1-1 (3-1 on pens) Liverpool
2017 Manchester United 3-2 Southampton

Carabao Cup Winners List

The energy drink Carabao are the current sponsors, with their period beginning in the 2017-18 season. Manchester City were the Carabao Cup winners in four consecutive seasons between 2018 and 2021.

That run saw them move level with Liverpool as the most successful club on the League Cup winners list. The Merseysiders moved back ahead of them when they won the trophy on penalties against Chelsea in 2022.

Year Carabao Cup Winners Result in Final Carabao Cup Runners-Up
2018 Manchester City 3-0 Arsenal
2019 Manchester City 0-0 (4-3 on pens) Chelsea
2020 Manchester City 2-1 Aston Villa
2021 Manchester City 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
2022 Liverpool 0-0 (11-10 on pens) Chelsea

Most League Cup Winners

Liverpool are the most frequent League Cup winners with nine titles from a record 13 finals. Manchester City have won the competition six times in the last nine seasons. That gives them eight wins, from just nine finals.

The players with the most League Cup winners medals are Sergio Aguero and Fernandinho with six each. Ian Rush has the largest total of League Cup goals with 49, while Clive Allen has the most in a single season, with 12 in 1986-87, when Spurs reached the semi-finals.

Rank League Cup Winners League Cup Titles Years Won Appearances in the Final
1 Liverpool 9 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2012, 2022 13
2 Manchester City 8 1970, 1976, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 9
3= Aston Villa 5 1961, 1975, 1977, 1994, 1996 9
3= Chelsea 5 1965, 1998, 2005, 2007, 2015 9
3= Manchester United 5 1992, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2017 9
6= Tottenham Hotspur 4 1971, 1973, 1999, 2008 9
6= Nottingham Forest 4 1978, 1979, 1989, 1990 6
8 Leicester City 3 1964, 1997, 2000 5

FAQs

Do League Cup winners qualify for Europe?

Who won this years League Cup?

Has a non Premier League team won the League Cup?

Who has won League Cup most?

Is it extra time and penalties for EFL Cup finals if scores are level?

Do League Cup winners qualify for the Champions League?

Arrow to top