The EFL Cup, now called the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, debuted as the Football League Cup in the 1960-61 season. A whopping 92 teams across four national levels in England are eligible to participate in the single-match knockout competition, excluding the semi-finals. The final will take place at the iconic Wembley Stadium in March and the winner will secure a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

The EFL Cup does not always receive the respect it deserves, mainly thanks to the popularity of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and FA Cup, and is considered by many fans to be a minor trophy. England’s most ambitious teams, however, approach the competition with the necessary seriousness and do everything they can to add the trophy to their collection. Read on to learn about the five most successful teams in the history of the competition.

#5 Aston Villa: 5 wins

At the top of the list is Birmingham powerhouse Aston Villa. The Villans have played in nine League Cup finals so far and have taken home the trophy five times.

Aston Villa’s last success in the competition came in the 1995-96 season. They recorded a convincing 3-0 victory over Leeds United in the big event, with Savo Milosevic, Ian Taylor and Dwight Yorke all scoring at Wembley Stadium.

Aston Villa crashed out of the last 16 this year, losing 2-1 to Crystal Palace at Villa Park.

#4 Chelsea: 5 wins

The pride of west London, Chelsea, have appeared in 10 EFL Cup finals. The Blues have a 50% conversion rate, having won the gold medal five times and settled for silver on five occasions.

Chelsea’s last EFL Cup win came a decade ago, in 2014-15. The Pensioners beat London’s Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final, with John Terry and Diego Costa scoring.

Chelsea suffered a round of 16 exit from the EFL Cup this season. Enzo Maresca’s team lost 2-0 at Newcastle United.

#3 Manchester United: 6 wins

Manchester United, a record 20-time English champion, is in third place. The Red Devils have participated in 10 EFL Cup finals over the years, winning six and losing four.

Manchester United last lifted the League Cup in 2022-23. They recorded a comfortable 2-0 victory over Newcastle United in the final, thanks to goals from Casemiro and Marcus Rashford.

The Mancunians have booked a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals this season, beating Leicester City 5-2 in the round of 16. They will face Tottenham Hotspur in the round of 16.

#2 Manchester City: 8 wins

Manchester City have dominated the EFL Cup in recent years, with six of their eight wins coming in the last 11 seasons. They had a historic run under manager Pep Guardiola, winning the EFL Cup in four consecutive seasons between 2017-18 and 2020-21. The Cityzens have only lost one League Cup final over the years, and that defeat was against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the 1973-74 season.

Manchester City last won the Carabao Cup in 2021, beating Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the final. Aymeric Laporte scored the winning goal in the 82nd minute.

The reigning English champions failed to advance in the competition this year, falling in the round of 16 after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

#1 Liverpool: 10 wins

Liverpool is the most successful team in the history of the EFL Cup. The Reds have played in 14 finals since the 1960-61 season, winning 10 times.

Liverpool’s last EFL Cup victory came at the expense of Chelsea in the 2023-24 season. Then-manager Jurgen Klopp had limited options due to injuries to key players, while Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea were almost fully fit. Against all odds, the Reds held firm and kept the match goalless at the end of the 90 minutes before Virgin van Dijk won the match in the 118th minute.

The Merseysiders are on course to defend their title this season, having booked a place in the quarter-finals. They will have to beat Southampton to advance to the semi-finals.