The Carling Cup
The Carling Cup
The Football League Cup, currently sponsored by Carling, follows a similar pattern to the FA Cup but only the 92 clubs from the Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two can take part. It is played on a knockout basis and, unlike the FA Cup, the Semi-Finals are played over two legs. Arsenal have won the trophy twice, most recently in 1993.
Arsenal, along with all English clubs competing in the Champions League or Europa League, enter the competition at the Third-Round stage. At that point there are 32 clubs remaining. The ties are single matches, with extra time and a penalty shoot-out if necessary, with the winners progressing to the next round. The only exception is the Semi-Finals, which are played over two legs.
The winners of the Football League Cup qualify for the UEFA Europa League, if they have not qualified for European competition via the Premier League.
