2019 EFL Cup final

The 2019 EFL Cup Final was an association football match that took place on 24 February 2019 at Wembley Stadium in London, England, to determine the winners of the 2018–19 EFL Cup (known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons).^[3] It was contested by Chelsea and holders Manchester City, who retained their title with a 4–3 victory on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time; it was the first time Manchester City had successfully defended a title. As winners, they would have entered the second qualifying round of the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, but instead qualified directly for the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League by finishing first in the 2018–19 Premier League. The final was also a rematch of that season's FA Community Shield which Manchester City won 2–0.^[4]

2019 EFL Cup Final

Match programme cover, featuring Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling
Event	2018–19 EFL Cup
Chelsea Manchester City 0 0
After extra time Manchester City won 4–3 on penalties
Date	24 February 2019 (2019-02-24)
Venue	Wembley Stadium, London
Man of the Match	Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)^[1]
Referee	Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire)^[2]
Attendance	81,775
← 2018 2020 →

Route to the final

Chelsea

Round	Opposition	Score
3	Liverpool (A)	2–1
4	Derby County (H)	3–2
QF	Bournemouth (H)	1–0
SF	Tottenham Hotspur (A)	0–1
	Tottenham Hotspur (H)	2–1 (4–2 p)
Key: (H) = Home; (A) = Away

Chelsea's participation in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League meant they entered the EFL Cup in the third round, where they were drawn away to fellow Premier League side Liverpool. After going behind, goals from Emerson Palmieri and Eden Hazard gave Chelsea a 2–1 win.^[5] In the next round, they were drawn at home to Championship side Derby County. This time, Chelsea took an early lead via a Fikayo Tomori own goal, but Jack Marriott equalised for Derby four minutes later. Another own goal, this time by Richard Keogh, put Chelsea ahead again in the 21st minute, only for Martyn Waghorn to level the scores six minutes later. Four minutes before half-time, Cesc Fàbregas scored what turned out to be the winning goal, as the second half went goalless.^[6]

In the fifth round, Chelsea were drawn at home to Premier League side Bournemouth, with Hazard again proving the difference between the two sides in a 1–0 win.^[7] The semi-finals saw Chelsea drawn against London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. A Harry Kane penalty gave Tottenham a slim lead at Wembley Stadium in the first leg,^[8] but N'Golo Kanté levelled the aggregate scores after 27 minutes of the second leg. Hazard then put Chelsea in front with his third goal of the tournament in the 38th minute, only for Fernando Llorente to equalise again five minutes after half-time. The remainder of the match produced no further goals, and since the away goals rule was not in effect,^[9] the match went straight to a penalty shoot-out. Both sides converted their first two kicks each, before Eric Dier put his effort over the bar, allowing Jorginho to give Chelsea the lead. Kepa Arrizabalaga then saved from Lucas Moura, before David Luiz scored to send Chelsea to the final.^[10]

Manchester City

Round	Opposition	Score
3	Oxford United (A)	3–0
4	Fulham (H)	2–0
QF	Leicester City (A)	1–1 (3–1p)
SF	Burton Albion (H)	9–0
	Burton Albion (A)	1–0
Key: (H) = Home; (A) = Away

Manchester City had qualified for the 2018–19 UEFA Champions League, and thus also entered the EFL Cup in the third round, drawn away to League One side Oxford United. At the Kassam Stadium, Manchester City won 3–0 with goals from Gabriel Jesus, Riyad Mahrez and Phil Foden.^[11] In the fourth round, they were drawn with fellow Premier League club Fulham at home. At their City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester City won 2–0 via two goals from Brahim Díaz.^[12] In the next round, they were drawn away at fellow Premier League side Leicester City. The match finished 1–1 at the King Power Stadium, with Marc Albrighton's 73rd-minute goal – the only one Manchester City conceded en route to the final – cancelling out Kevin De Bruyne's early strike, but Manchester City won the resulting penalty shoot-out 3–1 and progressed.^[13]

In the two legged semi-final, Manchester City drew League One side Burton Albion. Manchester City won the first leg at the City of Manchester Stadium 9–0 in their biggest win for 31 years, with four goals from Jesus and one each from Kevin De Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Foden, Kyle Walker and Mahrez.^[14] In the second leg at the Pirelli Stadium, Sergio Agüero scored his first goal of the competition to give Manchester City a 1–0 win (10–0 on aggregate) and confirm their place in the final.^[15]

Pre-match

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was thinking of playing second choice goalkeeper Arijanet Muric instead of Ederson as Muric had played for the duration of City's route to the final and conceded just once. He left Muric sweating about his place by insisting that he would make a lot call on whether to play him or not.^[16]

Match

Summary

The match was overshadowed by an incident near the end of extra time, with the score at 0–0 and a penalty shoot-out looming, that saw Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga defy manager Maurizio Sarri and refuse to be substituted for Willy Caballero (whose penalty saves won former club Manchester City the 2016 Football League Cup Final). Arrizabalaga ultimately stayed on the pitch, while an irate Sarri nearly stormed into the match tunnel, and was later held back by Chelsea player Antonio Rüdiger from confronting Arrizabalaga.^[17][18]

The shoot-out, taken at the Chelsea fans' end, saw Chelsea starting: Jorginho's low, weak shot was saved by City goalkeeper Ederson, while İlkay Gündoğan sent Arrizabalaga the wrong way to put City 1–0 up. Chelsea's César Azpilicueta blasted into the top corner to level at 1–1, while Sergio Agüero's weak effort was let in under Arrizabalaga to put City ahead 2–1.^[19] Emerson's shot was too powerful and deflected into goal off Ederson for 2–2, and the scoreline remained as City's Leroy Sané had his penalty saved by Arrizabalaga. David Luiz failed to score for Chelsea when he hit the post, then Bernardo Silva's effort down the middle made it 3–2 for City. Chelsea's Eden Hazard scored with the Panenka technique for 3–3, but City's Raheem Sterling scored a high shot to win the shoot-out 4–3 and crown City as champions.^[17][20][21]

After the game, both Arrizabalaga and Sarri said that the situation was a misunderstanding with Sarri believing that Arrizabalaga was too injured with a cramp to continue, but Arrizabalaga felt well enough to continue.^[22]

Details

24 February 2019 (2019-02-24)

16:30 GMT

Chelsea	0–0 (a.e.t.)	Manchester City
	Report
Penalties
Jorginho   Azpilicueta   Emerson   David Luiz   Hazard	3–4	Gündoğan   Agüero   Sané   B. Silva   Sterling

Wembley Stadium, London

Attendance: 81,775

Referee: Jonathan Moss (West Yorkshire)

Chelsea

Manchester City

GK 1   Kepa Arrizabalaga RB 28   César Azpilicueta (c) CB 2   Antonio Rüdiger   72' CB 30   David Luiz   30' LB 33   Emerson CM 7   N'Golo Kanté CM 5   Jorginho   88' CM 8   Ross Barkley   89' RF 22   Willian   95' CF 10   Eden Hazard LF 11   Pedro   79' Substitutes: GK 13   Willy Caballero DF 27   Andreas Christensen MF 12   Ruben Loftus-Cheek   89' MF 17   Mateo Kovačić MF 20   Callum Hudson-Odoi   79' FW 9   Gonzalo Higuaín   95' FW 18   Olivier Giroud Manager:   Maurizio Sarri

GK 31   Ederson RB 2   Kyle Walker CB 30   Nicolás Otamendi   90+1' CB 14   Aymeric Laporte   46' LB 35   Oleksandr Zinchenko CM 17   Kevin De Bruyne   86' CM 25   Fernandinho   58'   91' CM 21   David Silva (c)   79' RF 20   Bernardo Silva CF 10   Sergio Agüero LF 7   Raheem Sterling Substitutes: GK 49   Arijanet Muric DF 3   Danilo   91' DF 4   Vincent Kompany   46' MF 8   İlkay Gündoğan   79' MF 19   Leroy Sané   86' MF 26   Riyad Mahrez MF 47   Phil Foden Manager:   Pep Guardiola

Man of the Match: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)^[1] Assistant referees:^[2] Andy Halliday (Army) Marc Perry (West Midlands) Fourth official:^[2] Paul Tierney (Lancashire) Reserve assistant referee:^[2] Constantine Hatzidakis (Kent) Video assistant referee:^[2] Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) Assistant video assistant referee:^[2] Steve Child (London)

Match rules^[23] 90 minutes 30 minutes of extra time if necessary Penalty shoot-out if scores still level Seven named substitutes Maximum of three substitutions, with a fourth allowed in extra time

See also

• 2019 FA Cup Final

References

1. @Carabao_Cup (24 February 2019). "Your 2019 Carabao Cup Final Man of the Match is the impressive @BernardoCSilva! #EFL | #CarabaoCupFinal" (Tweet). Retrieved 24 February 2019 – via Twitter.
2. "Carabao Cup Final: match officials named". EFL.com. English Football League. 7 February 2019. from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2019.
3. "Key Dates". English Football League. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
4. "CHELSEA V CITY: BRIEF HIGHLIGHTS". Manchester City FC. 6 August 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2019.
5. Hafez, Shamoon (27 September 2018). "Liverpool 1–2 Chelsea". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
6. Sanders, Emma (31 October 2018). "Chelsea 3–2 Derby: Blues win dramatic Carabao Cup tie to reach last eight". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
7. Emons, Michael (19 December 2018). "Chelsea 1–0 Bournemouth: Eden Hazard goal sends Blues into semi-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
8. McNulty, Phil (8 January 2019). "Tottenham 1–0 Chelsea, Carabao Cup – Harry Kane's penalty gives Spurs advantage". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
9. "No away goals rule tonight at Chelsea". tottenhamhotspur.com. Tottenham Hotspur FC. 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
10. Johnston, Neil (24 January 2019). "Carabao Cup: Chelsea 2–1 Tottenham (2–2 agg, Chelsea win 4–2 on pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
11. McNulty, Phil (25 September 2018). "Oxford United 0-3 Manchester City: Carabao Cup holders see off League One strugglers". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
12. Bevan, Chris (1 November 2018). "Carabao Cup: Man City beat Fulham 2–0 to reach quarter-finals". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
13. Hafez, Shamoon (18 December 2018). "Leicester City 1–1 Manchester City (1–3 pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
14. Emons, Michael (9 January 2019). "Manchester City 9–0 Burton Albion: Gabriel Jesus scores four in Carabao Cup semi-final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
15. Begley, Emlyn (23 January 2019). "Manchester City reach Carabao Cup final with 10–0 aggregate win over Burton Albion". BBC Sport. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
16. Kearns, Sean (24 February 2019). "Pep Guardiola ready to keep faith in Arijanet Muric ahead of Ederson for Carabao Cup final". Metro. Retrieved 26 February 2019.
17. Burt, Jason; Tyers, Mike. "Manchester City take the honours after Kepa Arrizabalaga antics overshadow otherwise drab League Cup final". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
18. Bhardwaj, Vaishali. "Man City beat Chelsea to win EFL Cup Final after Wembley penalty shootout". Evening Standard. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
19. "Manchester City win Carabao Cup on penalties after Chelsea's Kepa chaos". Guardian. 24 February 2019. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
20. Brennan, Stuart; Bajkowski, Simon; Bray, Joe. "Man City 0–0 Chelsea highlights and reaction as Raheem Sterling scores winning penalty in shoot-out". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
21. "WATCH: Kepa Arrizabalaga defies furious Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri in Carabao Cup final". Sky News. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
22. "Maurizio Sarri: Kepa Arrizabalaga incident a 'misunderstanding', says Chelsea boss". BBC News. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
23. "Regulations". EFL.com. English Football League. from the original on 24 February 2019. Retrieved 24 February 2018.

External links

• Official website