Exciting times ahead!

An exciting final is ahead on Sunday. Liverpool meet Chelsea at the Millennium Stadium. The League Cup has been ridiculed the last few years, associating it with one of Disney's most beloved characters. However this season spectator interest has been greater than ever because the bigger teams seem more intent on winning it. The last two League Cup finals Liverpool played in were edge-of-your-seat stuff and no matter what we are guaranteed a great final. LFChistory offers more stats on the League Cup than you could wish for and probably more than that.

+ The league Cup started in the 1960/61 season. The secretary of the Football Association, Alan Hardaker, was the man behind it. This is the 44th final.

+ The League Cup is now known as the Carling Cup, after its sponsor. Previous names include The Milk Cup, Littlewoods Cup, Rumbelows Cup, Coca Cola Cup and Worthington Cup.

+ The following teams have won the Cup.

7: Liverpool!

5: Aston Villa.

4: Nottingham Forest.

3: Leicester City and Tottenham Hotspur.

2: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester City, Norwich City and Wolves.

1: Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United, Luton Town, Manchester United, Middlesborough, Oxford United, Q.P.R, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City, Swindon Town and W.B.A.

+ Liverpool's first game in the League Cup was played 19th October 1960. Liverpool drew 1-1 with Luton Town at Anfield. Tom Leishman scored Liverpool's goal. Liverpool won the 2nd leg 5-2 in Luton. Kevin Lewis 2, Roger Hunt 2 and Dave Hickson scored.

+ Liverpool didn't compete again in the League Cup until in the 1967/68 season. The final was moved to Wembley in 1967, the winner assured of an UEFA Cup place and that increased interest in the competition. Liverpool drew 1-1 with Bolton, but were knocked out in the replay.

+ Liverpool has played 192 games in the League Cup, won 112, drawn 46 and lost 34 (matches that are won or lost in a penalty shoot-out are counted as a draw). 390 goals scored, 169 goals against. A winning rate of 58.3%.

+ Liverpool has played in 12 finals -, three of them have been replays - Liverpool won the League Cup: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1995, 2001 and 2003. The final is now a one-off game as witnessed in 2001 when Birmingham was defeated.

+ Liverpool have only lost the League Cup final twice, against Nottingham Forest after a replay in 1978 and in 1987 against Arsenal.

+ Ian Rush has made most League Cup appearances for Liverpool, 78 in total and scored most goals as well, 48. Rush has scored 49 career League Cup goals in total, a record he shares with Geoff Hurst.

+ Here you can see Liverpool's overall record in the League Cup, round-by-round -

+ Neither Liverpool or Chelsea had an easy route the final.

Liverpool's route -

Chelsea's route:

3rd round: Chelsea 1 West Ham United 0. Goal: Kezman (57).

4th round: Newcastle United 0 Chelsea 2 (AET). Goals: Gudjohnsen (100) and Robben (112).
Quarter-finals: Fulham 1 Chelsea 2. Goals: Duff (55) and Lampard (88).
Semi-finals 1st leg: Chelsea 0 Manchester United 0.
Semi-finals 2nd leg: Manchester United 1 Chelsea 2. Goals: Lampard (29) and Duff (85).


So prepare for an exciting game and hopefully we'll be celebrating Liverpool's 8th victory in the League Cup.


Arnie & Sigfus Guttormsson at 

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