EFL Cup 2025-26 Facts & Trivia
The 2025-26 EFL Cup (Carabao Cup) was won by Manchester City. Below are the facts, records and trivia from that cup run — the final, the giant-killings, the biggest wins, the hat-tricks and the shootouts.
See the full EFL Cup 2025-26 bracket and results. Or read the FA Cup 2025-26 facts.
1. Manchester City — champions
Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-0 to win the EFL Cup.
2. Nico O'Reilly's final
Nico O'Reilly scored 2 in the final as Manchester City won the trophy.
3. Domestic cup double
Manchester City won both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup in the same season — a domestic cup double.
4. Cardiff City's cup run
Cardiff City, in from the 1st Round, went all the way to the Quarter-Final — a memorable run from the early rounds.
5. Diego Gómez's haul
Diego Gómez scored 4 for Brighton & Hove Albion in the 3rd Round (0-6 v Barnsley).
6. The heaviest win
The biggest win of the competition: Brighton & Hove Albion beat Oxford United 6-0 in the 2nd Round.
7. 7-goal thriller
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-4 Chelsea was the highest-scoring tie of the season with 7 goals.
8. Spot-kick marathon
Grimsby Town and Manchester United needed 23 penalties to settle their 2nd Round tie (12-11 on spot-kicks after 2-2).
9. Manchester City's road to glory
Manchester City beat Huddersfield Town, Swansea City, Brentford, Newcastle United and Arsenal on the way to the trophy — 5 ties won.
10. Sharpest shooters
Manchester City scored the most goals of any club in the competition this season, with 14.
11. Arsenal fall short
Arsenal reached the final but finished runners-up.
12. The last four
The semi-finalists were Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United and Manchester City.