The next League Cup final will soon be upon us, with the two teams preparing for their big day. Cup Finals take many years to come around at SubbuteoClub, so it really is a special occasion.
So what do we have to look forward to this year?
The Final will feature two giant teams, Liverpool and Manchester City. For SubbuteoClub, it sees the historical Cup giants facing the new upstarts.
Liverpool have been the most successful Cup team at SubbuteoClub, having previously won the League Cup in Year 4. They have also won the FA Cup, Charity Shield and Champions League in their history and currently play in Division 1.
For Manchester City, this is their first Cup Final after coming close in previous seasons with a League Cup semi-final appearance in Year 4 being their furthest journey in this tournament to date. It adds a bit more rivalry that the team that beat them in the semi-final that year was none other than Liverpool. Although City play in Division 2, they are a sleeping giant who is beginning to awaken. They are almost guaranteed Division 1 football next season and have already shown that they have a squad capable of taking on the biggest teams in the league.
Route To The Final
The two finalists have had relative similar journeys to the Final, in terms of meeting teams from other Divisions and having some close calls.
Liverpool began their campaign with a thrilling 3-2 win over Division 3 Wolves. They faced a tough tie when they took on Division 2 Leeds United at Elland Road, as they came away with a 1-0 victory. The two-legged quarter-final saw them take on Division 3 Leicester City which they put away with ease. They faced tough semi-finals against rivals Arsenal and they were in trouble after losing the 1st leg 1-0. They required extra-time in the second leg to pull ahead and book their place in the final.
Manchester City Also took on a Division 3 side in the 1st Round, as they hammered newbies Hull City 3-0. The second round saw them face Division 2 Charlton and this tie was as close as they get, as they cold only be separated by penalties. The quarter-finals put City against Division 1 Tottenham. City showed that they have a team ready to face the top teams as they dispatched Spurs easily, winning both legs. City too faced a tricky semi-final as they faced current arch-rivals Aston Villa. They were promoted with Villa last season and the rivalry has continued this season as both teams close in on the Division 2 title. City were dominant in the first leg as they smashed Villa 3-0, and then finished the job with a 2-1 win in the second leg.
Summary
Interestingly, both sides have played in all rounds of the League Cup, rather than getting a bye into the second round, so they are equal in this. Also, they have both progressed to the FA Cup third round, which plays the week before the Final – so neither team will have a rest weekend. It will be interesting to see if they play hard in their FA Cup campaign or if they decide to rest some players and focus on the League Cup. There is hardly anything to split these two sides, so it all leads towards a really exciting Year 6 League Cup Final.