The English Football League Cup has witnessed some of the most spectacular high-scoring encounters the sport has ever seen in this country
The competition returns with clubs often using the opening stages to blood young talent, shake off pre-season cobwebs and potentially cause early-season surprises, though this approach can also produce some extraordinary goal tallies.
From matches featuring 12 goals to humiliating 10-0 defeats and penalty shootouts that stretch almost as long as the games themselves, the tournament has delivered memorable moments throughout its history.
Here are some of the most remarkable fixtures the competition has ever seen…
Dagenham & Redbridge 6–6 Brentford (2-4 on penalties)
The 12-goal epic between Dagenham and Redbridge and Brentford stands as the joint highest-scoring tie in EFL Cup history
First round, 13 August 2014, Victoria Road
Beginning with a memorable encounter, this match represents the joint highest-scoring fixture in the tournament’s history.
The clash between Dagenham & Redbridge, who were then competing in League Two, and a Brentford team recently promoted to the Championship appeared routine on paper, but delivered an enthralling contest.
An extraordinary encounter was deadlocked at 4-4 at full-time and the scoring continued into extra-time.
The Daggers went ahead for the initial time in the 113th minute and appeared poised to advance as they held a 6-5 advantage deep into added time, before Brentford’s Harlee Dean struck in the 117th minute to force a penalty shootout.
After Jack Connors and Ashley Chambers failed to convert for Dagenham, captain Kevin O’Connor took responsibility and scored the decisive spot-kick to win it for Brentford.
Wycombe 3-8 Aston Villa
Wycombe threatened to dump Aston Villa out before the top-flight team struck seven times after the interval
Second round, 20 September 2005, Adams Park
Aston Villa manager David O’Leary admitted his team were on the verge of suffering a cup upset when they met Wycombe Wanderers in 2005.
Yet despite trailing the League Two outfit 3-1 at the halfway point, Villa responded with seven goals after the restart to complete a comfortable victory.
Some Villa supporters reacted with frustration when strikes from Nathan Tyson, Roger Johnson and Tommy Mooney left Wycombe in a commanding position at the interval.
However goals from Milan Baros and James Milner restored parity, before a Craig Easton own goal, two from Gareth Barry and further efforts from Milner and Steven Davis sealed a stunning comeback.
West Ham United 10-0 Bury
West Ham progressed to the fifth round in 1983 following this result
Second round second leg, 25 October 1983, Boleyn Ground
Travelling back to an era when opening rounds consisted of two legs, when the tournament was known as the Milk Cup, and the day West Ham United achieved their record victory.
There was little indication of the emphatic scoreline to come, given John Lyall’s top-flight leaders had only managed a narrow 2-1 first-leg triumph against Fourth Division Bury.
Yet West Ham stormed into a 5-0 advantage by the break, with Alvin Martin, Trevor Brooking and Tony Cottee dismantling Bury’s defence.
Cottee completed his hat-trick before half-time and West Ham showed no mercy after the restart.
Cottee struck again, Alan Devonshire added another, Ray Stewart converted from the spot, and Brooking tapped in late as West Ham reached double figures.
Reading 5-7 Arsenal
Arsenal mounted a remarkable comeback from four goals down to win 5-7 against Reading
Fourth round, 30 October 2012, Madejski Stadium
A phenomenal fixture, the joint highest-scoring EFL Cup match ever, requiring extra-time to determine the victor.
Still searching for their first Premier League victory following promotion, Reading saw their supporters’ optimism vanish as they threw away a 4-0 lead to lose 7-5.
Arsenal found themselves four goals behind after 35 minutes, but Theo Walcott’s strike just before the interval sparked a revival that forced extra-time.
Marouane Chamakh put Arsenal ahead for the first time during the additional period, only for Reading forward Pavel Pogrebnyak to level at 5-5.
Yet Walcott restored Arsenal’s advantage before Chamakh added the final goal.
The memorable evening was further highlighted by the surreal moment when Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin tossed their jerseys to supporters, believing the match had concluded, before being forced to sheepishly retrieve them once they realised extra-time remained.
Manchester City 9-0 Burton Albion
Manchester City went on to claim the trophy in 2019 after thrashing Burton
Semi-final first leg, 9 January 2019, Etihad Stadium
Burton Albion’s inaugural major semi-final was thoroughly spoilt as they suffered a comprehensive defeat against Manchester City.
The 3,000 Brewers supporters had to contend with M6 traffic delays just to arrive, with some perhaps wishing they had remained in their vehicles.
Nigel Clough’s team had eliminated a blend of Premier League and Championship opponents to reach the last four but were helpless against City’s ruthless attacking display.
Gabriel Jesus netted four times, while Kevin de Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker and Riyad Mahrez also found the target against the struggling League One team.
After Burton’s remarkable cup journey finally concluded, Clough revealed that Pep Guardiola invited him for a drink and joked he hoped the Spanish coach had more than a glass remaining.
The return fixture ended 1-0 at the Pirelli Stadium, confirming a 10–0 aggregate triumph for City.
Liverpool 10-0 Fulham
Ian Rush (centre) struck twice in Liverpool’s emphatic victory
Second round first leg, 23 September 1986, Anfield
Reigning league champions Liverpool demonstrated their quality with a 10-goal demolition of Fulham.
Steve McMahon struck four times and passed up a penalty opportunity as the Third Division team were overwhelmed at Anfield.
Ian Rush and John Wark found the net early on, Ronnie Whelan made it three, and McMahon scored either side of Wark’s second goal.
He struck the crossbar from the penalty spot before extending the advantage to seven, with further goals from Rush, McMahon and Nicol completing the club’s most significant domestic victory.
Liverpool subsequently won the second leg 3-2, progressing 13-2 on aggregate.
Preston North End 1-1 Fulham (16-15 on penalties)
Preston’s penalty shootout triumph over Fulham stands as the longest in League Cup history
Third round, 17 September 2024, Deepdale
While 1-1 may not seem remarkable, the third-round encounter between Preston North End and Fulham in 2024 earned its place in the record books after producing the longest penalty shootout the competition has ever witnessed.
A total of 34 spot kicks were taken – 31 of which found the net – as Paul Heckingbottom’s side secured advancement to round four.
Just when it appeared the shootout might never conclude, Fulham’s Timothy Castagne blazed his effort over the crossbar and Preston midfielder Ryan Ledson – who had opened the scoring in the 36th minute – buried the winning penalty.
The shootout surpassed the previous record established in 2016 when Derby County overcame Carlisle United 14-13 on penalties.