Here is how the four teams reached this stage of the competition. The Red Devils had no trouble against West Ham United, beating the Hammers 4-1 at Old Trafford. José Mourinho showed he was serious about winning the League Cup by selecting his first-choice players, and the Portuguese manager had every reason to be pleased: Anthony Martial scored twice and Henrikh Mkhitaryan produced one of his best displays. The biggest surprise, though, was the appearance of Bastian Schweinsteiger, who came off the bench in the 86th minute.
The Tigers faced a difficult quarter-final against Newcastle United, which went to extra time. Hull City were reduced to ten men in the last minute of normal time when Mbokani was sent off. Newcastle duly took the lead in the 98th minute, but moments later Robert Snodgrass equalised and sent the tie to penalties. Hull’s hero was goalkeeper Jakupović, who allowed Newcastle only one successful spot kick.
Liverpool knocked out Leeds United to reach the semi-finals. The Reds won 2-0 at Anfield, although they had to wait until the last quarter of an hour of the match to score both of their goals. Divock Origi and youngster Benjamin Woodburn found the net for the Merseysiders.
The most impressive quarter-final win belonged to Southampton, who beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Jordy Clasie opened the scoring in the 13th minute, and Ryan Bertrand added a second after the break to send the Saints through. Arsène Wenger had fielded his reserves, but that should not take anything away from Southampton’s strong performance.
The competition and the earlier rounds
The 2016–17 edition was open to the 92 clubs of the Premier League and the English Football League. It was the first played under the name EFL Cup, adopted after the Football League rebranded as the English Football League, and it had no title sponsor after Capital One ended its four-year deal. Liverpool started their run with a 5-0 win away to Burton Albion in the second round in August 2016.
The two eventual finalists had already come through demanding draws before the quarter-finals. Manchester United began with a 3-1 win away to Northampton Town in the third round and then beat Manchester City 1-0 at Old Trafford in the fourth. José Mourinho served a touchline ban during the quarter-final against West Ham. Southampton opened with a 2-0 home win over Crystal Palace, through goals from Charlie Austin and Jake Hesketh, and then edged past Sunderland 1-0 with a goal from Sofiane Boufal before their win at the Emirates.
How the semi-finals went
Both ties were played over two legs in January 2017. Manchester United won the first leg against Hull City 2-0 at Old Trafford on 10 January, with goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini. Hull won the second leg 2-1 on 26 January, Paul Pogba scoring United’s goal, but Mourinho’s side went through 3-2 on aggregate.
The other semi-final was more one-sided than many expected. Southampton beat Liverpool 1-0 at St Mary’s on 11 January through a Nathan Redmond goal, then won 1-0 again at Anfield on 25 January, when Shane Long scored. The Saints reached the final 2-0 on aggregate without conceding a goal to Jürgen Klopp’s side.
The final at Wembley
The 2017 EFL Cup final was played at Wembley Stadium on 26 February 2017 in front of 85,264 spectators. Southampton had an early goal from Manolo Gabbiadini ruled out for offside. Zlatan Ibrahimović then opened the scoring in the 19th minute and Jesse Lingard doubled the lead in the 38th, before Gabbiadini scored twice, in first-half stoppage time and in the 48th minute, to bring Southampton level. Ibrahimović decided the match in the 87th minute, giving Manchester United a 3-2 win, and he was named man of the match.
Questions people ask
Who won the 2016–17 League Cup?
Manchester United won it, beating Southampton 3-2 in the final at Wembley on 26 February 2017. Zlatan Ibrahimović scored twice, including the winner in the 87th minute, and Jesse Lingard scored the other goal.
How did Manchester United beat Hull City in the semi-final?
United won the first leg 2-0 at Old Trafford with goals from Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini. Hull won the second leg 2-1, so United went through 3-2 on aggregate.
How did Southampton knock out Liverpool?
Southampton won both legs 1-0, at St Mary's through Nathan Redmond and at Anfield through Shane Long. They reached the final 2-0 on aggregate.
Why was the competition called the EFL Cup in 2016–17?
The Football League had rebranded as the English Football League, and the cup took the EFL name. Capital One had ended its sponsorship after four years, so the competition had no title sponsor that season.