About the Carling Cup
The Carling Cup is an English football competition and is played on a knockout basis. Unlike the FA Cup where 762 teams entered this year only 92 clubs can enter - the 20 clubs of the Premier League, and the 72 clubs of The Football League.
The ties are single matches, with extra time and a penalty shootout if necessary, with the winners progressing to the next round.
Premier League clubs not playing in the Champions League or Europa League join first round winners in the second round stage with remaining Premier League teams entering the competition in round three.
The semi-finals are played over two legs, home and away with aggregate score deciding the winners.
The final is played at Wembley where it returned in 2008 after seven years at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The winners qualify for the Europa League if they have not qualified for European competition in some other way. (If the winner qualifies for the Champions League, the Europa League spot is given to the team that finishes highest in the Premier League that has not already qualified for a European competition.)
Carling Cup betting usually revolves around the 'big four' clubs - Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool - as these sides have won in 5 of the last 6 years. This is why the Carling Cup betting odds of these four sides are short, despite most of them using the competition as as opportunity to field younger players in a bid to aid their development.
We have all the best Carling Cup odds and all of your Carling Cup betting needs catered for in our dedicated centre.
The League Cup has been named after its sponsors since 1981/82 season:
- Milk Cup (1981-86)
- Littlewoods Challenge Cup (1986–90)
- Rumbelows Cup (1990–92)
- Coca-Cola Cup (1992–98),
- Worthington Cup (1998–2003)
- Carling Cup (2003 to present)
