How many times has Arsenal won the Carabao Cup? List of all Carabao Cup finals featuring the Gunners

The Carabao Cup (originally known as the League Cup or EFL Cup) was established in 1961, making it 65 years old. It is also the earliest domestic professional football competition to conclude in England, usually taking place in February or March. In the 2025/26 season, the final will be between Manchester City and Arsenal. In this article, soccerwayuk.com reviews how many times Arsenal has won the Carabao Cup and how many finals they have played in.

How many times has Arsenal won the Carabao Cup?

Before the 2025/26 final, Arsenal had won the Carabao Cup twice, in the 1986/87 and 1992/93 seasons. In the 1986/87 season, Arsenal defeated Liverpool 2-1 at the old Wembley Stadium to claim the trophy. Liverpool took the lead when Ian Rush scored in the 23rd minute. Just seven minutes later, Arsenal equalised through Charlie Nicholas after a scramble in the penalty area. In the 83rd minute, Nicholas scored again, with a shot that deflected off a Liverpool defender and into the net. This victory gave Arsenal their first Carabao Cup title and also marked George Graham’s first trophy as manager.

In the 1992/93 season, Arsenal reached the final against Sheffield Wednesday and won 2-1. The pattern was similar to the 1987 final, with Sheffield Wednesday scoring first before Arsenal came back to win. John Harkes opened the scoring, Paul Merson equalised for Arsenal, and Steve Morrow scored the winner. Just weeks later, Arsenal beat Sheffield Wednesday again in the FA Cup final, becoming the first club in English football history to win both domestic cups in the same season.

How many Carabao Cup finals has Arsenal played in?

Across the competition’s history, Arsenal have appeared in nine finals, winning two, losing six, with one final still to be played. Their first final came in the 1967/68 season, which was also the first League Cup final held at Wembley Stadium, watched by nearly 100,000 spectators. Arsenal faced Leeds United and lost 0-1, with Terry Cooper scoring the only goal. In the 20th minute, a corner fell to Cooper, who struck a volley to secure the title for Leeds.

One year later, Arsenal returned to the final, this time against Swindon Town from the Third Division. Arsenal were badly affected by illness, with eight players suffering from severe influenza. Swindon caused a major upset by winning 3-1. Roger Smart scored after a defensive error in the 35th minute. Arsenal pushed hard and equalised through Bobby Gould in the 86th minute, forcing extra time. Don Rogers then scored twice in the 104th and 119th minutes to win the trophy for Swindon Town.

The 1987/88 final produced another shock. As defending champions, Arsenal faced Luton Town. Luton took the lead in the 13th minute through Brian Stein. In the second half, Arsenal moved ahead 2-1 and looked set to retain the cup. However, Arsenal missed a penalty in the 80th minute, and Luton equalised two minutes later. In the final minute, Stein scored again to complete a dramatic 3-2 win. This remains the only major trophy in Luton Town’s history.

After the 1993 final, Arsenal waited almost 20 years before returning to the competition’s final in the 2006/07 season. They faced Chelsea, with Arsène Wenger selecting a very young team. Arsenal scored first through Theo Walcott in the 12th minute, but Chelsea equalised eight minutes later. Didier Drogba scored twice, including a header in the 84th minute, to secure a 2-1 win. The match was also remembered for several clashes, including John Terry’s collision with Abou Diaby and a later mass confrontation that led to red cards for Kolo Touré, John Obi Mikel and Emmanuel Adebayor.

Another painful defeat came against Birmingham City. Arsenal were favourites but fell behind to Nikola Žigić in the 28th minute before Robin van Persie equalised. The score stayed level until the 89th minute, when a mix-up between Wojciech Szczęsny and Laurent Koscielny allowed Birmingham to score the winner in a 2-1 victory. It was Birmingham’s first major trophy in 48 years, since the 1963 League Cup, although they were relegated from the Premier League at the end of the same season.

The 2017/18 final against Manchester City was one-sided. Goals from Sergio Agüero, Vincent Kompany and David Silva gave City a clear 3-0 win. It was Arsenal’s sixth League Cup final defeat and Pep Guardiola’s first trophy with Manchester City. It also proved to be Arsène Wenger’s last League Cup final before he left the club at the end of the season.

In 2026, Arsenal will face Manchester City again in the Carabao Cup final. With a stronger and more balanced squad, Arsenal will hope to change their history in the competition. The final will take place on March 22 at Wembley Stadium.

The above article from Soccerway UK has summarised Arsenal’s Carabao Cup history and how many times has Arsenal won the Carabao Cup. For more  results about football, please follow here.