2008–09 Football League Cup

The draw for the first round took place on 13 June 2008, with matches being played two months later in the week beginning 11 August 2008.{{cite news|title=2008/09 CARLING CUP ROUND ONE DRAW |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/CarlingCupDetail/0,,10794~1322373,00.html |publisher=The Football League |date=13 June 2008 |access-date=13 June 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080607094358/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/CarlingCupDetail/0%2C%2C10794~1322373%2C00.html |archive-date=7 June 2008 |url-status=dead }}

The 72 Football League clubs competed from the first round, which was divided into North and South sections. Each section was divided equally into a pot of seeded clubs and a pot of unseeded clubs. Clubs' rankings depend upon their finishing position in the 2007–08 season.

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Twelve Premier League teams – including the eleven that were not involved in European competitions – entered at this stage, along with the winners from the first round. The draw for the second round took place on 13 August 2008, and the matches were played in the week beginning 25 August 2008,{{cite news |title=Draw for Carling Cup second round |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7559777.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 August 2008 |access-date=13 August 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080828221339/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7559777.stm| archive-date= 28 August 2008 | url-status= live}} with the exception of Manchester City's game against Brighton & Hove Albion, which was played on 24 September.{{cite news |title=Man City ease fixture congestion |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/7548175.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=7 August 2008 |access-date=13 August 2008 }}

¹ Score after 90 minutes

Eight teams involved in European competition entered at this stage along with the winners from the second round. Since nine English teams qualified for European competition in 2008, it was initially unclear precisely which eight teams would automatically enter the third round. Either Aston Villa, who had entered into European competition via the UEFA Intertoto Cup, or Manchester City, who qualified for the UEFA Cup via the UEFA Fair Play ranking would enter in the third round with the other entering in the second round instead. On 29 July 2008, it was announced that Aston Villa would enter the 2008–09 Carling Cup at the third round stage after reaching the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup.{{cite news|title=Carling Cup Draw |url=http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10265~1353234,00.html |publisher=AVFC |date=29 July 2008 |access-date=29 July 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080904100036/http://www.avfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10265~1353234%2C00.html |archive-date=4 September 2008 |url-status=dead }}

The draw for the third round was held on 30 August 2008,{{cite news|title=Carling Cup 3rd Round Draw |url=http://www.ntfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10425~1375123,00.html |publisher=ntfc.co.uk |date=26 August 2008 |access-date=26 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080901205859/http://www.ntfc.premiumtv.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0%2C%2C10425~1375123%2C00.html |archive-date=1 September 2008 |url-status=dead }} and the matches were played on Tuesday, 23 September and Wednesday, 24 September 2008, with the exception of the match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Derby County, which was played on 4 November.

¹ Score after 90 minutes

The fourth round draw took place on Saturday, 27 September,{{cite news |title=Tottenham face Liverpool in cup |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7638456.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 September 2008 |access-date=27 September 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080929060318/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7638456.stm| archive-date=29 September 2008| url-status= live}} and the matches were played in the week commencing 10 November 2008.

¹ Score after 90 minutes

The fifth round draw took place on Saturday, 15 November{{cite news |title=Burnley will face Arsenal in cup |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7729149.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 November 2008 |access-date=15 November 2008 }} and the matches were played week in the commencing 1 December 2008.

{{football box

|date=2 December 2008

|time=19:45

|team1=Burnley

|score=2–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7749865.stm Report]

|team2=Arsenal

|goals1=McDonald {{goal|6||57}}

|goals2=

|stadium=Turf Moor, Burnley

|attendance=19,405

|referee=Andre Marriner (Birmingham) }}

{{football box

|date=2 December 2008

|time=19:45

|team1=Stoke City

|score=0–1

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7749877.stm Report]

|team2=Derby County

|goals1=

|goals2=Ellington {{goal|90+4|pen.}}

|stadium=Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent

|attendance=22,034

|referee=Rob Styles (Hampshire) }}

{{football box

|date=3 December 2008

|time=19:45

|team1=Watford

|score=1–2

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7749885.stm Report]

|team2=Tottenham Hotspur

|goals1=Priskin {{goal|13}}

|goals2=Pavlyuchenko {{goal|45+2|pen.}}
Bent {{goal|76}}

|stadium=Vicarage Road, Watford

|attendance=16,501

|referee=Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) }}

{{football box

|date=3 December 2008

|time=20:00

|team1=Manchester United

|score=5–3

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7749882.stm Report]

|team2=Blackburn Rovers

|goals1=Tevez {{goal|35||50|pen.|54||90+4}}
Nani {{goal|40}}

|goals2=McCarthy {{goal|48||90+2}}
Derbyshire {{goal|84}}

|stadium=Old Trafford, Manchester

|attendance=53,997

|referee=Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) }}

The semi-final draw took place on Saturday, 6 December 2008.{{cite news |title=Burnley face holders Spurs in cup |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7769023.stm |publisher=BBC Sport |date=6 December 2008 |access-date=6 December 2008 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20081207140936/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7769023.stm| archive-date= 7 December 2008 | url-status= live}} The first leg matches were played on Tuesday, 6 January 2009 and Wednesday, 7 January 2009, while the second legs were played on Tuesday, 20 January 2009 and Wednesday, 21 January 2009.

{{football box

|date=6 January 2009

|time=20:00

|team1=Tottenham Hotspur

|score=4–1

|report=[http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7808011.stm Report]

|team2=Burnley

|goals1=Dawson {{goal|46}}
O'Hara {{goal|52}}
Pavlyuchenko {{goal|65}}
Duff {{goal|68|o.g.}}

|goals2=Paterson {{goal|15}}

|stadium=White Hart Lane, London

|attendance=31,377

|referee=Martin Atkinson (West Yorkshire) }}

{{football box

|date=7 January 2009

|time=19:45

|team1=Derby County

|score=1–0

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/7808017.stm Report]

|team2=Manchester United

|goals1=Commons {{goal|30}}

|goals2=

|stadium=Pride Park, Derby

|attendance=30,194

|referee=Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) }}

{{football box

|date=20 January 2009

|time=20:00

|team1=Manchester United

|score=4–2

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/7824155.stm Report]

|team2=Derby County

|goals1=Nani {{goal|16}}
O'Shea {{goal|22}}
Tevez {{goal|34}}
Ronaldo {{goal|87|pen.}}

|goals2=Barnes {{goal|79|pen.|90+1}}

|stadium=Old Trafford, Manchester

|attendance=73,374

|referee=Mike Dean (Cheshire) }}

Manchester United won 4–3 on aggregate.

{{football box

|date=21 January 2009

|time=19:45

|team1=Burnley

|score=3–2

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7824257.stm Report]

|team2=Tottenham Hotspur

|goals1=Blake {{goal|33}}
McCann {{goal|73}}
Rodriguez {{goal|88}}

|goals2=Pavlyuchenko {{goal|118}}
Defoe {{goal|120}}

|stadium=Turf Moor, Burnley

|attendance=19,533

|referee=Mark Halsey (Lancashire) }}

Tottenham Hotspur won 6–4 on aggregate.

{{main|2009 Football League Cup final}}

The final was played at Wembley Stadium, London, on Sunday, 1 March 2009.

{{football box

|date=1 March 2009

|time=15:00 GMT

|team1=Manchester United

|score=0–0

|aet=yes

|report=[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/7905889.stm Report]

|team2=Tottenham Hotspur

|goals1=

|goals2=

|stadium=Wembley Stadium, London

|attendance=88,217

|referee=Chris Foy (Merseyside){{cite news|title=Officials named for Carling Cup Final |url=http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/News/CarlingCupNews/0,,10794~1534088,00.html |work=football-league.co.uk |publisher=The Football League |date=26 January 2009 |access-date=30 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090131081142/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/News/CarlingCupNews/0%2C%2C10794~1534088%2C00.html |archive-date=31 January 2009 |url-status=dead }}

|penalties1=Giggs {{pengoal}}
Tevez {{pengoal}}
Ronaldo {{pengoal}}
Anderson {{pengoal}}

|penaltyscore=4–1

|penalties2={{penmiss}} O'Hara
{{pengoal}} Ćorluka
{{penmiss}} Bentley

}}

The top scorers in the 2008–09 Football League Cup are as follows:{{cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/topscorers?league=eng.worthington&&cc=5739 |title=English Carling Cup – Top Scorers – 2008 |access-date=1 March 2009 |publisher=ESPN |archive-date=4 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104065412/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/scorers/_/league/ENG.WORTHINGTON/capital-one-cup |url-status=dead }}

{{reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080703165157/http://www.carlingcup.co.uk/ Official Carling Cup website]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090831080823/http://www.football-league.co.uk/page/CarlingCup/0,,10794,00.html Carling Cup News] at football-league.co.uk
• [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/default.stm Carling Cup] at bbc.co.uk

{{League Cup Seasons}}

{{2008-09 in English football}}

{{2008-09 in European Football (UEFA)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:2008-09 Football League Cup}}

Category:EFL Cup seasons

League Cup

Cup