2007 Football League Cup final

April 2014 June 2020 2007 Football League Cup final 2007 Football League Cup Final programme.jpg The match programme cover 2006–07 Football League Cup Chelsea 2 Arsenal 1 25 February 2007 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Howard Webb (South Yorkshire) Didier Drogba (Chelsea) 70,073 Mostly cloudy8 °C °FHistory for Cardiff-Wales, United Kingdom http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/EGFF/2007/2/25/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA Weather Underground 22 March 2011 2006 2008 The 2007 Football League Cup final was a football match between Chelsea and Arsenal on 25 February 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final match of the 2006–07 staging of the Football League Cup, and last to be staged at the Millennium Stadium. Chelsea were making their fifth League Cup final appearance to Arsenal's sixth. Each club needed to get past four rounds to reach the final. Chelsea made comfortable progress; they scored 12 goals while conceding only one to Wycombe Wanderers in the semi-final. Arsenal fielded a relatively young team throughout the competition; their wins against fellow league opponents Liverpool in the fifth-round and Tottenham Hotspur in the semis were acclaimed by the British press. Chelsea entered the match as favourites and were undefeated against Arsenal in all competitions since 2004. Watched by a crowd of 70,073, Arsenal took the lead in the 12th minute when Theo Walcott scored. Chelsea equalised moments later through Didier Drogba, who also scored the match winner six minutes from the end of normal time. Midway through the second half, Chelsea captain John Terry was accidentally kicked in the face after attempting to score with a diving header; he played no further part in the match having sought medical attention. Stoppage time was extended because of the incident, at which point a fracas occurred between the Arsenal and Chelsea players. Kolo Touré and Emmanuel Adebayor were dismissed for their actions, together with Chelsea's Mikel John Obi. Play came to an end in the 102nd minute. Chelsea manager José Mourinho was delighted with his team's win and credited his opponent's performance. He felt the brawl in stoppage time was born out of Arsenal's frustration after going behind in the match; he did not want either team to be punished. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger apologised for his players' conduct and said he had no regrets over his team selection. Both finalists were fined £100,000 each by The Football Association for their inability to control their players. Emmanuel Eboué was retrospectively banned for three matches as his punch on Wayne Bridge was missed by Howard Webb. Wenger was later found guilty of improper conduct and charged £2,500 for his comments about the linesman. Route to the final 2006–07 Football League Cup The Football League Cup is a football competition open to the 92 teams in the Premier League and the Football League.About the Competition http://www.capitalonecup.co.uk/competition/about-the-competition/ Capital One Cup 10 July 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20140615155646/http://www.capitalonecup.co.uk/competition/about-the-competition/ 15 June 2014 Chelsea Round Opposition Score 3rd Blackburn Rovers (a) 2–0 4th Aston Villa (h) 4–0 5th Newcastle United (a) 1–0 Semi-final Wycombe Wanderers (a) 1–1 Wycombe Wanderers (h) 4–0 Key: (h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue. Chelsea entered the competition in the third round, as one of the eight teams from the Premier League involved in European competition during the season.Carling Cup first round draw made https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/5098588.stm BBC Sport 21 June 2006 5 July 2014 They were drawn against Blackburn Rovers; the match took place at Ewood Park. A goal apiece from Joe Cole and Salomon Kalou ensured a 2–0 victory.Blackburn 0–2 Chelsea https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6072594.stm BBC Sport 25 October 2006 5 July 2014 Chelsea's opponent in the fourth round were Aston Villa. The match was played at Stamford Bridge on 8 November 2006. Frank Lampard opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 32nd minute; further goals by Andriy Shevchenko, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba in the second half secured a 4–0 win.Chelsea 4–0 Aston Villa https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6116396.stm BBC Sport 8 November 2006 5 July 2014 Newcastle United hosted Chelsea at St James' Park in the fifth round of the competition. The home team came close to scoring after the midway point of the first half; Obafemi Martins's shot towards the Chelsea goal hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced down, before the ball was cleared. In the 79th minute, Drogba – on as a substitute – scored the winning goal of the match, from a free-kick.Chelsea underscore the fine line between success and failure again George Caulkin 84 The Times London 21 December 2006 Wycombe Wanderers were Chelsea's opponent in the semi-final which was played over two-legs. The first leg was staged at Wycombe's home ground, Adams Park. A match preview in The Guardian noted the financial gap between the two sides: "Wycombe's most expensive player, Jermaine Easter, cost £80,000; Chelsea's squad is valued at more than £300m."Wycombe won't dare to bare in cup upset https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jan/10/newsstory.wycombe Stuart James The Guardian London 10 January 2007 5 July 2014 In the game Wycombe started brightly, but the team were unable to convert their chances. Chelsea took the lead in the 36th minute when Wayne Bridge collected a pass from Kalou and chipped the ball over Ricardo Batista, the Wycombe goalkeeper. Easter equalised for Wycombe with 13 minutes of the match remaining; neither side scored again and the match ended 1–1.Wycombe 1–1 Chelsea https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6236711.stm Chris Bevan BBC Sport 10 January 2007 5 July 2014 The second leg at Stamford Bridge saw Chelsea start better of the two sides and two goals apiece from Shevchenko and Lampard meant they won 4–0 on the night, 5–1 on aggregate score to progress to the final.Shevchenko finds touch to set up all-London final https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jan/24/match.chelsea Simon Burnton The Guardian London 24 January 2007 5 July 2014 Arsenal Round Opposition Score 3rd West Bromwich Albion (a) 2–0 4th Everton (a) 1–0 5th Liverpool (a) 6–3 Semi-final Tottenham Hotspur (a) 2–2 Tottenham Hotspur (h) 3–1 Key: (h) = Home venue; (a) = Away venue. Arsenal entered the competition in the third round as they participated in European football during the season. They faced West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns, where striker Jérémie Aliadière scored twice to secure a 2–0 victory for the visitors.West Brom 0–2 Arsenal https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/6072672.stm BBC Sport 24 October 2006 5 July 2014 Arsenal travelled to Goodison Park in the fourth round of the competition to play Everton. They won the match 1–0 courtesy of a late Emmanuel Adebayor goal, which came from a corner. For much of the game Everton played with a man disadvantage as striker James McFadden was sent off in the 19th minute for dissent.Everton 0–1 Arsenal https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/6116408.stm BBC Sport 8 November 2006 5 July 2014 left|thumb|Closing stages of Arsenal's second leg match against Tottenham Hotspur at the Emirates Stadium. Liverpool were Arsenal's opponent in the fifth round. The match, scheduled on 19 December 2006 at Anfield, was postponed by referee Martin Atkinson because of heavy fog.Benitez & Wenger rue postponement https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6195047.stm BBC Sport 19 December 2006 5 July 2014 Atkinson's decision infuriated the managers of both clubs, with Rafael Benítez commenting: "There were a lot of people looking forward to the game and it's really difficult to explain."Chaos looms through Anfield fog https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/2352625/Chaos-looms-through-Anfield-fog.html Tim Rich The Daily Telegraph London 20 December 2006 5 July 2014 The tie was rescheduled for 9 January 2007 and on the night Arsenal took the lead when Aliadière scored in the 27th minute. Robbie Fowler equalised for Liverpool six minutes later. Later, two goals from Júlio Baptista and goal from Alex Song put Arsenal 4–1 ahead at half time. In the second half, Baptista completed his hat-trick; although Steven Gerrard and Sami Hyypiä scored to close the scoreline gap for Liverpool, Baptista added his fourth goal of the match in the 84th minute. The final score was 6–3, Liverpool's heaviest defeat at Anfield in 76 years.Baptista revels in Arsenal's extravaganza https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2305855/Baptista-revels-in-Arsenals-extravaganza.html Henry Winter The Daily Telegraph London 10 January 2007 5 July 2014 In his match report for The Guardian, Daniel Taylor praised Arsenal's reserve team and summarised: "The difference between the two teams was immense. Arsenal played with flair and purpose; Liverpool were dishevelled and short of leadership."Baptista grabs four as Liverpool hit for six https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jan/10/match.arsenal Daniel Taylor The Guardian London 10 January 2007 5 July 2014 Tottenham Hotspur faced Arsenal in the semi-final which was played over two-legs. The first leg was at Tottenham's home ground, White Hart Lane. A goal from Dimitar Berbatov gave Tottenham the lead in the 12th minute and they extended their advantage after Baptista inadvertently kicked the ball into his own goal. Baptista, however, made amends in the second half, scoring twice in the space of 13 minutes to level the score at 2–2.Baptista at the double spikes Spurs https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/jan/25/match.arsenal Kevin McCarra The Guardian London 25 January 2007 5 July 2014 The second leg at the Emirates Stadium saw Arsenal take the lead in the 77th minute when Adebayor scored. Mido equalised for Tottenham, which took the match into extra time because the away goals rule was not in use in the competition. Aliadière's goal in the 105th minute restored Arsenal's lead and an own goal scored by Pascal Chimbonda ensured the home team progressed to the final, winning 3–1 after extra time, and 5–3 on aggregate.Arsenal 3–1 Tottenham (agg 5–3) https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6305313.stm Sam Lyon BBC Sport 31 January 2007 5 July 2014 Build-up Chelsea, the match favourites,Carling Cup final clockwatch Saj Chowdhury https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6392761.stm BBC Sport 25 February 2007 25 February 2007 were appearing in their fifth League Cup final; they had previously won the competition three times in 1965, 1998 and 2005, and lost one final in 1972. By contrast Arsenal made their sixth League Cup final appearance; they had won two in 1987 and 1993 and lost three in 1968, 1969 and 1988.James Ross Football League Cup Finals https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engleagcuphist.html Rec. Sport. Soccer Statistics Foundation (RSSSF) 20 March 2014 6 July 2014 live https://web.archive.org/web/20160329230552/http://www.rsssf.com/tablese/engleagcuphist.html 29 March 2016 Both clubs had played each other in the League Cup four times, with Chelsea and Arsenal each winning on two occasions. Chelsea's biggest win against Arsenal in the competition was a 5–0 away win in November 1998.The Football League 6 Prior to the match Arsenal's last win against Chelsea in all competitions came in February 2004.Chelsea v Arsenal (Sun) https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6371613.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20070225093808/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/6371613.stm 25 February 2007 BBC Sport 23 February 2007 live 2 December 2014 The relationship between both clubs had become strained, not least because of Chelsea's financial advantage; the club was owned by billionaire Roman Abramovich. The day after Chelsea announced losses of £80 million for 2005–06, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger expressed concern over his opponent's conduct: "I have said many times that all the clubs should be balanced with their natural resources. That means they can only spend what they earn."Wenger says champions should not profit from losses https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/20/newsstory.sport6 David Ornstein The Guardian London 20 February 2007 6 July 2014 Chelsea manager José Mourinho refused to respond to Wenger's comments in his UEFA Champions League pre-match press conference, but made reference to his record in the competition in contrast to his counterpart: "Many great managers in the world have never won it. The big example is not far from us; Arsène Wenger is a top manager in the world. He's a big manager in the world of football and he never did it so when I did it once, I can thank God for that. I have that."Mourinho turns up heat with Wenger dig https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2308081/Mourinho-turns-up-heat-with-Wenger-dig.html John Ley The Daily Telegraph London 21 February 2007 6 July 2014 320px #FFFFF0 right "You have singers in England going on The X Factor where talents are discovered which nobody knew about. I like it because people are brave enough to come out and they want to achieve something in their life. They are ready to be committed to do it. They have a target. People who turn up and are ready to fight for something, like our young players are, I like. It's the X Factor Academy!" left Arsène Wenger, February 2007Wenger enters great debate https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2308170/Wenger-enters-great-debate.html John Ley The Daily Telegraph London 23 February 2007 2 March 2014 Wenger replied to Mourinho's comments by arguing that although plenty of managers have won the Champions League, most would not be considered greats – "What is important is that you look at their careers in 10, 15 or 20 years. What kind of quality have you brought through in your work and on how consistent a level have you done it?"Nothing special about Mourinho, says Wenger https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/23/newsstory.sport3 David Ornstein The Guardian London 23 February 2007 2 March 2014 Much was made of Arsenal's policy of using the League Cup to field youngsters. In order to explain his team selection, Wenger made an analogy between his youth players and hopefuls on The X Factor, a television programme he admired. He ruled out playing his more experienced players for the match: "We battled very hard to be in this final and it would be a reward for this team, which has risen up to every challenge." Mourinho did not anticipate Arsenal would make a "crazy change" to their team: "Normally, they change players but keep their philosophy, their idea of football, their system."Hot Gunners certain to be on fire – Jose http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Hot+Gunners+certain+to+be+on+fire+-+Jose.-a0159758337 Harry Noble Sunday Mercury Birmingham 25 February 2007 6 July 2014 He believed the final had the makings of a showpiece event as the competition was not a main target for both clubs; emotions therefore would not dictate matters.Mourinho: It could be a cup final classic http://www.espnfc.com/story/410352/mourinho-predicts-classic-carling-cup-final ESPN FC 23 February 2007 6 July 2014 Both clubs received an allocation of approximately 30,000 tickets. The competition sponsor Carling gave up its allocation; they instead invited 200 fans of Arsenal and Chelsea to be seated in their suite.Intoxicating mix hits the spot for clubs and sponsor Nick Szczepanik 91 The Times London 27 February 2007 Supporters of the four semi-final clubs were invited to participate in the "Carling Cabinet"; this gave them the opportunity to have their say about the matchday experience.The Football League 3 Ticket prices for adults were priced £36, £48, £64 and £74, with concessions for juniors and seniors.Carling Cup final tickets and travel http://forums.cfcnet.co.uk/topic/23150-carling-cup-final-ticket-details/ CFCnet 25 January 2007 2 December 2014 4 March 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064555/http://forums.cfcnet.co.uk/topic/23150-carling-cup-final-ticket-details/ dead For every ticket sold, the Football League gave £1 to Children in Need; the donation came at a total of £70,000.The Football League 3 Chelsea were expected to line up in a 4–4–2 formation, with Essien in central defence.The Football League 2 They had doubts about the fitness of captain John Terry going into the final. He appeared to have damaged his ankle ligaments during the first leg of Chelsea's Champions League tie with Porto, though passed a fitness test just days after.Terry back for Carling Cup final https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6384683.stm BBC Sport 24 February 2007 6 July 2014 Arsenal were expected to line up in a similar formation, with Baptista and Aliadière up front.The Football League 2 Train delays caused by a "major signal failure" meant that on the day of the final over 2,000 spectators were late for kick-off.Train problems hold up 2,000 fans https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6394985.stm BBC News 26 February 2007 26 February 2007 An accident on the M4 motorway trigged more chaos; this led to requests for the game to be delayed, but South Wales Police were confident they could get everyone seated in time. Network Rail later apologised for the delay.Apology for football fans' delays https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/6394985.stm BBC News 26 February 2007 26 February 2007 Match Chelsea set up in a 4–1–3–2 formation with Terry partnering Ricardo Carvalho in defence. Claude Makélélé played behind a midfield three made up of Lampard, Ballack and Essien. By contrast Arsenal lined up in a 4–4–2 formation; Abou Diaby and Theo Walcott were positioned either side of central midfielders Cesc Fàbregas and Denílson and provided width. Arsenal's starting line up – averaging 21 years – was the youngest to play in a major English cup final.Black and blue http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3A+BLACK+AND+BLUE%3B+CARLING+CUP+ARSENAL+1+CHELSEA+2+3+sent+off...-a0159774369 Colin Duncan Daily Record Glasgow 26 February 2007 9 July 2014Wenger able to stomach defeat after a display of prodigious promise https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/26/newsstory.sport Dominic Fifield The Guardian London 26 February 2007 8 July 2014 Before the match commenced, the national anthem was sung by Juliette Pochin. Summary thumb|Pre-match presentation Arsenal kicked off and started strongly, with Fàbregas dictating play in midfield. Baptista came close to scoring in the seventh minute, but for his shot to be blocked by Terry. Another shot of his three minutes later was saved by Petr Čech, who tipped the ball over the crossbar. This resulted in an Arsenal corner, which Drogba cleared.Minute-by-minute report https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/25/newsstory.sport Paul Doyle The Guardian 25 February 2014 6 July 2014 Walcott immediately collected the ball, passed it to Diaby before receiving it once more in the Chelsea penalty box. He sidefooted the ball past Čech and into the Chelsea goal to give Arsenal a 1–0 lead; it was his first goal for the club.Top Five: Theo Walcott moments https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/5295670/Top-Five-Theo-Walcott-moments.html Emily Benammar The Daily Telegraph London 8 May 2009 10 July 2014 Arsenal's tempo and the speed in which they passed the ball continued to cause Chelsea problems. Walcott in the 14th minute used his pace to get the better of defenders Bridge and Carvalho and crossed the ball to Baptista, who lost his footing. Chelsea created their first chance of the match after 18 minutes – a shot from Lampard which hit Kolo Touré. They fought back to equalise two minutes later. Ballack launched the ball to Drogba on the right-hand side of Arsenal's penalty area. Diverting his markers who attempted to set the offside trap, Drogba took the ball and shot it past Manuel Almunia's goal to score. The equaliser led to Chelsea asserting themselves in the match as the team began to build up possession. Denílson, at the midway point of the half, received the game's first yellow card for a foul on Essien; the Chelsea midfielder was later booked for a tackle on Baptista. Sticks of celery were thrown at Fàbregas before he took a corner close to stoppage time; targeting opponents with the vegetable was a Chelsea supporter's ritual going back more than two decades and originated from song.Chelsea fans captured on canvas https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6667839.stm John Sinnott BBC Sport 18 May 2007 10 July 2014 Chelsea made an attacking substitution before the start of the second half; Arjen Robben came on for Makélélé. He made an immediate impact, running past the Arsenal defence in the 48th minute, but his pass failed to reach Shevchenko. Soon after Carvalho was booked for a foul on Aliadière and conceded a free-kick at the edge of Chelsea's penalty box, though nothing came out of it. Both teams continued to fashion chances – a well worked move by Arsenal finished with Fàbregas's shooting low past Čech in goal, while Chelsea's Robben from 20 yards curled the ball wide. Lassana Diarra was shown a yellow card in the 52nd minute for his challenge on Diaby; the Arsenal midfielder managed to get past Ballack and Lampard before he was "deliberately bowled over" by his opponent. Robben earned Chelsea a corner moments after; from it, Terry attempted a diving header and Diaby, in an attempt to clear, ended up kicking the Chelsea captain, thus knocking him out. After receiving medical attention Terry was immediately stretchered off and taken to the hospital; he was replaced by Mikel John Obi and Essien was moved to centre back. thumb|left|Fracas between the Arsenal and Chelsea players The period immediately after Terry's substitution saw few clear-cut chances, with Walcott and Drogba barely testing their respective keepers. Arsenal made two substitutions in a three-minute spell – Armand Traoré for Emmanuel Eboué and Alexander Hleb replacing the injured Diaby. In the 74th minute a shot by Lampard from 25 yards hit Almunia's crossbar. Arsenal responded with a flowing move from left to right, which resulted in a corner. Chelsea cleared and countered, forcing Almunia to save. Arsenal made their final substitution in the 80th minute, replacing Aliadière with Adebayor. With six minutes remaining of the 90, Chelsea scored the winning goal of the match. Arsenal gave away possession to Essien in midfield, who passed the ball to Robben wide on the left. He crossed the ball into the Arsenal penalty area, which reached the head of Drogba; the striker headed it in past Almunia. Shevchenko came close to scoring Chelsea's third goal of the match, but his effort hit the crossbar. Seven minutes of stoppage time were added to the match due to Terry's injury. A tussle between Touré and Mikel over shirt pulling resulted in a fracas between both sets of players. Both managers came onto the pitch in order to calm matters. Referee Howard Webb decided to send off Touré and Mikel for violent conduct and consulted with an assistant referee, before sending off Adebayor, who was alleged to have struck Bridge.Wenger: Adebayor is innocent http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/2406825/wenger-adebayor-is-innocent Sky Sports Phil Jackson 3 March 2007 10 July 2014 Adebayor was irate and needed to be escorted off the field by Arsenal officials. The match restarted, by which point Kalou came on for Shevchenko. No further goals were scored and the full-time whistle eventually blew in the 102nd minute of play.All the action blow by blow Bill Edgar 84 The Times London 26 February 2007 Terry who was admitted to hospital later discharged himself and returned to the stadium to celebrate with his teammates.Terry recovers after head injury https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/chelsea/6395301.stm BBC Sport 25 February 2007 25 February 2007 Details 25 February 2007 15:00 GMT Chelsea 2–1 Arsenal Report Drogba 20 84 Walcott 12 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff 70,073 Howard Webb (South Yorkshire) _chelsea0608h _chelsea0608h _chelsea0608h _chelsea0608h _3_stripes_white 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF 0000FF Chelsea _arsenal0608h _arsenal0608h _arsenal0608h _redtop FFFFFF FF0000 FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF Arsenal GK 1 CZE Petr ČechRB 19FRA 1974 Lassana Diarra 52CB 26ENG John Terry (c) 63CB 6 POR Ricardo Carvalho 49LB 18ENG Wayne BridgeDM 4 FRA 1974 Claude Makélélé 45CM 8 ENG Frank Lampard 90+6CM 13GER Michael BallackCM 5 GHA Michael Essien 36CF 7 UKR Andriy Shevchenko 90+9CF 11CIV Didier DrogbaSubstitutes:GK 40POR HilárioDF 3 ENG Ashley ColeMF 12NGA Mikel John Obi 0 90+6 63MF 16NED Arjen Robben 45FW 21CIV Salomon Kalou 90+9Manager:POR José Mourinho300pxGK 24ESP Manuel AlmuniaRB 31ENG Justin HoyteCB 5 CIV Kolo Touré (c) 0 90+6CB 6 SUI Philippe SenderosLB 45FRA 1974 Armand Traoré 66RM 32ENG Theo WalcottCM 4 ESP Cesc Fàbregas 90+6CM 15BRA Denílson 29LM 2 FRA 1974 Abou Diaby 68CF 30FRA 1974 Jérémie Aliadière 80CF 9 BRA Júlio BaptistaSubstitutes:GK 21EST Mart PoomDF 20SUI Johan DjourouDF 27CIV Emmanuel Eboué 88 66MF 13BLR 1995 Alexander Hleb 68FW 25TOG Emmanuel Adebayor  0 90+6 80Manager:FRA 1974 Arsène Wenger Match officialsThe Football League 6 Assistant referees: Darren Cann Dave Babski Fourth official: Lee Probert (Wiltshire) Man of the match Didier Drogba (Chelsea)Alan Hardaker Trophy Winners http://www.capitalonecup.co.uk/competition/the-alan-hardaker-award/ The Football League 9 August 2012 2 December 2014 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150319075350/http://www.capitalonecup.co.uk/competition/the-alan-hardaker-award/ 19 March 2015Match rulesCarling Cup rules 2006–07 http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/a6/91/0,,10794~37286,00.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140715002157/http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/a6/91/0%2C%2C10794~37286%2C00.pdf The Football League 15 July 2014 6 July 2014 dead 90 minutes. 30 minutes of extra-time if necessary. Penalty shootout if scores still level. Five named substitutes. Maximum of three substitutions. Statistics StatisticBeauty and the Beasts http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Football%3a+BEAUTY+AND+THE+BEASTS%3b+CARLING+CUP+FINAL%2c+2007+CHELSEA+2...-a0159773702 Martin Lipton Daily Mirror London 26 February 2007 6 July 2014 Chelsea ArsenalGoals scored 2 1Possession 49% 51%Shots on target 3 6Shots off target 6 4Corner kicks 2 6Offsides 9 1Yellow cards 4 3Red cards 1 2 Post-match and aftermath thumb|The Chelsea players celebrating their victory Chelsea's victory meant they won the trophy for the sixth time. Mourinho was delighted to have won the League Cup and felt his team deserved to win on balance of play. He credited his opponents, with a sly dig: "A special word for them – they played very good. They have a great coach, great players – but football is about winning and the cup goes to us."Mourinho praises Arsenal youngsters http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/soccer/mourinho-praises-arsenal-youngsters-299612.html BreakingNews.ie 25 February 2007 9 July 2014 He was disappointed by the fracas and pointed out it was born out of Arsenal's frustration, though stressed "We cannot kill a player because something happened."Mourinho and Wenger join the fray in final of three red cards https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/26/newsstory.carlingcup0607 Matt Scott The Guardian London 26 February 2007 8 July 2014 Mourinho took time out to praise Arsenal's medical staff for attending to Terry after his concussion and absolved Diaby from any fault.Chelsea's past scares made Mourinho fear for Terry https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/26/newsstory.sport1 Matt Scott The Guardian London 26 February 2007 8 July 2014 Lampard described his teammate Drogba as “...special, he's the best in the world at the moment. He does it week in, week out and on the big occasions." He argued the brawl near the end of the match highlighted how much the players from both sides wanted to win.Cup final brawl upsets Mourinho https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6394515.stm BBC Sport 25 February 2007 9 July 2014 Defender Ashley Cole, who left Arsenal in acrimonious terms to join Chelsea felt his decision to move was vindicated: "I'm enjoying life, the manager's good and after six or seven months here I've already won a medal. That's why I came here."Cole: I feel a part of it now http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11668/2407074/cole-i-feel-a-part-of-it-now Sky Sports Carla Hilton 3 March 2007 9 July 2014 Wenger apologised for his team's behaviour: "I feel we should not have reacted at all. Overall we are sorry for what happened. When you do not behave like you want to, then you have to apologise."Wenger says sorry for Arsenal's part in cup final brawl https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/28/newsstory.sport1 Marc Isaacs The Guardian London 28 February 2007 8 July 2014 He had no regrets over his team selection and suggested it was part of the player's learning process. Wenger said of Walcott: "...he had a very good performance and scored a great goal. That is good for us and good news for England."Wenger impressed with Walcott http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/11670/2406492/wenger-impressed-with-walcott Sky Sports Alex Livie 26 February 2007 9 July 2014 Gilberto Silva described Arsenal's defeat as a "sad memory" and wanted to use the loss to motivate the team for their coming matches. The day after the final Arsenal and Chelsea submitted claims for wrongful dismissal of Adebayor and Mikel, respectively, to The Football Association (FA).Wrongful dismissal claims http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/02/Claims26Feb.htm https://archive.today/20080621190841/http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/02/Claims26Feb.htm dead 21 June 2008 The Football Association 27 February 2007 9 July 2014 The FA denied both appeals and clarified their penalties.Claims rejected http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/02/AdebayorMikelrejected.htm https://archive.today/20080514004038/http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/02/AdebayorMikelrejected.htm dead 14 May 2008 The Football Association 27 February 2007 9 July 2014 Eboué was charged with violent conduct for striking Bridge, whereas Adebayor was charged for his behaviour after being sent off.FA Statement http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/02/StatementCarlingCupFinal.htm https://archive.today/20080514004043/http://www.thefa.com/TheFA/Disciplinary/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/02/StatementCarlingCupFinal.htm dead 14 May 2008 The Football Association 27 February 2007 9 July 2014 Both players were suspended for three matches – one less than Mikel.FA rejects player appeals as Chelsea and Arsenal brace themselves https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/28/newsstory.arsenal Matt Scott The Guardian London 26 February 2007 9 July 2014 Arsenal and Chelsea were charged with misconduct concerning their inability to control their players and were fined £100,000 each.Arsenal & Chelsea fined £100,000 https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6500213.stm BBC Sport 27 March 2007 9 July 2014 Wenger criticised the FA's treatment of his players and accused the linesman of lying in his account of Adebayor's actions. This led to an investigation where Wenger was found guilty; he was later fined £2,500 and censured by the FA.Wenger fined and censured by FA https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/6620609.stm BBC Sport 3 May 2007 9 July 2014 320px #FFFFF0 left "Since I arrived, they have won nothing. Since we are at Chelsea, they lost Premierships, they lost the Charity Shield to us, they lost the Carling Cup to us. I don't think they are winning a lot. Absolutely brilliant young boys, manager top, team with a great future. But they didn't win." left José Mourinho on Arsenal, February 2007Mourinho hits out at Ronaldo and 'lucky United' https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2308379/Mourinho-hits-out-at-Ronaldo-and-lucky-United.html John Ley The Daily Telegraph London 27 February 2007 2 March 2014 Journalists reviewing the match praised Arsenal's young team; some however went as far to criticise their conduct in the brawl. Henry Winter wrote in The Daily Telegraph of 26 February 2007 "...all feline grace and youthful ambition, [Arsenal] were the better team, moving the ball around exquisitely at times,"Chelsea take control amid the carnage https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/2308299/Chelsea-take-control-amid-the-carnage.html Henry Winter The Daily Telegraph London 26 February 2007 8 July 2014 while Glenn Moore of The Independent reflected "the Arsenal manager can take great consolation from the quality of his young footballers."Walcott dash of brilliance eclipsed as Drogba makes experience tell http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10747306.html https://web.archive.org/web/20140714221706/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-10747306.html usurped 14 July 2014 Glenn Moore The Independent London 26 February 2007 HighBeam Research subscription 8 July 2014 The Guardian correspondent Kevin McCarra opened his match report with the line "To Chelsea the trophy, to Arsenal the future," and felt the latter club deserved plaudits for the role they played in the final, and competition as a whole. He commended Chelsea's adversity and singled out Carvalho as an example; at fault for Arsenal's goal, the defender's performance thereafter was faultless.Chelsea snatch the cup that boils over https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/26/match.arsenal Kevin McCarra The Guardian London 26 February 2007 8 July 2014 Matt Dickinson of The Times agreed that Arsenal had played the better football, but said their temperament was "brittle" – "[They] had lost the trophy before they lost their heads."Tempers snap in the Snarling Cup Matt Dickinson S2 The Times London 26 February 2007 Football pundit Alan Hansen was scathing of Arsenal's behaviour and suggested their inexperience had a part to play: "When they reflect upon it, Arsenal will admit that they were largely in the wrong."No excuse for losing the game and the plot https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/columnists/alanhansen/2308316/No-excuse-for-losing-the-game-and-the-plot.html Alan Hansen The Daily Telegraph London 26 February 2007 8 July 2014 He was critical of Wenger's team selection and felt the big clubs saw the competition, much like the FA Cup as an irrelevance. The violence and sendings off on the pitch led to some media outlets dubbing the match as the "Snarling Cup final",https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/from-kanus-cracker-to-the-snarling-cup--the-top-five-arsenal-v-chelsea-matches-9016060.html?action=gallery&ino=1 From Kanu's cracker to the 'Snarling Cup' – the top five Arsenal v Chelsea matches London Evening Standard 8 July 2014 or in the case of Winter's match report the "Carnage Cup final". This was the seventh and last League Cup final to be played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, before the opening of the new Wembley Stadium, the final's traditional venue.Stadium History http://www.millenniumstadium.com/history/ Millennium Stadium 8 July 2014 https://web.archive.org/web/20150531021502/http://www.millenniumstadium.com/history/ 31 May 2015 dead The match was broadcast live in the United Kingdom on Sky Sports 1; the channel's coverage averaged at 2.7 million viewers, with a peak audience of 3.2 million (24.88%) at 5pm. At the time it was the biggest multichannel audience of 2007, overtaking a football match between Arsenal and Manchester United in January.Carling Cup grabs convincing win for Sky Sports http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/carling-cup-grabs-convincing-win-for-sky-sports/119680.article Broadcast Jon Rogers London 26 February 2007 9 July 2014 Chelsea's first match after the final was against Portsmouth in the Premier League. A 2–0 win ensured they remained in contention for the league, though by May finished in second place.Drogba maintains Chelsea's chase https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/mar/04/match.sport The Guardian London Amy Lawrence 4 March 2007 9 July 2014https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6603119.stm How the title was won BBC Sport Paul Fletcher 6 May 2007 9 July 2014 Chelsea did however beat Manchester United to win the 2007 FA Cup final and complete a cup double.Chelsea 1–0 Man Utd https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/6649815.stm Andrew McKenzie BBC Sport 3 May 2007 9 July 2014 Arsenal played Blackburn Rovers a few days after the final in an FA Cup replay. They lost the match 1–0; it was Arsenal's third defeat in all competitions which represented their worst run of form in five years.McCarthy's late strike breaks Arsenal's hearts https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/mar/01/match.newsstory The Guardian London Daniel Taylor 1 March 2007 9 July 2014 See also Arsenal F.C.–Chelsea F.C. rivalry References Source http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/2/f4/0,,10794~62466,00.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20140715002159/http://www.football-league.co.uk/staticFiles/2/f4/0%2C%2C10794~62466%2C00.pdf Carling Cup Final Showdown League Leader 14 The Football League 23 February 2007 15 July 2014 6 July 2014 The Football League dead Specific Further reading Mourinho takes swipe at Gunners https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/league_cup/6388905.stm BBC Sport 23 February 2007 6 July 2014 The youth cup final https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/feb/25/carlingcup0607 Amy Lawrence The Observer London 25 February 2007 6 July 2014 Chelsea 2–1 Arsenal https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/league_cup/6371613.stm BBC Sport 25 February 2007 25 February 2007 Category:2006–07 in English men's football cups Category:EFL Cup seasons League Cup final 2007 League Cup final 2007 League Cup final Category:EFL Cup finals Category:2000s in Cardiff Category:Association football brawls Category:Articles containing video clips Football League Cup final Category:Football finals in Wales Category:Football competitions in Cardiff