League Cup Finals - Arsenal 0-0 Manchester City, Chelsea 0-0 Manchester City

The last weekend in February means only one thing - English League Cup Finals! 
Arsenal Women faced off against Manchester City Women at Bramall Lane on Saturday, and Chelsea played Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.

Arsenal 0-0 (0-0 AET) 2-4p Manchester City
After a goalless 120 minutes, Janine Beckie scored the decisive penalty to win City the Women's League Cup for a third time.
Karen Bardsley had made two saves in the shootout, from Leah Williamson and Danielle van de Donk.
This gave Beckie the score-to-win opportunity, after City's Lauren Hemp had seen her spot-kick palmed away.

Photo from BBC Sport

In the second half of the 90 minutes, Nikita Parris and Beckie hit the crossbar, while at the end of a quiet first half, Steph Houghton was denied by a good Sari van Veenendaal save.
In last year's final the Gunners won 1-0, and though this year the result was reversed, we see the continued domination by these two clubs in the competition's eight year history.
5-time winners Arsenal were not at their best, due to absences from a number of key players due to injury in front of the 2,424 spectators in Sheffield.
Netherlands international Vivianne Miedema was only well enough for the bench, having been suffering from fatigue.
Arsenal missed their top scorer's physical presence and hold up early on, but Joe Montemurro's side threatened more in the second period after her introduction.
It was always going to be tough for Arsenal as their opponents have not lost a domestic game since May, which was in the League to Arsenal.
City repeatedly went close in the second half, and in truth the London club were fortunate to take the tie past 90 minutes.
City's impressive run now stretches to 28 league and cup games without loss, and Nick Cushing's squad can still complete a domestic treble if they progress in the Women's FA Cup and remain top of the Women's Super League.
In the league, Arsenal are two points behind City but the Gunners have two games in hand.

RESULTS
Quarter-Finals
Manchester United (G2N Winner) 2-0 West Ham (G2S Runner-up)
Arsenal (G2S Winner) 2-1 Birmingham City (G1N Runner-up)
Chelsea (G1S Winner) 4-0 Reading (G2N Runner-up)
Manchester City (G1N Winner) 7-1 Brighton & Hove Albion (G1S Runner-up)

Semi-Finals
Chelsea 0-2 Manchester City
Arsenal 2-1 Manchester United

Final
Arsenal 0-0 (0-0 AET) 2-4p Manchester City

Chelsea 0-0 (0-0 AET) 3-4p Manchester City
Another goalless 120 minutes later, it was another Manchester City win.
This is the first time that Manchester City have ever retained a trophy.
In a rather exciting match (for a 0-0) the biggest talking point will be Kepa Arrizabalaga refusing to be substituted after his number had been shown on the fourth official's board.
City's attempted quadruple is a quarter complete, despite the unconvincing nature of the final.

Photo from BBC Sport

Chelsea's club record signing Kepa had suffered from at least two incidents of cramp towards the end of extra time, and with a shootout imminent, Maurizio Sarri decided to use his last substitution to bring on Willy Caballero: a Manchester City hero in the final of 2016 after saving three penalties against Liverpool.
In an almost unprecedented challenge to Sarri's authority, Arrizabalaga refused to come off and Sarri backed down in a rage, storming down the tunnel and turning back before entering the building.
His misery was compiled as his side went on to lose the shootout, with Raheem Sterling firing high into the left side for the winner.
Ilkay Gundogan, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva also scored from the spot for City, Kepa got a hand to the Argentine's kick low to his left but couldn't stop it from hitting the back of the net.
The Spaniard's save of Leroy Sane's kick was immediately cancelled out when David Luiz fired his off the right upright.
Jorginho's penalty run up came under scrutiny as his shot lacked power and placement, making it easy for Ederson to save the first spot kick of the shootout.
His style is to take an exaggerated last step, presumably in an attempt to make the keeper move before the ball's been kicked, but Ederson stood firm and made a good save.
Cesar Azplicueta, Emerson and Eden Hazard converted their kicks, the latter scoring to stay in the shoot out to make it 3-3, chipping over Ederson's head with a classy and confident finish given the context.

RESULTS
Tier in brackets

First round
Blackpool (3) 3-1 Barnsley (3)
Carlisle United (4) 1-5 Blackburn Rovers (2)
Crewe Alexandra (4) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 3-4p Fleetwood Town (3)
Grimsby Town (4) 0-2 Rochdale (3)
Leeds United (2) 2-1 Bolton Wanderers (2)
Macclesfield Town (4) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 4-2p Bradford City (3)
Mansfield Town (4) 6-1 Accrington Stanley (3)
Middlesbrough (2) 3-3 (3-3 AET) 4-3p Notts County (4)
Nottingham Forest (2) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 10-9p Bury (4)
Oldham Athletic (4) 0-2 Derby County (2)
Port Vale (4) 0-4 Lincoln City (4)
Preston North End (2) 3-1 Morecambe (4)
Rotherham United (2) 3-1 Wigan Athletic (2)
Scunthorpe United (3) 1-2 Doncaster Rovers (3)
Sheffield United (2) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 4-5p Hull City (2)
Shrewsbury Town (3) 1-2 Burton Albion (3)
Tranmere Rovers (4) 1-3 Walsall (3)
Bristol City (2) 0-1 Plymouth Argyle (3)
Bristol Rovers (3) 2-1 Crawley Town (4)
Cambridge United (4) 1-4 Newport County (4)
Cheltenham Town (4) 2-2 (2-2 AET) 6-5p Colchester United (4)
Exeter City (4) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 4-2p Ipswich Town (2)
Millwall (2) 0-0 (0-0 AET) 3-1p Gillingham (3)
Milton Keynes Dons (4) 3-0 Charlton Athletic (3)
Norwich City (2) 3-1 Stevenage (4)
Oxford United (3) 2-0 Coventry City (3)
Portsmouth (3) 1-2 AFC Wimbledon (3)
Queens Park Rangers (2) 2-0 Peterborough United (3)
Reading (2) 2-0 Birmingham City (2)
Southend United (3) 2-4 Brentford (2)
Swindon Town (4) 0-1 Forest Green Rovers (4)
West Bromwich Albion (2) 1-0 Luton Town (3)
Wycombe Wanderers (3) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 7-6p Northampton Town (4)
Yeovil Town (4) 0-1 Aston Villa (2)
Sunderland (3) 0-2 Sheffield Wednesday (2)

Second round
Leicester City (1) 4-0 Fleetwood Town (3)
Leeds United (2) 0-2 Preston North End (2)
Sheffield Wednesday (2) 0-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers (1)
Doncaster Rovers (3) 1-2 Blackpool (3)
Burton Albion (3) 1-0 Aston Villa (2)
Hull City (2) 0-4 Derby County (2)
Middlesbrough (2) 2-1 Rochdale (3)
Blackburn Rovers (2) 4-1 Lincoln City (4)
West Bromwich Albion (2) 2-1 Mansfield Town (4)
Walsall (3) 3-3 (3-3 AET) 1-3p Macclesfield Town (4)

Stoke City (2) 2-0 Huddersfield Town (1)
Brighton & Hove Albion (1) 0-1 Southampton (1)
Queens Park Rangers (2) 3-1 Bristol Rovers (3)
AFC Wimbledon (3) 1-3 West Ham United (1)
Fulham (1) 2-0 Exeter City (4)
Wycombe Wanderers (3) 2-2 (2-2 AET) 4-3p Forest Green Rovers (4)
Cardiff City (1) 1-3 Norwich City (2)
Brentford (2) 1-0 Cheltenham Town (4)
Swansea City (2) 0-1 Crystal Palace (1)
Newport County (4) 0-3 Oxford United (3)
Bournemouth (1) 3-0 Milton Keynes Dons (4)
Reading (2) 0-2 Watford (1)
Everton (1) 3-1 Rotherham United (2)
Millwall (2) 3-2 Plymouth Argyle (3)
Nottingham Forest (2) 3-1 Newcastle United (1)


Third round
West Bromwich Albion (2) 0-3 Crystal Palace (1)
Burton Albion (3) 2-1 Burnley (1)
Wycombe Wanderers (3) 3-4 Norwich City (2)
Oxford United (3) 0-3 Manchester City (1)
Millwall (2) 1-3 Fulham (1)
Bournemouth (1) 3-2 Blackburn Rovers (2)
Preston North End (2) 2-2 (2-2 AET) 3-4p Middlesbrough (2)
Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) 0-0 (0-0 AET) 1-3p Leicester City (1)
Blackpool (3) 2-0 Queens Park Rangers (2)
Manchester United (1) 2-2 (2-2 AET) 7-8p Derby County (2)
Nottingham Forest (2) 3-2 Stoke City (2)
Arsenal (1) 3-1 Brentford (2)
Liverpool (1) 1-2 Chelsea (1)
Tottenham Hotspur (1) 2-2 (2-2 AET) 4-2p Watford (1)
West Ham United (1) 8-0 Macclesfield Town (4)
Everton (1) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 3-4p Southampton (1)

Fourth round
Bournemouth (1) 2-1 Norwich City (2)
Burton Albion (3) 3-2 Nottingham Forest (2)
Arsenal (1) 2-1 Blackpool (3)
Chelsea (1) 3-2 Derby County (2)
West Ham United (1) 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur (1)
Middlesbrough (2) 1-0 Crystal Palace (1)
Manchester City (1) 2-0 Fulham (1)
Leicester City (1) 0-0 (0-0 AET) 6-5p Southampton (1)

Quarter-Finals
Leicester City (1) 1-1 (1-1 AET) 1-3p Manchester City (1)
Middlesbrough (2) 0-1 Burton Albion (3)
Arsenal (1) 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (1)
Chelsea (1) 1-0 Bournemouth (1)

Semi-Finals
First legs
Tottenham Hotspur (1) 1-0 Chelsea (1)
Manchester City (1) 9-0 Burton Albion (3)

Second legs
Burton Albion (3) 0-1 (0-10 agg) Manchester City (1)
Chelsea (1) 2-1 (2-2 agg) 4-2p Tottenham Hotspur (1)

Final
Chelsea (1) 0-0 (0-0 AET) 3-4p Manchester City (1)

Tournament Stats
Most Goals
Player, Team: Goals (Penalties)
Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City: 5 (0)
Ashley Fletcher, Middlesbrough: 3 (0)
Eden Hazard, Chelsea: 3 (0)
Jordan Rhodes, Norwich City: 3 (0)
Heung-Min Son, Tottenham Hotspur: 3 (0)
Adam Armstrong, Blackburn Rovers: 3 (1)
Tyler Walker, Mansfield Town: 3 (2)
Padraig Amond, Newport County: 2 (0)
Brandon Barker, Preston North End: 2 (0)
Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur: 2 (1)

Most Assists

Player, Team: Assists

Emi, Norwich City: 4
Robert Snodgrass, West Ham United: 4
Riyad Mahrez, Manchester City: 3
Dele Alli, Tottenham Hotspur: 2
Azpilicueta, Chelsea: 2
Bradley Dack, Blackburn Rovers: 2
David Silva, Manchester City: 2
Luca de la Torre, Fulham: 2
Anthony Forde, Rotherham United: 2
Scott Fraser, Burton Albion: 2

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