Your Guide to the English League Cup Semifinals
Attention, soccer fans, the English League Cup semifinals are here. This historic tournament, known as the Carabao Cup, has been a staple of the English soccer calendar for years, offering up thrilling knockout clashes and rarely seen matchups. Since its founding in 1960, the League Cup has been pitting teams from all of England’s top four tiers of football against each other, giving some of the nation's smallest teams an opportunity to make a name for themselves against the biggest.
While the League Cup (Carabao Cup) is regarded as the third-most prestigious domestic trophy available during the English soccer season, its importance has grown in recent years. The team that emerges victorious earns themselves, not just a trophy, but also a coveted spot in the European UEFA Conference League Playoff Round. This doesn’t mean much to powerhouses like Liverpool and Manchester City, but for those teams in the Championship or lower, it is an added incentive to punch above their weight and shoot for glory.
With the semifinals now here, this article will give you all the information you need to make sure you can tune into the games, as well as a preview of what to expect when you do. As always, if you are ever in doubt about any soccer matches, you can find up to date broadcast information and timings on our website by clicking here.
Everything You Need to Know about the Carabao Cup (English League Cup)
- Carabao Cup Semifinal 1st legs: January 7th (Arsenal vs Newcastle) and January 8th (Tottenham vs Liverpool).
- Carabao Cup Semifinal 2nd legs: February 5th (Newcastle vs Arsenal) and February 6th (Liverpool vs Tottenham).
- Match Times: 3pm ET for all fixtures
- Carabao Cup Final Date: Sunday, March 16th at Wembley Stadium - Time TBC.
- Tournament Entries: 92 teams from England’s top four leagues participate; only four remain by the semifinals.
- Prize for Winners: £100,000 and a place in the UEFA Conference League (if not already qualified).
- Broadcast: Paramount+
- Current Champion: Liverpool
- Most Wins: Liverpool (10 titles)
How to Watch the Carabao Cup Semifinals on TV in the US?
For soccer fans based in the US, you will need access to Paramount+ to tune into the Carabao Cup (English League Cup) semifinals. CBS and Paramount+ own the rights to this tournament, but you can make do with just Paramount+ for all of the semifinal action.
Paramount+ is a subscription service owned by Paramount Global and affiliated with CBS. You can view our full review of the service by clicking here, but, in short, it is a fantastic option for anyone looking to upgrade their viewing experience on a budget. Starting at just $7.99 per month ($59.99 per year), you can get Paramount+ Essential, or you can upgrade to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME for $12.99 per month ($119.99 per year), which is commercial-free and comes with SHOWTIME.
Subscribers can get access to a whole host of TV, movies, and other entertainment, but the biggest appeal for sports fans is Paramount's rights to NFL Games, UEFA Champions League matches, PGA Tour Golf, SEC football, NCAA basketball, and, of course, the Carabao Cup.
Previewing the 2024-25 Carabao Cup Semifinals
First Leg: Arsenal vs Newcastle United
- When: Tuesday, 7th Jan, 3pm ET
- Where: Emirates Stadium - London, England
- Watch: Paramount+
After falling just short of winning the English Premier League last year, Arsenal Football Club are desperately in the hunt for some silverware to show for their good form over recent years. They have been back-to-back runners-up in the League, which is where they currently sit for the 2024-25 season, and haven’t won a trophy of any kind since 2020, when they were victorious in the FA Cup. That’s over four years without any silverware to celebrate, so fans will be hoping they can put together some good performances here to earn them a slot at Wembley.
The team standing in their way is Newcastle, who are currently fifth in the Premier League, 5 points behind Arsenal. Despite being behind their opponents in the table, it is Newcastle who enter this game on better form, having won each of their last 5 games. Meanwhile, Arsenal are coming off of a frustrating 1-1 draw against Brighton over the weekend, not helped by an injury to star winger Bukayo Saka, who had to come off with a “muscular issue” that will keep him out of this game.
Next weekend, Arsenal have another tough fixture, this time in the FA Cup against holders Manchester United. They will have that fixture at the back of their minds, whereas Newcastle will be hosting a far inferior Bromley side. Does that perhaps allow Newcastle to dedicate more manpower to this game, while Arsenal may be tempted to limit game time for stars to keep them fresh for next weekend’s clash? Either way, a spot at Wembley is on the line, and both teams will be eager to start strong in this first leg.
First Leg: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Liverpool
- When: Wednesday, 8th Jan, 3pm ET
- Where: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - London, England
- Watch: Paramount+
Tottenham Hotspur will host Liverpool in the second of our first-leg ties, with the visitors entering the game as heavy favorites. Arne Slot’s side have earned themselves a comfortable 6-point cushion atop the Premier League, despite having played 1 fewer game than most other teams. They were held to an entertaining 2-2 draw this weekend by Manchester United, which will give Spurs some confidence, but it still remains a daunting task for Ange Postecoglou's side.
Tottenham are currently 12th in the Premier League, and have posted 15 fewer points than they did by this time last year. They have just one win from their last 6 games, and will have their work cut out going up against the Premier League’s leading goal scorer, Mo Salah (18). In contrast, you have to go down to 10th on the leaderboard to find Spurs' top scorer, James Maddison, with 8 goals.
The attacking trio of Mo Salah, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo, who is tied for the lead in the Carabao Cup with 3 goals, have been in electrifying form all year. If Slot decides to give them all a run here, Tottenham fans could be in for a tough night.
2024-25 Carabao Cup FAQs
What date are the Carabao Cup semi-finals?
- First legs: January 7th (Arsenal vs Newcastle) and January 8th (Tottenham vs Liverpool).
- Second legs: February 5th (Newcastle vs Arsenal) and February 6th (Liverpool vs Tottenham).
What are semifinal legs?
Two matches where each team plays one game at home and one away, with the aggregate score determining the winner.
How can I watch the Carabao Cup semifinals?
What is the format for the Carabao Cup?
A knockout tournament involving 92 teams from England's top four tiers. Single-leg matches, except for two-legged semifinals, with the final played at Wembley Stadium.
What date is the Carabao Cup final in 2025?
Sunday, 16th March, 2025, at Wembley Stadium.
Who won the last Carabao Cup?
Liverpool FC, who have also won the most (10).
Author: Venuse, Inc.