2001 Football League Cup Final
| Event | 2000–01 Football League Cup | ||||||
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| After extra time; Liverpool won 5–4 on penalties | |||||||
| Date | 25 February 2001 | ||||||
| Venue | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | ||||||
| Man of the Match | Robbie Fowler (Liverpool) | ||||||
| Referee | David Elleray (Harrow) | ||||||
| Attendance | 73,500 | ||||||
The 2001 Football League Cup Final was a football match played between Liverpool and Birmingham City on 25 February 2001 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. It was the final match of the 2000–01 Football League Cup, the 41st season of the Football League Cup, a football competition for the 92 teams in the Premier League and The Football League. Liverpool were appearing in their eighth final; they had previously won six and lost two, whilst Birmingham were there for the second time. They had previously beaten Aston Villa in the 1963 final.
As Birmingham were in the Football League they played two more rounds than Liverpool who received a bye in the first and second round. Therefore, Birmingham progressed through six rounds to reach the final, whereas Liverpool progressed through four. The majority of Liverpool's matches were comfortable victories. They won all their ties by at least three goals except for their third round match with Chelsea, which they won 2–1. Birmingham matches ranged from comfortable victories to close affairs. They won their first round tie with Southend United 5–0, while their fourth round victory over Newcastle United was 2–1.
Liverpool won the match 5–4 on penalties after 90 minutes of normal time and 30 minutes of extra time could not split the two sides. Liverpool opened the scoring with a 25-yard long range shot from Robbie Fowler in the 30th minute and appeared to be heading for a win in normal time until Birmingham equalised in injury-time with a penalty from Darren Purse, after Martin O'Connor was brought down by Stéphane Henchoz. Birmingham thought they had a valid claim for a second penalty in extra time, only for referee David Elleray to turn it down, taking the game to a penalty shootout, the first such penalty shootout in a major English domestic cup final (excluding Charity Shield matches).
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