Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd can equal Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City’s historic feat
Erik ten Hag won his first trophy as the Manchester United manager last weekend by leading his team to a Carabao Cup victory over Newcastle. The team’s recent performances suggest that they could win another trophy soon.
The team’s fans and players celebrated wildly after the 2-0 win over Eddie Howe’s team at Wembley.
The team also won a match against West Ham in the FA Cup by scoring three goals in the final 13 minutes, including an own goal from Nayef Aguerd and strikes from Alejandro Garnacho and Fred.
Manchester United is still competing in the Europa League and is also in the race for the Premier League title.
If they win both domestic cups, they will become the sixth club in English football history to do so. The following list shows which other clubs achieved this feat and how they did it.
Arsenal (1993)
Although the Gunners finished in a disappointing tenth place during their first season in the Premier League, they still had a successful year with two cup victories.
They faced a tough challenge in the league cup, needing two matches to defeat Millwall in the Second Round and two matches to overcome Derby. Their match against Division Three team Scarborough was a close one, with the Gunners only managing a 1-0 win.
They continued their winning streak by defeating Nottingham Forest in the fifth round and Crystal Palace in a two-legged semi-final.
However, their opponents at Wembley, Sheffield Wednesday, took the lead with a goal from John Harkes, making it seem like the Gunners might suffer a surprise defeat.
Around 15 minutes after Sheffield Wednesday took the lead in the League Cup final, Paul Merson scored an equalizer for Arsenal, and Stephen Morrow secured the win with a goal in the second half. Arsenal continued their success in the FA Cup, easily defeating Yeovil Town in the third round but being held to a 2-2 draw by Leeds in the next round. In the replay, Arsenal won 3-2 to advance.
Arsenal’s journey to the FA Cup final included victories over Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, and local rivals Spurs. In the first game against Sheffield Wednesday in the final, Ian Wright and David Hirst each scored a goal to end the match in a 1-1 draw. The replay was another close match with goals from Wright and Chris Waddle, but it was Andy Linighan’s 119th-minute goal that secured Arsenal’s victory.
Liverpool (2001)
The Reds had a highly successful season under Gerard Houllier, winning three trophies including the League Cup, FA Cup, and UEFA Cup in the 2000/01 campaign. They began their domestic cup journey in November with a victory against Chelsea in extra-time, followed by an 8-0 win over Stoke City.
In the subsequent rounds, Liverpool defeated Fulham by scoring three goals in extra-time, and overcame a first-leg defeat against Crystal Palace with a 5-0 victory in the return leg to secure a 6-2 aggregate scoreline. However, their final match against Birmingham at the Millenium Stadium was not as easy.
Robbie Fowler managed to score the first goal for Liverpool in the final against Birmingham, but Darren Purse equalized with a late penalty. Eventually, Liverpool won the cup in a penalty shootout.
In contrast to their League Cup campaign, Liverpool’s journey in the FA Cup was relatively less challenging. They comfortably defeated Rotherham and Leeds, and then secured 4-2 victories against both Man City and Tranmere.
Liverpool ended Wycombe Wanderers’ impressive run in the competition to book a place in the final against Arsenal, where Michael Owen famously scored two goals to secure the trophy.
Chelsea (2007)
Jose Mourinho’s last full season during his first tenure at Chelsea in 2006/07 was still successful, as they managed to secure the League Cup trophy with an impressive performance. The team had an easy run to the quarter-finals after beating Blackburn and Aston Villa, where Didier Drogba’s 79th-minute goal proved decisive.
Chelsea faced a strong challenge from Wycombe in the semi-finals, with the first leg ending in a 1-1 draw. However, Chelsea dominated the second leg at Stamford Bridge, securing a comfortable 4-0 victory.
In the final against Arsenal, despite conceding the first goal to Theo Walcott, Drogba once again proved to be the key player, scoring two goals in a man-of-the-match performance to secure the League Cup trophy.
Three months later, Chelsea added the FA Cup to their trophy cabinet. They won against Macclesfield, Nottingham Forest, and Norwich before being held to a 3-3 draw by Spurs. They won the replay 2-1 before edging past Blackburn Rovers in the semi-finals to reach the Wembley final. Once again, Drogba played a pivotal role in the team’s success, scoring the winning goal against Manchester United in the 116th minute.
Man City (2019)
Under Pep Guardiola’s guidance, Manchester City had an outstanding season, winning the domestic treble and securing the Community Shield even before the official start of the campaign.
In February, they also won the League Cup, setting themselves up for a fantastic year. They breezed past Oxford United and Fulham to face Manchester City in the next round, with a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium and three penalty saves by Willy Caballero securing their spot in the following round.
They then faced Burton Albion, and a resounding 9-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium all but guaranteed their place in the final. Sergio Aguero’s goal in the second leg brought their aggregate score to double figures.
The final hurdle for Manchester City in their quest for the FA Cup was Chelsea, and the match was once again decided through a penalty shootout. Much like their League Cup victory, City had a dominant run in the FA Cup, with 7-0 and 5-0 wins over Rotherham and Burnley, respectively, followed by a 4-1 victory over Newport.
They faced a minor setback against Swansea, who briefly led 2-0, but City bounced back with three second-half goals to secure the win. In the semi-finals, Gabriel Jesus scored the only goal to edge past Brighton before they went on to defeat Watford in the final at Wembley with one of the joint biggest FA Cup final victories ever.
Liverpool (2022)
It is worth noting that the above text contains some inaccuracies. Liverpool did not win the domestic cup double last season, as the FA Cup was not played due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Liverpool did not win the League Cup last season, as that competition was won by Manchester City.
However, Liverpool did have a successful run in the League Cup last season, reaching the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Aston Villa. They did beat Norwich, Arsenal, and Leicester in earlier rounds, and they did win all three of those matches on penalties after drawing in regulation time.
In terms of the FA Cup, Liverpool did reach the fifth round before being knocked out by Chelsea. They did beat Shrewsbury, Bristol City, and West Ham in earlier rounds, and they did beat Everton 1-0 in a third round tie that was played in January 2020.
Overall, Liverpool had a mixed cup campaign last season, with some memorable wins and some disappointing losses. They will no doubt be looking to improve on their cup performances in the coming seasons.
Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd can equal Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City’s historic feat
Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd can equal Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City’s historic feat
Erik ten Hag’s Man Utd can equal Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and Man City’s historic feat
