Five biggest League Cup final shocks as Chelsea aim to upset Man City

Birmingham 2 Arsenal 1, 2011

Arsenal had not lifted any silverware in six years but they were 2-7 favourites to win the 2010-11 League Cup final against relegation-threatened Birmingham.

It was a sign of things to come when Nikola Zigic capitalised on a lapse in concentration from Arsenal to bundle in a first-half corner but the teams went in level at the break after Robin van Persie's equaliser.

Arsene Wenger's men caved under the tension, though, and a miscommunication between Laurent Koscielny and Wojciech Szczesny allowed Obafemi Martins to stroke in an 89th-minute winner.

City had been 6-1 to win in normal time but they could not win their battle against relegation, going down on the final day of the season.

Sheffield Wednesday 1 Man Utd 0, 1991

Manchester United were in the embryonic phase of becoming serial winners when they faced Second Division Sheffield Wednesday in the 1991 final.

Sir Alex Ferguson was finally getting the Red Devils to click after they collected the FA Cup the year before and had made the European Cup Winners' Cup semi-final, but a familiar face was to spearhead an upset.

Former United manager Ron Atkinson was in the Wednesday dugout at the time and his side scooped the silverware courtesy of John Sheridan's long-range half-volley.

Luton 3 Arsenal 2, 1988

It is regarded as one of the most captivating League Cup finals of all time and Arsenal were at the forefront once again.

Luton were playing in the competition's final for the first time but they went into the game against the defending champions with Andy Dibble, who had made only five appearances all season, deputising in goal for the injured Les Sealey.

Despite conceding twice, Dibble was named man of the match after saving Nigel Winterburn's penalty when Arsenal were 2-1 up.

The Gunners capitulated and Danny Wilson equalised before a 90th-minute free kick scored by Brian Stein, who had also bagged the opener, etched Luton's name into the history books.

Stoke 2 Chelsea 1, 1972

Older Stoke supporters will reflect fondly on their win over Chelsea as the day they collected the first trophy in the club's history but they were hard-pressed to make it to the final.

The Potters played a total 1,010 minutes of football in the competition before the final, 420 minutes of them in a two-legged semi-final clash with West Ham which went to two replays.

Gordon Banks pulled off a tremendous save for Stoke to keep out Geoff Hurst's penalty and City went into the final as underdogs against recent FA Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup victors Chelsea.

But Banks played centre stage once again to keep the Blues at bay as goals from Terry Conroy and 35-year-old George Eastham won it for Stoke.

QPR 3 West Brom 2, 1967

This was the first League Cup final to be contested in a single match and at Wembley.

The showpiece event attracted an attendance of nearly 100,000 as Third Division minnows QPR locked horns with the holders and top-flight side West Brom.

Clive Clark put the Baggies in the driving seat with a brace before the break but goals from Roger Morgan and Rodney Marsh for QPR set up a thrilling finale.

Nine minutes from time and it was Mark Lazarus who conjured up a miracle to put QPR in front and make Rangers the first third-tier club to win a major English trophy.

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