You’re searching for an efl cup league table, right? I get it. We’re so used to checking the Premier League standings or looking at the Championship "as it stands" that our brains naturally want a grid with points, goal difference, and those little green and red form circles.
But here’s the thing: there isn’t one. There never has been.
The EFL Cup—currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons—is a ruthless, straight-knockout tournament. It’s not a marathon; it’s a series of sprints. You win, you move on. You lose, and you’re out, wondering why you played a weakened side against a League Two underdog on a rainy Tuesday in October.
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Honestly, it’s one of the most common points of confusion for casual fans or those tuning in from abroad. If you’re looking for a table to see who’s "winning" the tournament right now, you’re actually looking for the bracket or the semi-final results.
The Real State of Play in January 2026
Since we’re currently in the thick of the 2025/26 season, the "table" you're looking for is basically down to four names. As of mid-January 2026, we are deep into the semi-final first legs.
Newcastle United, the defending champions, just faced off against Manchester City at St James' Park. It didn't go great for the Magpies. City took a commanding 2-0 lead back to the Etihad, reminding everyone why Pep Guardiola used to treat this trophy like his personal property.
Then you've got the London derby. Chelsea vs Arsenal. Just a few hours ago, the first leg at Stamford Bridge ended in a chaotic 3-2 victory for Arsenal. Viktor Gyökeres and Martín Zubimendi were on the scoresheet for the Gunners, while Alejandro Garnacho’s brace for Chelsea wasn't quite enough to save the night for the Blues' new boss, Liam Rosenior.
So, if you want a "standings" update, here is the shorthand:
- Manchester City (Leading 2-0 vs Newcastle)
- Arsenal (Leading 3-2 vs Chelsea)
- Chelsea (Trailing by one goal)
- Newcastle United (Trailing by two goals)
Why People Think There Is a League Table
It’s not a totally wild assumption. The confusion usually stems from two places.
First, the name itself: EFL Cup. Because it’s organized by the English Football League, people often conflate it with the "League Tables" for the Championship, League One, and League Two. You’ll often see a search for the efl cup league table return results for the Championship standings because Google is trying to be helpful and assumes you made a typo.
Second, the brand-new format for European competitions. With the Champions League and Europa League moving to a "League Phase" (that giant single table we’re all still trying to get used to), fans naturally expect domestic cups to follow suit.
But the EFL Cup is sticking to its guns. No groups. No league phase. Just the draw, the 90 minutes (and maybe penalties), and the slow march to Wembley.
The Weird Format Change You Might Have Missed
Even though there’s no table, the format did get a bit of a facelift for this 2025/26 season. Because nine Premier League teams qualified for Europe this year, the schedule was a nightmare.
To fix the math, the EFL introduced a Preliminary Round back in August. It was a tiny bracket for the four "lowest" teams in the professional pyramid: the two promoted clubs from the National League (Barnet and Oldham) and the 21st and 22nd placed teams from League Two (Accrington Stanley and Newport County).
It was a bit of a "play-in" vibe. If you’re looking for a traditional league structure, that’s as close as you’ll get—a tiny mini-tournament before the big boys enter the fray.
How to Actually Track Progress (The Bracket)
Since you can't find a table, you need to follow the rounds. It’s basically a ladder.
- The Early Rounds: Regionalized (North and South) to save smaller clubs on travel costs.
- Round Three: This is where the big guns—the European qualifiers—enter.
- The Quarter-Finals: Usually played in December. This is where the "giant killings" usually stop and the squads get serious.
- The Semi-Finals: The only part of the tournament that isn't a single game. It’s two legs, home and away.
- The Final: Sunday, March 22, 2026, at Wembley.
Who is Winning the "Stats Table"?
While there's no league standing, there are plenty of statistical "tables" that people track. If you’re a betting person or just a stat nerd, these are the rankings that actually matter.
Arsenal is currently sitting at the top of the Premier League, and that momentum has carried over here. They look like the favorites to lift the trophy in March. However, Manchester City's clinical 2-0 win over Newcastle makes them the "table leaders" in terms of probability.
In terms of history? Liverpool still sits atop the all-time winners "table" with 10 trophies. They’re the kings of this competition, even if they crashed out earlier this season.
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Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're trying to stay on top of the EFL Cup without a league table to guide you, here is how you should actually be tracking the competition:
- Bookmark the Fixture List, not a Standings Page: Check the official EFL site for "Fixtures and Results." That’s where the real data lives.
- Watch the Semi-Final Second Legs: These are happening in early February (the week of February 2, 2026). These games will determine the final "table" of two teams for Wembley.
- Don't Ignore the "League" in the Name: Remember that winning this cup provides a backdoor into the UEFA Conference League. For teams like Chelsea or Newcastle, who are fighting for European spots in the actual Premier League table, this cup is the fastest route to a flight to Europe next season.
- Check the "Yellow Card" Standings: Unlike some tournaments, cards in the EFL Cup can lead to suspensions in the final. If a key player for Arsenal or City picks up a booking in the second leg, they could miss the big day at Wembley.
Basically, stop looking for a 20-team grid. The EFL Cup is a bracket of survival. Follow the semi-final second legs in February to see who survives the final cut.