2011–12 Football League Cup
The 2011–12 Football League Cup (known as the Carling Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 52nd season of the Football League Cup, a knock-out competition for the top 92 football clubs played in English football league system. Birmingham City were the defending champions, but were knocked out 2–0 by Manchester City in the Third Round.
| Carling Cup, League Cup | |
| Country | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 29 July 2011 – 26 February 2012 | 
| Teams | 92 | 
| Defending champions | Birmingham City | 
| Champions | Liverpool (8th title) | 
| Runners-up | Cardiff City | 
| Matches played | 92 | 
| Goals scored | 305 (3.32 per match) | 
| Top goal scorer(s) | Jay Rodriguez (5 goals)  | 
← 2010–11  2012–13 →   | |
Liverpool, the winner of the competition, qualified for the third qualifying round of the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League. The final was held on 26 February 2012, and was contested at Wembley Stadium between finalists Liverpool and Cardiff City. Cardiff were the first team outside the Premier League to appear in a League Cup final since 2001. It was Liverpool's first appearance at the new Wembley. Liverpool won the final 3–2 on penalties, claiming a record eighth League Cup, after the score was 2–2 after extra time.[1]
Background
    
    Broadcasting rights
    
The broadcasting rights for the 2011–12 Cup in the UK were shared between Sky Sports and the BBC. Sky Sports had rights to broadcast two live matches from each round while the BBC showed match highlights online and on a special League Cup highlights show which was broadcast in the late evening on BBC One.[2]
The BBC showed two legs of the semi-final fixtures and Sky Sports showed the other two.[3] Both BBC and Sky Sports simulcasted the final on 26 February 2012.
Preliminary round
    
Times up to and including the fourth round are BST (UTC+1). Times from the quarter-finals onwards are GMT (UTC±0).
Due to newly relegated (and League Cup title holders) Birmingham City having a bye to the third round following qualification to the Europa League and the extra Europa League berth awarded to Fulham through the Fair Play league, newly promoted AFC Wimbledon and Crawley Town played each other in a preliminary round. The draw for the round took place on 13 June with Crawley Town at home. This was the first need for a Preliminary Round since the 2002–03 season.
| 29 July 2011 | Crawley Town (4) | 3–2 | AFC Wimbledon (4) | Broadfield Stadium, Crawley | 
| 19:45 | Akpan  Torres Tubbs  | 
Report | L. Moore  Midson  | 
Attendance: 3,204 Referee: Darren Deadman (Cambridgeshire)  | 
First round
    
The draw for the first round took place on 16 June 2011 at 10:00 BST. The First Round took place in the week commencing 8 August 2011. Rioting in London caused three matches to be postponed on the advice of the Metropolitan Police. The fixtures at West Ham United, Charlton Athletic and Crystal Palace were called off on safety grounds. The ties at Bristol City and Bristol Rovers were called off later after the disorder spread across England.[4][5][6][7][8] The round was also notable, from a footballing perspective, for the first competitive Nottingham derby since 1994 between Nottingham Forest and rivals Notts County. The match ended 3–3, with Forest winning the subsequent penalty shoot-out 4–3.
| 9 August 2011 | Hartlepool United (3) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p)  | Sheffield United (3) | Victoria Park, Hartlepool | 
| 19:30 | Sweeney  | 
Report | Quinn  | 
Attendance: 2,774 Referee: Paul Tierney  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Horwood  Poole Collins Austin Nish  | 
||||
| 9 August 2011 | Rochdale (3) | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Chesterfield (3) | Spotland, Rochdale | 
| 19:45 | Grimes  Mattis  | 
Report | Whitaker  | 
Attendance: 1,718 Referee: Scott Mathieson  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Port Vale (4) | 2–4 | Huddersfield Town (3) | Vale Park, Stoke-on-Trent | 
| 19:45 | Roberts  Loft  | 
Report | Novak  Hunt Roberts  | 
Attendance: 3,014 Referee: Rob Jones  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Rotherham United (4) | 1–4 | Leicester City (2) | Don Valley Stadium, Sheffield | 
| 19:45 | Mills  | 
Report | Gallagher  Schlupp  | 
Attendance: 3,717 Referee: Steve Rushton  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Hull City (2) | 0–2 | Macclesfield Town (4) | KC Stadium, Kingston upon Hull | 
| 19:45 | Report | Sinclair  | 
Attendance: 4,826 Referee: Robert Madley  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Leeds United (2) | 3–2 | Bradford City (4) | Elland Road, Leeds | 
| 19:45 | Núñez  McCormack  | 
Report | Compton  Flynn  | 
Attendance: 17,667 Referee: Colin Webster  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Doncaster Rovers (2) | 3–0 | Tranmere Rovers (3) | Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster | 
| 19:45 | Brown  Mason Bennett  | 
Report | Attendance: 4,339 Referee: Garry Sutton  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Walsall (3) | 0–3 | Middlesbrough (2) | Banks's Stadium, Walsall | 
| 19:45 | Chambers  | 
Report | Emnes  | 
Attendance: 3,564 Referee: Darren Deadman  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Barnsley (2) | 0–2 | Morecambe (4) | Oakwell, Barnsley | 
| 19:45 | Report | Carlton  Ellison  | 
Attendance: 4,331 Referee: Mark Brown  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Accrington Stanley (4) | 0–2 | Scunthorpe United (3) | Crown Ground, Accrington | 
| 19:45 | Report | Dagnall  Barcham  | 
Attendance: 1,356 Referee: Oliver Langford  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Derby County (2) | 2–3 | Shrewsbury Town (4) | Pride Park, Derby | 
| 19:45 | Maguire  Robinson  | 
Report | Morgan  Collins  | 
Attendance: 7,073 Referee: Darren Drysdale  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Oldham Athletic (3) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (2–4 p)  | Carlisle United (3) | Boundary Park, Oldham | 
| 19:45 | Reid  | 
Report | McGovern  | 
Attendance: 1,786 Referee: Mark Haywood  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Furman  Smith Taylor Parker  | 
||||
| 9 August 2011 | Bury (3) | 3–1 | Coventry City (2) | Gigg Lane, Bury | 
| 19:45 | Bishop  Lowe  | 
Report | O'Donovan  | 
Attendance: 2,997 Referee: Jock Waugh  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Burnley (2) | 6–3 (a.e.t.) | Burton Albion (4) | Turf Moor, Burnley | 
| 19:45 | Rodriguez  Austin Wallace  | 
Report | Taylor  Zola Maghoma  | 
Attendance: 4,069 Referee: Craig Pawson  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Preston North End (3) | 3–2 | Crewe Alexandra (4) | Deepdale, Preston | 
| 19:45 | Tootle  Mellor Hume  | 
Report | Miller  Artell  | 
Attendance: 5,445 Referee: David Webb  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Nottingham Forest (2) | 3–3 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)  | Notts County (3) | City Ground, Nottingham | 
| 19:45 | McGugan  Findley Morgan  | 
Report | Edwards  Westcarr Hughes  | 
Attendance: 21,605 Referee: Nigel Miller  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Greening  Tudgay Garner Findley Boateng Chambers  | 
||||
| 9 August 2011 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | 1–0 | Gillingham (4) | Falmer Stadium, Falmer | 
| 19:45 | Barnes  | 
Report | Attendance: 16,295 Referee: Brendan Malone  | 
| 9 August 2011 | AFC Bournemouth (3) | 5–0 | Dagenham & Redbridge (4) | Dean Court, Bournemouth | 
| 19:45 | Pugh  Cooper Feeney Taylor  | 
Report | Attendance: 3,681 Referee: Danny McDermid  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Ipswich Town (2) | 1–2 | Northampton Town (4) | Portman Road, Ipswich | 
| 19:45 | Emmanuel-Thomas  | 
Report | Tozer  Turnbull  | 
Attendance: 9,401 Referee: Michael Naylor  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Cheltenham Town (4) | 1–4 | Milton Keynes Dons (3) | Abbey Business Stadium, Cheltenham | 
| 19:45 | Summerfield  | 
Report | Baldock  Ibehre Lewington Balanta  | 
Attendance: 1,625 Referee: James Linnington  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Plymouth Argyle (4) | 0–1 | Millwall (2) | Home Park, Plymouth | 
| 19:45 | Report | N'Guessan  | 
Attendance: 4,781 Referee: Keith Stroud  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Southampton (2) | 4–1 | Torquay United (4) | St Mary's, Southampton | 
| 19:45 | De Ridder  Lambert Chaplow Forte  | 
Report | Mansell  | 
Attendance: 6,541 Referee: Dave Phillips  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Portsmouth (2) | 0–1 | Barnet (4) | Fratton Park, Portsmouth | 
| 19:45 | Report | Hughes  | 
Attendance: 4,464 Referee: Darren Sheldrake  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Stevenage (3) | 3–4 (a.e.t.) | Peterborough United (2) | Lamex Stadium, Stevenage | 
| 19:45 | Long  Bostwick Beardsley  | 
Report | Ball  Boyd Tomlin  | 
Attendance: 2,414 Referee: Graham Salisbury  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Southend United (4) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4 p)  | Leyton Orient (3) | Roots Hall, Southend-on-Sea | 
| 19:45 | Phillips  | 
Report | Richardson  Téhoué  | 
Attendance: 4,847 Referee: Fred Graham  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Dickinson  Harris Clohessy Kalala Hall  | 
||||
| 9 August 2011 | Wycombe Wanderers (3) | 3–3 (a.e.t.) (5–4 p)  | Colchester United (3) | Adams Park, High Wycombe | 
| 19:45 | Donnelly  Grant Beavon  | 
Report | Odejayi  Henderson Gillespie  | 
Attendance: 1,430 Referee: Pat Miller  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Sandell  McCoy Beavon Rendell Harding  | 
||||
| 9 August 2011 | Hereford United (4) | 1–0 | Brentford (3) | Edgar Street, Hereford | 
| 19:45 | Arquin  | 
Report | Attendance: 1,767 Referee: Phil Gibbs  | 
| 9 August 2011 | Exeter City (3) | 2–0 | Yeovil Town (3) | St James Park, Exeter | 
| 19:45 | Bauzà  Shephard  | 
Report | Attendance: 3,856 Referee: Roger East  | 
| 10 August 2011 | Oxford United (4) | 1–3 (a.e.t.) | Cardiff City (2) | Kassam Stadium, Oxford | 
| 19:45 | Clist  | 
Report | Conway  Whittingham Jarvis  | 
Attendance: 5,435 Referee: Andy D'Urso  | 
| 11 August 2011 | Sheffield Wednesday (3) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)  | Blackpool (2) | Hillsborough, Sheffield | 
| 19:45 | Report | Eastham  | 
Attendance: 5,240 Referee: Eddie Ilderton  | |
| Penalties | ||||
| Palmer  Otsemobor Morrison O'Connor  | 
||||
| 23 August 2011 | Crystal Palace (2) | 2–0 | Crawley Town (4) | Selhurst Park, London | 
| 19:30 | Zaha  | 
Report | Attendance: 8,901 Referee: Michael Naylor  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Bristol Rovers (4) | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (4–2 p)  | Watford (2) | Memorial Stadium, Bristol | 
| 19:45 | Harrold  | 
Report | Sordell  | 
Attendance: 4,432 Referee: David Coote  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Kuffour  McGleish Virgo Brown Carayol  | 
||||
| 23 August 2011 | Charlton Athletic (3) | 2–1 | Reading (2) | The Valley, London | 
| 19:45 | Benson  Euell  | 
Report | Morrison  | 
Attendance: 6,668 Referee: Dean Whitestone  | 
| 24 August 2011 | Bristol City (2) | 0–1 | Swindon Town (4) | Ashton Gate, Bristol | 
| 19:45 | Report | De Vita  | 
Attendance: 7,708 Referee: Gavin Ward  | 
| 24 August 2011 | West Ham United (2) | 1–2 | Aldershot Town (4) | Upton Park, London | 
| 19:45 | Stanislas  | 
Report | Guttridge  Hylton  | 
Attendance: 19,879 Referee: Graham Scott  | 
Second round
    
The draw for the second round took place on 11 August 2011. The thirteen Premier League teams not involved in European competition entered the competition at this stage.[9]
The second round took place in the week commencing 22 August 2011.
| 23 August 2011 | Millwall (2) | 2–0 | Morecambe (4) | The Den, London | 
| 19:45 | Bouazza  Mkandawire  | 
Report | Attendance: 3,443 Referee: Darren Drysdale  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Bury (3) | 2–4 | Leicester City (2) | Gigg Lane, Bury | 
| 19:45 | Jones  Lowe  | 
Report | Schlupp  Gallagher Dyer Danns  | 
Attendance: 3,779 Referee: Andy Haines  | 
| 23 August 2011 | AFC Bournemouth (3) | 1–4 | West Bromwich Albion (1) | Dean Court, Bournemouth | 
| 19:45 | Lovell  | 
Report | Thomas  Fortuné Cox  | 
Attendance: 6,911 Referee: Roger East  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Aston Villa (1) | 2–0 | Hereford United (4) | Villa Park, Birmingham | 
| 19:45 | Lichaj  Delfouneso  | 
Report | Attendance: 21,058 Referee: Kevin Wright  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Sunderland (1) | Falmer Stadium, Falmer | 
| 19:45 | Mackail-Smith  | 
Report | Attendance: 17,090 Referee: Andy D'Urso  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Shrewsbury Town (4) | 3–1 | Swansea City (1) | Greenhous Meadow, Shrewsbury | 
| 19:45 | Morgan  Wright Wroe  | 
Report | Cansdell-Sherriff  | 
Attendance: 4,063 Referee: Paul Tierney  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Norwich City (1) | 0–4 | Milton Keynes Dons (3) | Carrow Road, Norwich | 
| 19:45 | Report | Chadwick  Baldock Powell  | 
Attendance: 13,009 Referee: Mark Heywood  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Northampton Town (4) | 0–4 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) | Sixfields Stadium, Northampton | 
| 19:45 | Report | Ebanks-Blake  Milijaš Vokes  | 
Attendance: 5,512 Referee: Carl Boyeson  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Wycombe Wanderers (3) | 1–4 | Nottingham Forest (2) | Adams Park, High Wycombe | 
| 19:45 | Benyon  | 
Miller  McGugan Findley Majewski  | 
Attendance: 2,866 Referee: Danny McDermid  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Burnley (2) | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Barnet (4) | Turf Moor, Burnley | 
| 19:45 | Rodriguez  Elliott McCann  | 
Report | Kabba  Holmes  | 
Attendance: 4,273 Referee: Chris Sarginson  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Doncaster Rovers (2) | 1–2 | Leeds United (2) | Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster | 
| 19:45 | Hayter  | 
Report | Núñez  | 
Attendance: 8,505 Referee: Mark Brown  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Cardiff City (2) | 5–3 (a.e.t.) | Huddersfield Town (3) | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | 
| 19:45 | Gyepes  Parkin Cowie Conway  | 
Report | Rhodes  Ward  | 
Attendance: 6,829 Referee: James Linington  | 
| 23 August 2011 | Queens Park Rangers (1) | 0–2 | Rochdale (3) | Loftus Road, London | 
| 19:45 | Report | Akpa Akpro  Jones  | 
Attendance: 4,755 Referee: Oliver Langford  | 
| 24 August 2011 | Peterborough United (2) | 0–2 | Middlesbrough (2) | London Road, Peterborough | 
| 19:45 | Report | Robson  Hines  | 
Attendance: 5,012 Referee: Phil Gibbs  | 
| 24 August 2011 | Exeter City (3) | 1–3 | Liverpool (1) | St James Park, Exeter | 
| 19:45 | Nardiello  | 
Report | Suárez  Maxi Carroll  | 
Attendance: 8,290 Referee: Anthony Bates  | 
| 24 August 2011 | Blackburn Rovers (1) | 3–1 | Sheffield Wednesday (3) | Ewood Park, Blackburn | 
| 20:00 | Rochina  Goodwillie  | 
Report | Morrison  | 
Attendance: 8,607 Referee: David Webb  | 
| 24 August 2011 | Everton (1) | 3–1 | Sheffield United (3) | Goodison Park, Liverpool | 
| 20:00 | Cresswell  Anichebe Arteta  | 
Report | Cresswell  | 
Attendance: 17,173 Referee: Nigel Miller  | 
| 24 August 2011 | Bolton Wanderers (1) | 2–1 | Macclesfield Town (4) | Reebok Stadium, Bolton | 
| 20:00 | Tuncay  Petrov  | 
Report | Sinclair  | 
Attendance: 6,777 Referee: Eddie Ilderton  | 
| 25 August 2011 | Scunthorpe United (3) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Newcastle United (1) | Glanford Park, Scunthorpe | 
| 19:45 | Dagnall  | 
Report | Taylor  Ameobi  | 
Attendance: 4,408 Referee: Graham Salisbury  | 
| 30 August 2011 | Aldershot Town (4) | 2–0 | Carlisle United (3) | EBB Stadium, Aldershot | 
| 19:45 | Rankine  Livesey  | 
Report | Attendance: 2,809 Referee: James Linington  | 
| 30 August 2011 | Swindon Town (4) | 1–3 | Southampton (2) | County Ground, Swindon | 
| 19:45 | Kerrouche  | 
Report | Guly  Forte Lambert  | 
Attendance: 7,452 Referee: Fred Graham  | 
| 30 August 2011 | Leyton Orient (3) | 3–2 | Bristol Rovers (4) | Brisbane Road, London | 
| 19:45 | Mooney  Chorley Dawson  | 
Report | Zebroski  Richards  | 
Attendance: 1,881 Referee: Andy Woolmer  | 
| 13 September 2011 | Charlton Athletic (3) | 0–2 | Preston North End (3) | The Valley, London | 
| 19:45 | Report | Russell  Mayor  | 
Attendance: 5,130 Referee: Fred Graham  | 
| 13 September 2011 | Crystal Palace (2) | 2–1 | Wigan Athletic (1) | Selhurst Park, London | 
| 20:00 | Ambrose  Williams  | 
Report | Watson  | 
Attendance: 7,649 Referee: Keith Stroud  | 
Third round
    
The draw for the third round took place on 27 August 2011. The eight English clubs who qualified for European competition in the 2010–11 season – Arsenal, Birmingham City, Chelsea, Fulham, Manchester City, Manchester United, Stoke City and Tottenham Hotspur – entered the competition at this stage. Only two teams from League Two remained at this stage: Aldershot Town and Shrewsbury Town.
The Third Round took place in the week commencing 19 September 2011.
| 20 September 2011 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) | 5–0 | Millwall (2) | Molineux, Wolverhampton | 
| 19:45 | Edwards  Hammill Elokobi Spray Guedioura  | 
Report | Attendance: 7,749 Referee: Kevin Wright  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Aldershot Town (4) | 2–1 | Rochdale (3) | EBB Stadium, Aldershot | 
| 19:45 | Rankine  Hylton  | 
Report | Grimes  | 
Attendance: 3,334 Referee: Andy D'Urso  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Arsenal (1) | 3–1 | Shrewsbury Town (4) | Emirates Stadium, London | 
| 19:45 | Gibbs  Oxlade-Chamberlain Benayoun  | 
Report | Collins  | 
Attendance: 46,539 Referee: Anthony Bates  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Burnley (2) | 2–1 | Milton Keynes Dons (3) | Turf Moor, Burnley | 
| 19:45 | Trippier  Amougou  | 
Report | Powell  | 
Attendance: 4,134 Referee: Scott Mathieson  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Leeds United (2) | 0–3 | Manchester United (1) | Elland Road, Leeds | 
| 19:45 | Report | Owen  Giggs  | 
Attendance: 31,031 Referee: Mike Jones  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Nottingham Forest (2) | 3–4 (a.e.t.) | Newcastle United (1) | City Ground, Nottingham | 
| 19:45 | Findley  Derbyshire Tudgay  | 
Report | Løvenkrands  Simpson Coloccini  | 
Attendance: 10,208 Referee: Lee Mason  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Aston Villa (1) | 0–2 | Bolton Wanderers (1) | Villa Park, Birmingham | 
| 19:45 | Report | Eagles  Kakuta  | 
Attendance: 22,261 Referee: Darren Deadman  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Stoke City (1) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p)  | Tottenham Hotspur (1) | Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent | 
| 19:45 | Report | Attendance: 15,023 Referee: Lee Probert  | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| Walters Pennant Whelan Wilson Crouch Etherington Upson Shotton  | 
||||
| 20 September 2011 | Blackburn Rovers (1) | 3–2 | Leyton Orient (3) | Ewood Park, Blackburn | 
| 20:00 | Roberts  Rochina Vukčević  | 
Report | Mooney  Cox  | 
Attendance: 7,104 Referee: Colin Webster  | 
| 20 September 2011 | Crystal Palace (2) | 2–1 | Middlesbrough (2) | Selhurst Park, London | 
| 20:00 | Zaha  Andrew  | 
Report | Zemmama  | 
Attendance: 5,448 Referee: Graham Scott  | 
| 21 September 2011 | Cardiff City (2) | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (7–6 p)  | Leicester City (2) | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | 
| 19:45 | Cowie  Gestede  | 
Report | Howard  Dyer  | 
Attendance: 8,697 Referee: Roger East  | 
| Penalties | ||||
| Naylor  Earnshaw Cowie Conway Kiss Gestede Quinn  | 
Dyer  Howard Abe Danns St Ledger Paintsil Fernandes  | 
|||
| 21 September 2011 | Chelsea (1) | 0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–3 p)  | Fulham (1) | Stamford Bridge, London | 
| 19:45 | Report | Attendance: 37,632 Referee: Chris Foy  | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| Lampard  Luiz Terry Kalou Malouda  | 
Zamora  Sidwell Dembélé Baird Ruiz  | 
|||
| 21 September 2011 | Brighton & Hove Albion (2) | 1–2 | Liverpool (1) | Falmer Stadium, Falmer | 
| 19:45 | Barnes  | 
Report | Bellamy  Kuyt  | 
Attendance: 21,897 Referee: Michael Oliver  | 
| 21 September 2011 | Manchester City (1) | 2–0 | Birmingham City (2) | Etihad Stadium, Manchester | 
| 19:45 | Hargreaves  Balotelli  | 
Report | Attendance: 25,070 Referee: Kevin Friend  | 
| 21 September 2011 | Southampton (2) | 2–1 | Preston North End (3) | St Mary's, Southampton | 
| 19:45 | Hooiveld  Lallana  | 
Report | Barton  | 
Attendance: 7,414 Referee: Simon Hooper  | 
| 21 September 2011 | Everton (1) | 2–1 (a.e.t.) | West Bromwich Albion (1) | Goodison Park, Liverpool | 
| 20:00 | Fellaini  Neville  | 
Report | Brunt  | 
Attendance: 17,647 Referee: Jonathan Moss  | 
Fourth round
    
The draw for the fourth round took place on 24 September 2011. Aldershot Town were the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition and the only team representing League Two at this stage. No teams from League One remained.
The Fourth Round took place in the week commencing 24 October 2011.
| 25 October 2011 | Cardiff City (2) | 1–0 | Burnley (2) | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | 
| 19:45 | Mason  | 
Report | Attendance: 11,601 Referee: Darren Deadman  | 
| 25 October 2011 | Arsenal (1) | 2–1 | Bolton Wanderers (1) | Emirates Stadium, London | 
| 19:45 | Arshavin  Park  | 
Report | Muamba  | 
Attendance: 56,628 Referee: Anthony Taylor  | 
| 25 October 2011 | Aldershot Town (4) | 0–3 | Manchester United (1) | EBB Stadium, Aldershot | 
| 19:45 | Report | Berbatov  Owen Valencia  | 
Attendance: 7,044 Referee: Peter Walton  | 
| 25 October 2011 | Crystal Palace (2) | 2–0 | Southampton (2) | Selhurst Park, London | 
| 19:45 | Ambrose  Easter  | 
Report | Attendance: 11,865 Referee: Mark Haywood  | 
| 26 October 2011 | Wolverhampton Wanderers (1) | 2–5 | Manchester City (1) | Molineux, Wolverhampton | 
| 19:45 | Milijaš  O'Hara  | 
Report | A. Johnson  Nasri Džeko De Vries  | 
Attendance: 12,436 Referee: Neil Swarbrick  | 
| 26 October 2011 | Stoke City (1) | 1–2 | Liverpool (1) | Britannia Stadium, Stoke-on-Trent | 
| 19:45 | Jones  | 
Report | Suárez  | 
Attendance: 24,934 Referee: Lee Probert  | 
| 26 October 2011 | Blackburn Rovers (1) | 4–3 (a.e.t.) | Newcastle United (1) | Ewood Park, Blackburn | 
| 20:00 | Rochina  Yakubu Pedersen Givet  | 
Report | Guthrie  Cabaye Løvenkrands  | 
Attendance: 10,682 Referee: Robert Madley  | 
Fifth round
    
The draw for the fifth round took place on 29 October 2011. Cardiff City and Crystal Palace of the Championship were the only non-Premier League clubs left at this stage, which also saw last season's top four Premier League clubs competing.
The fifth round matches took place in the week commencing 28 November 2011.[10]
| 29 November 2011 | Chelsea (1) | 0–2 | Liverpool (1) | Stamford Bridge, London | 
| 19:45 | Report | Maxi  Kelly  | 
Attendance: 40,511 Referee: Phil Dowd  | 
| 29 November 2011 | Cardiff City (2) | 2–0 | Blackburn Rovers (1) | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | 
| 19:45 | Miller  Gerrard  | 
Report | Attendance: 19,436 Referee: Martin Atkinson  | 
| 29 November 2011 | Arsenal (1) | 0–1 | Manchester City (1) | Emirates Stadium, London | 
| 20:00 | Report | Agüero  | 
Attendance: 60,028 Referee: Lee Probert  | 
| 30 November 2011 | Manchester United (1) | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Crystal Palace (2) | Old Trafford, Manchester | 
| 19:45 | Macheda  | 
Report | Ambrose  Murray  | 
Attendance: 52,624 Referee: Chris Foy  | 
Semi-finals
    
The draw for the semi-finals took place on 30 November 2011. Unlike the rest of the tournament, the semi-finals are played over two legs, with the aggregate score after the second leg determining the winners. In the event of the aggregate scores being level after the second legs, 30 minutes of extra time will be played, with the away goals rule applied.
The first legs took place in the week commencing 9 January 2012, with the second legs a fortnight later in the week commencing 23 January 2012.
First leg
    
| 10 January 2012 | Crystal Palace (2) | 1–0 | Cardiff City (2) | Selhurst Park, London | 
| 20:00 | Gardner  | 
Report | Attendance: 22,147 Referee: Mike Dean  | 
| 11 January 2012 | Manchester City (1) | 0–1 | Liverpool (1) | Etihad Stadium, Manchester | 
| 19:45 | Report | Gerrard  | 
Attendance: 36,017 Referee: Lee Mason  | 
Second leg
    
| 24 January 2012  19:45 GMT  | Cardiff City (2) | 1–0  (a.e.t) (1–1 agg.) (3–1 p)  | Crystal Palace (2) | Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff | 
| Gardner  | 
Report | Attendance: 25,652 Referee: Howard Webb  | ||
| Penalties | ||||
| Miller  Conway Gestede Whittingham  | 
||||
Cardiff City won 3–1 on penalties.
| 25 January 2012  19:45 GMT  | Liverpool (1) | 2–2 (3–2 agg.)  | Manchester City (1) | Anfield, Liverpool | 
| Gerrard  Bellamy  | 
Report | De Jong  Džeko  | 
Attendance: 44,590 Referee: Phil Dowd  | 
Liverpool won 3–2 on aggregate
Final
    
The final was played on 26 February 2012 at Wembley Stadium.[11] The final involved one team from the Premier League, Liverpool, and one from the Championship, Cardiff City. The game was won by Liverpool after a penalty shoot-out.
| Cardiff City (2) | 2–2 (a.e.t.) | Liverpool (1) | 
|---|---|---|
| Mason  Turner  | 
Report | Škrtel  Kuyt  | 
| Penalties | ||
| Miller  Cowie Gestede Whittingham A. Gerrard  | 
2–3 | |
Top scorers
    
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[12] | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Burnley | 5 | |
| 2 | Leeds United | 4 | |
| Leicester City | 4 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 4 | ||
| 5 | Cardiff City | 3 | |
| Liverpool | 3 | ||
| Bury | 3 | ||
| Shrewsbury Town | 3 | ||
| Manchester United | 3 | ||
| Rochdale | 3 | ||
| Nottingham Forest | 3 | ||
| Crystal Palace | 3 | ||
| Newcastle | 3 | 
References
    
- "Liverpool class finally tells to deny Mackay's battlers". The Independent. 27 February 2012. Archived from the original on 1 May 2022. Retrieved 27 February 2012.
 - "BBC wins Football League contract". BBC Sport. 6 November 2007.
 - "Football on the BBC – Football League". BBC. 2 August 2010. Retrieved 23 August 2011.
 - "Charlton-Reading Carling Cup match called off". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
 - "Crystal Palace v Crawley Town". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
 - "West Ham-Aldershot Carling Cup tie postponed on police advice". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 8 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
 - "Bristol City-Swindon Carling Cup game called off". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 9 August 2011. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
 - "Bristol Rovers' Carling Cup tie with Watford postponed". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 10 August 2011. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
 -  "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Carling Cup Round 5 draw details". The Football League. 29 October 2011. Archived from the original on 31 October 2011. Retrieved 29 October 2011.
 -  "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 20 July 2013. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Carling Cup Stats: Top Goal Scorers – 2011/12". ESPN Soccernet. Retrieved 26 August 2011.
 
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