# 1986–87 Football League Cup

The 1986–87 Football League Cup (known as the Littlewoods Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 27th season of the Football League Cup, a knockout competition for England's top 92 football clubs.
The competition began on 25 August 1986, and ended with the final on 5 April 1987. The final was played between Arsenal and Liverpool. The match, played in front of 96,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium, was won by Arsenal 2–1.
Luton Town were thrown out of the competition when they refused to allow Cardiff City fans to attend the match at Kenilworth Road. This was at the moment when club's then chairman, Conservative MP David Evans, tried to introduce a scheme effective from the start of 1986–87 banning all visiting supporters from the ground, and requiring home fans to carry identity cards when attending matches.

## First round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aldershot | 1–3 | Fulham | 26 August 1986 |
| Blackpool | 0–0 | Preston North End | 26 August 1986 |
| Bournemouth | 0–1 | Bristol City | 26 August 1986 |
| Bristol Rovers | 1–2 | Reading | 27 August 1986 |
| Bury | 2–1 | Bolton Wanderers | 26 August 1986 |
| Cardiff City | 5–4 | Plymouth Argyle | 26 August 1986 |
| Carlisle United | 1–0 | Grimsby Town | 2 September 1986 |
| Chesterfield | 0–2 | Wrexham | 26 August 1986 |
| Colchester United | 0–0 | Peterborough United | 26 August 1986 |
| Derby County | 0–1 | Chester City | 27 August 1986 |
| Doncaster Rovers | 1–1 | Rotherham United | 26 August 1986 |
| Exeter City | 0–0 | Newport County | 27 August 1986 |
| Gillingham | 1–0 | Northampton Town | 25 August 1986 |
| Hartlepool United | 1–1 | Middlesbrough | 26 August 1986 |
| Hereford United | 3–3 | Swansea City | 27 August 1986 |
| Huddersfield Town | 3–1 | Halifax Town | 26 August 1986 |
| Orient | 2–2 | Cambridge United | 26 August 1986 |
| Notts County | 1–3 | Port Vale | 26 August 1986 |
| Rochdale | 1–1 | Burnley | 26 August 1986 |
| Scunthorpe United | 2–0 | Darlington | 26 August 1986 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 0–0 | Crewe Alexandra | 26 August 1986 |
| Southend United | 1–0 | Brentford | 26 August 1986 |
| Stockport County | 2–1 | Tranmere Rovers | 26 August 1986 |
| Sunderland | 2–4 | York City | 26 August 1986 |
| Swindon Town | 3–0 | Torquay United | 26 August 1986 |
| Walsall | 1–0 | Mansfield Town | 26 August 1986 |
| Wigan Athletic | 1–3 | Blackburn Rovers | 26 August 1986 |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–2 | Lincoln City | 26 August 1986 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | Wigan Athletic | 2 September 1986 | 5–1 |
| Bolton Wanderers | 0–0 | Bury | 2 September 1986 | 1–2 |
| Brentford | 2–3 | Southend United | 2 September 1986 | 2–4 |
| Bristol City | 1–1 | Bournemouth | 2 September 1986 | 2–1 |
| Burnley | 1–3 | Rochdale | 2 September 1986 | 2–4 |
| Cambridge United | 1–0 | Orient | 2 September 1986 | 3–2 |
| Chester City | 1–2 | Derby County | 3 September 1986 | 2–2 |
| Crewe Alexandra | 0–4 | Shrewsbury Town | 2 September 1986 | 0–4 |
| Darlington | 1–2 | Scunthorpe United | 2 September 1986 | 1–4 |
| Fulham | 2–0 | Aldershot | 3 September 1986 | 5–1 |
| Grimsby Town | 2–0 | Carlisle United | 9 September 1986 | 2–1 |
| Halifax Town | 2–2 | Huddersfield Town | 2 September 1986 | 3–5 |
| Lincoln City | 0–1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 2 September 1986 | 2–2 |
| Mansfield Town | 2–4 | Walsall | 2 September 1986 | 2–5 |
| Middlesbrough | 2–0 | Hartlepool United | 2 September 1986 | 3–1 |
| Newport County | 1–0 | Exeter City | 2 September 1986 | 1–0 |
| Northampton Town | 2–2 | Gillingham | 3 September 1986 | 2–3 |
| Peterborough United | 2–0 | Colchester United | 3 September 1986 | 2–0 |
| Plymouth Argyle | 0–1 | Cardiff City | 2 September 1986 | 4–6 |
| Port Vale | 4–1 | Notts County | 3 September 1986 | 7–2 |
| Preston North End | 2–1 | Blackpool | 2 September 1986 | 2–1 |
| Reading | 4–0 | Bristol Rovers | 3 September 1986 | 6–1 |
| Rotherham United | 4–1 | Doncaster Rovers | 2 September 1986 | 5–2 |
| Swansea City | 5–1 | Hereford United | 2 September 1986 | 8–4 |
| Torquay United | 2–3 | Swindon Town | 2 September 1986 | 2–6 |
| Tranmere Rovers | 3–3 | Stockport County | 2 September 1986 | 4–5 |
| Wrexham | 2–2 | Chesterfield | 2 September 1986 | 4–2 |
| York City | 1–3 | Sunderland | 2 September 1986 | 5–5 |

## Second round
### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 2–0 | Huddersfield Town | 23 September 1986 |
| Barnsley | 2–3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 23 September 1986 |
| Bradford City | 2–0 | Newcastle United | 23 September 1986 |
| Brighton & Hove Albion | 0–0 | Nottingham Forest | 24 September 1986 |
| Bristol City | 2–2 | Sheffield United | 23 September 1986 |
| Cambridge United | 1–1 | Wimbledon | 23 September 1986 |
| Charlton Athletic | 3–1 | Lincoln City | 23 September 1986 |
| Coventry City | 3–2 | Rotherham United | 23 September 1986 |
| Crystal Palace | 0–0 | Bury | 24 September 1986 |
| Derby County | 4–1 | West Bromwich Albion | 24 September 1986 |
| Everton | 4–0 | Newport County | 24 September 1986 |
| Hull City | 1–0 | Grimsby Town | 23 September 1986 |
| Liverpool | 10–0 | Fulham | 23 September 1986 |
| Manchester United | 2–0 | Port Vale | 24 September 1986 |
| Middlesbrough | 2–2 | Birmingham City | 23 September 1986 |
| Oldham Athletic | 3–2 | Leeds United | 23 September 1986 |
| Oxford United | 6–0 | Gillingham | 24 September 1986 |
| Peterborough United | 0–0 | Norwich City | 24 September 1986 |
| Preston North End | 1–1 | West Ham United | 23 September 1986 |
| Queens Park Rangers | 2–1 | Blackburn Rovers | 23 September 1986 |
| Reading | 1–1 | Aston Villa | 24 September 1986 |
| Scunthorpe United | 1–2 | Ipswich Town | 23 September 1986 |
| Sheffield Wednesday | 3–0 | Stockport County | 23 September 1986 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 2–1 | Stoke City | 23 September 1986 |
| Southampton | 3–0 | Swindon Town | 23 September 1986 |
| Southend United | 0–0 | Manchester City | 23 September 1986 |
| Swansea City | 0–2 | Leicester City | 23 September 1986 |
| Walsall | 0–1 | Millwall | 7 October 1986 |
| Watford | 1–1 | Rochdale | 23 September 1986 |
| Wrexham | 1–2 | Portsmouth | 24 September 1986 |
| York City | 1–0 | Chelsea | 23 September 1986 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Aston Villa | 4–1 | Reading | 8 October 1986 | 5–2 |
| Birmingham City | 3–2 | Middlesbrough | 7 October 1986 | 5–4 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2–2 | Queens Park Rangers | 7 October 1986 | 3–4 |
| Bury | 0–1 | Crystal Palace | 7 October 1986 | 0–1 |
| Chelsea | 3–0 | York City | 8 October 1986 | 3–1 |
| Fulham | 2–3 | Liverpool | 7 October 1986 | 2–13 |
| Gillingham | 1–1 | Oxford United | 7 October 1986 | 1–7 |
| Grimsby Town | 1–1 | Hull City | 7 October 1986 | 1–2 |
| Huddersfield Town | 1–1 | Arsenal | 7 October 1986 | 1–3 |
| Ipswich Town | 2–0 | Scunthorpe United | 7 October 1986 | 4–1 |
| Leeds United | 0–1 | Oldham Athletic | 8 October 1986 | 2–4 |
| Leicester City | 4–2 | Swansea City | 8 October 1986 | 6–2 |
| Lincoln City | 0–1 | Charlton Athletic | 8 October 1986 | 1–4 |
| Manchester City | 2–1 | Southend United | 8 October 1986 | 2–1 |
| Millwall | 3–2 | Walsall | 14 October 1986 | 4–2 |
| Newcastle United | 1–0 | Bradford City | 8 October 1986 | 1–2 |
| Newport County | 1–5 | Everton | 7 October 1986 | 1–9 |
| Norwich City | 1–0 | Peterborough United | 8 October 1986 | 1–0 |
| Nottingham Forest | 3–0 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 8 October 1986 | 3–0 |
| Port Vale | 2–5 | Manchester United | 7 October 1986 | 2–7 |
| Portsmouth | 2–0 | Wrexham | 7 October 1986 | 4–1 |
| Rochdale | 1–2 | Watford | 7 October 1986 | 2–3 |
| Rotherham United | 0–1 | Coventry City | 7 October 1986 | 2–4 |
| Sheffield United | 3–0 | Bristol City | 7 October 1986 | 5–2 |
| Stockport County | 0–7 | Sheffield Wednesday | 6 October 1986 | 0–10 |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | Shrewsbury Town | 8 October 1986 | 1–2 |
| Swindon Town | 0–0 | Southampton | 8 October 1986 | 0–3 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5–3 | Barnsley | 8 October 1986 | 8–5 |
| West Bromwich Albion | 0–1 | Derby County | 7 October 1986 | 1–5 |
| West Ham United | 4–1 | Preston North End | 7 October 1986 | 5–2 |
| Wimbledon | 2–2 | Cambridge United | 7 October 1986 | 3–3 |

### Luton Town v Cardiff City

Luton Town were thrown out of the competition when they refused to allow Cardiff City fans to attend the match at Kenilworth Road.
This allowed Cardiff a bye into the Third Round.

## Last 32
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 3–1 | Manchester City | 28 October 1986 |
| Bradford City | 3–1 | Portsmouth | 29 October 1986 |
| Cambridge United | 1–0 | Ipswich Town | 28 October 1986 |
| Cardiff City | 2–1 | Chelsea | 28 October 1986 |
| Charlton Athletic | 1–0 | Queens Park Rangers | 28 October 1986 |
| Coventry City | 2–1 | Oldham Athletic | 28 October 1986 |
| Crystal Palace | 2–2 | Nottingham Forest | 29 October 1986 |
| Derby County | 1–1 | Aston Villa | 29 October 1986 |
| Everton | 4–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | 28 October 1986 |
| Liverpool | 4–1 | Leicester City | 29 October 1986 |
| Manchester United | 0–0 | Southampton | 29 October 1986 |
| Norwich City | 4–1 | Millwall | 29 October 1986 |
| Oxford United | 3–1 | Sheffield United | 29 October 1986 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1–0 | Hull City | 28 October 1986 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5–0 | Birmingham City | 29 October 1986 |
| Watford | 2–3 | West Ham United | 29 October 1986 |

### Replays

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Aston Villa | 2–1 | Derby County | 4 November 1986 |
| Nottingham Forest | 1–0 | Crystal Palace | 5 November 1986 |
| Southampton | 4–1 | Manchester United | 4 November 1986 |

## Last 16
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 2–0 | Charlton Athletic | 18 November 1986 |
| Bradford City | 0–5 | Nottingham Forest | 19 November 1986 |
| Cambridge United | 1–3 | Tottenham Hotspur | 26 November 1986 |
| Coventry City | 0–0 | Liverpool | 19 November 1986 |
| Norwich City | 1–4 | Everton | 19 November 1986 |
| Shrewsbury Town | 1–0 | Cardiff City | 18 November 1986 |
| Southampton | 2–1 | Aston Villa | 18 November 1986 |
| West Ham United | 1–0 | Oxford United | 18 November 1986 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Liverpool | 3–1 | Coventry City | 26 November 1986 |

## Quarter-Finals
### Ties

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 2–0 | Nottingham Forest | 21 January 1987 |
| Everton | 0–1 | Liverpool | 21 January 1987 |
| Southampton | 1–0 | Shrewsbury Town | 27 January 1987 |
| West Ham United | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 27 January 1987 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 5–0 | West Ham United | 2 February 1987 |

## Semi-finals

North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur were both in the league title race this season and the League Cup semi-final paired them together, where the scores were equal over two legs before Arsenal won the replay. Liverpool, four-time winners earlier in the decade, were held to a 0–0 draw at Southampton in the first leg of the other semi-final before triumphing 3–0 at Anfield.

### First leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Arsenal | 0–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | 8 February 1987 |
| Southampton | 0–0 | Liverpool | 11 February 1987 |

### Second leg

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date | Agg |
| Liverpool | 3–0 | Southampton | 25 February 1987 | 3–0 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–2 | Arsenal | 1 March 1987 | 2–2 |

### Replay

| Home Team | Score | Away Team | Date |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–2 | Arsenal | 4 March 1987 |