On 17 September 2024, Preston North End and Fulham played out a penalty shootout that tested endurance as much as skill. Thirty-four spot kicks were taken. Thirty-one found the net. Preston advanced in what became the longest penalty shootout in EFL Cup history. The match itself had deadlocked at 90 minutes, sending two evenly matched Championship sides to the lottery of penalties where routine execution and pressure replaced football for an extended evening.
The shootout's length alone reveals something about both teams. Thirty-one of thirty-four penalties converted suggests composure across 34 different moments of individual responsibility. Neither side cracked early. Both teams executed with precision across a sequence that stretched beyond any reasonable tolerance for repetition. Penalty shootouts end decisively. This one refused for 33 shots.
That endurance, across 34 kicks with one side finally standing, earns its place in the Carabao Cup record books. But Preston's marathon is not an isolated moment. It sits within a broader tradition of how this competition produces stories that defy ordinary football logic.
The Carabao Cup's tradition of extreme results
The competition's early rounds are known for scorelines that make tactical analysis almost beside the point. Instead, they reveal the gulf between different divisions when mismatched opposition meet at the wrong moment in the season.
Manchester City demolished Burton Albion 9-0 in the semi-final first leg on 9 January 2019. Gabriel Jesus scored four goals alone. The match was decided by half-time. Nigel Clough, Burton's manager, offered a darkly humorous response: "I hope Pep had more than a glass of wine in mind for that." The comment captured something real about early-round cup football: the gulf is measurable, and it shows on the scoreboard.
But the Carabao Cup does not always reward the favourite. On 30 October 2012, Reading led Arsenal 4-0 after 35 minutes and appeared to be engineering one of the tournament's great upsets. By full-time and extra-time, Arsenal had scored seven. Reading's four-goal cushion had evaporated. The final scoreline read 5-7 to Arsenal, with 12 total goals scored. This joint-record for the EFL Cup is matched only by Dagenham & Redbridge's 6-6 draw with Brentford.
Reading's collapse unfolded across a real match. Arsenal's attacking quality wore down Reading's resistance as the competition stretched. Fixture congestion in early season, squad rotation, and the relentless intensity of top-flight pressure proved overwhelming across 120 minutes. It was not inexperience or a single tactical failure. It was fatigue compounded by being outmatched.
Cup football's lopsided extremes
The tradition of extreme results extends far beyond recent seasons. In September 1986, Liverpool dismantled Fulham 10-0 in the first leg of their second-round tie, then won the return 3-2 for a 13-2 aggregate that remains among the most lopsided results in cup history. West Ham scored five goals by half-time in their 10-0 demolition of Bury on 25 October 1983, with Tony Cottee alone netting four of them. These are not isolated moments of defensive carelessness. They are the predictable outcome when divisional quality separates opponent from opponent.
Yet top-flight status offers no guarantee. Aston Villa nearly fell to League Two Wycombe in 2005. David O'Leary, Villa's manager, later reflected: "My side were on the verge of being part of a cup shock." They survived, but the narrow escape underscored a pattern: squad rotation and fixture congestion create vulnerabilities that even structured, experienced teams struggle to manage.
Preston's 34-penalty shootout adds to the Carabao Cup's tradition through endurance rather than demolition. It represents the competition's capacity to produce unforgettable moments: lopsided scorelines, collapsed comebacks, or the attrition of 34 penalties taken in sequence. The competition remains English cup football's most likely stage for the unexpected.
FAQ
What is the longest penalty shootout in Carabao Cup history?
Preston and Fulham played a 34-penalty shootout on 17 September 2024, setting a new record for the longest spot-kick sequence in EFL Cup history. Preston advanced after 31 of 34 penalties were successfully converted.
Why does the Carabao Cup produce so many high-scoring matches?
The competition's early rounds often feature mismatches between top-flight sides and lower-league opposition. Fixture congestion, squad rotation, and quality gaps in August and September create conditions for extreme scorelines like Manchester City's 9-0 demolition of Burton Albion.
What happened in Reading vs Arsenal Carabao Cup match?
Reading led Arsenal 4-0 after 35 minutes on 30 October 2012 but collapsed to lose 5-7 in extra-time. The 12 total goals made it one of the highest-scoring EFL Cup matches on record, matched only by Dagenham & Redbridge's 6-6 draw with Brentford.
Has West Ham won big in the Carabao Cup?
West Ham defeated Bury 10-0 on 25 October 1983, scoring five goals by half-time. Tony Cottee scored four goals in that demolition, demonstrating the gulf that can open between different divisions in the competition's early rounds.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
