Goals galore - the wildest scores in EFL Cup history

The EFL Cup has witnessed numerous wild scorelines throughout its history, ranging from 12-goal thrillers to 10-0 humiliations and grueling penalty shootouts. This article delves into some of the most extraordinary games the competition has ever produced.

One of the most memorable matches is the joint-highest scoring tie in EFL Cup history, which occurred when Dagenham & Redbridge, then in League Two, faced off against Brentford, a side recently promoted to the Championship. The match was level at 4-4 after 90 minutes, with Brentford's Harlee Dean scoring in the 117th minute to secure a 6-5 victory in penalties after Jack Connors and Ashley Chambers missed their attempts.

Aston Villa manager David O'Leary had feared his team might face a shock when they took on League Two side Wycombe Wanderers in 2005, but the visitors staged a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring seven goals to emerge victorious 11-3.

Another notable match took place at the Boleyn Ground on October 25, 1983, during the early rounds when West Ham United recorded their record win. West Ham, then in Division One, edged Bury 2-1 in the first leg and then raced to a 5-0 half-time lead in the second leg, with Alvin Martin, Trevor Brooking, and Tony Cottee scoring. Cottee completed his hat-trick before the break and the Hammers continued their onslaught in the second half, with Cottee adding his fourth goal and Alan Devonshire scoring another.

Ray Stewart and Brooking sealed the match with late goals, giving West Ham United a 11-0 aggregate victory.

Reading's 7-5 loss to Arsenal on October 30, 2012, is another standout match. Despite leading 4-0 by halftime, Reading capitulated after Theo Walcott's goal before half-time. Marouane Chamakh and Reading's Pavel Pogrebnyak scored in extra-time, but Walcott restored Arsenal's lead before Chamakh completed a 5-5 draw. The match was further marred by Olivier Giroud and Francis Coquelin throwing their shirts onto the crowd, thinking the game was over, only to awkwardly ask for them back once they realized extra-time was still to come.

Burton Albion's first major semi-final was overshadowed by a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in the first leg of the semi-final on January 9, 2019. Nigel Clough's team, having defeated Premier League and Championship sides to reach the last four, could not contain the powerful City side. Gabriel Jesus scored four goals, while Kevin de Bruyne, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Phil Foden, Kyle Walker, and Riyad Mahrez also found the back of the net against the League One side.

Clough expressed his disappointment, noting Pep Guardiola had invited him to a glass of wine and quipped that he hoped the Spaniard had more than a glass. Burton's fairy tale cup run ended, with Manchester City securing a 10-0 aggregate victory.